At the start of each day, in many public and private schools across the country, students stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. In fact, 35 states have passed laws requiring the Pledge to be recited daily. This question has been a source of controversy for years. On the one hand, there are families and educators who believe in the citizenship and patriotism that reciting the Pledge brings (Chiodo, 2011). On the opposing side, families and educators argue about the possible threat to individual freedoms of the First Amendment. Before analyzing the controversy described above, we must first examine the history of the pledge itself. Written by Francis Bellamy, it was originally titled "The Pledge to the Flag" and was created in the late 1800s to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America. It originally said: “I pledge allegiance to my flag and to the republic for which it represents, one indivisible nation, with liberty and justice for all” (McCarthy, 2005). Changes were later made to include the words "of the United States" and "of America" ​​to indicate which flag was being referred to. The final changes to the pledge occurred in 1954 when it became officially titled the "Pledge of Allegiance" and the words "under God" were added after "one nation." This addition to the pledge was intended to support the United States as a religious nation. In signing the law to put this change into effect, President Eisenhower said, "In this way we will constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which will forever be the most powerful resource of our country in time of peace and war" (McCarthy , 2005). Many parents, educators, and school officials defend the Pledge of Allegiance and other rituals and symbols for the themes of ...... middle of paper ...... allegiance without any examination of its meaning and history; 2) Participants agreed that Engagement should be an important aspect of public education; 3) Participants identified the Pledge as “educationally valuable” because it is useful for conveying shared values ​​of loyalty, respect, patriotism and common beliefs for the future. In conclusion, supporters of requiring the Pledge of Allegiance in schools justify their beliefs by asserting that the Pledge has educational value. These supporters seek to use it as a tool to share themes of community, loyalty and respect amidst social diversity and change. Opponents, on the other hand, disagree that the pledge has any educational value and instead believe it violates a person's First Amendment rights. They ultimately seek to demonstrate that the Pledge is ineffective in transmitting values ​​to public schools...