I am writing this in response to an article I recently read, titled “The Pledge of Allegiance needs to be left behind”.

The Pledge is grossly misrepresented by this article. The article declares that the Pledge is plagued by an irredeemable past of xenophobia and racism, and because of that past’s incompatibility with modern day values, the Pledge should be left behind. However, this line of reasoning overlooks the inherent value a speech like the Pledge of Allegiance has to us today.

 Though maintaining a tradition with dark origins may cause discomfort, I would argue that instead of focusing on the Pledge’s troubled past, why not use the Pledge as an instrument of unity? We should separate the beliefs of those living in the 1890s from the Pledge, and embrace the value of the speech itself.

When we recite the Pledge of Allegiance, we swear our allegiance to our republic and to each other. We swear to uphold our democratic processes, and above all to remain loyal to each other as fellow citizens. That loyalty is something we as a country desperately need. America is spiraling into political tribalism as politics seeps into personal life, and both the left and right sides of the political aisle rip apart the middle, driving even politically moderate Americans apart. Perhaps the Pledge of Allegiance will be a start to closing that gap, so that we can once again see each other as fellow Americans, rather than rivals.

Gavin Moran

Class of 2023