# Americans: Until what age did you have to say the Pledge of Allegiance each morning? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 24, 2013, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-until-what-age-did-you-have-to-say-the-pledge-of-allegiance-each-morning/672087 "2013-10-24T04:41:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-until-what-age-did-you-have-to-say-the-pledge-of-allegiance-each-morning/672087/41 "2013-10-24T17:22:28Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > You should have pledged allegiance to Maria, and the Italian flag. Only if we wanted to. šŸ†’ ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-until-what-age-did-you-have-to-say-the-pledge-of-allegiance-each-morning/672087/42 "2013-10-24T17:34:24Z")
I know we did it in elementary school in the 80s, but not all the way through elementary school. In middle school some, I think. Probably during the Gulf War. I didnā€™t say it, no one noticed. Not in high school at all. This is in suburban Ohio. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-until-what-age-did-you-have-to-say-the-pledge-of-allegiance-each-morning/672087/43 "2013-10-24T17:37:15Z")
I did it all through high school and I graduated in 2008. In North Carolina. We still love America in this part of the country ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-until-what-age-did-you-have-to-say-the-pledge-of-allegiance-each-morning/672087/44 "2013-10-24T17:37:52Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > I did it all through high school and I graduated in 2008. In North Carolina. We still love America in this part of the country Here we love America but despise the Pledge. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-until-what-age-did-you-have-to-say-the-pledge-of-allegiance-each-morning/672087/45 "2013-10-24T17:40:13Z")
I remember mumbling through it after morning announcements every morning even in high school. We also had the raising of the flag during the pledge. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-until-what-age-did-you-have-to-say-the-pledge-of-allegiance-each-morning/672087/46 "2013-10-24T17:41:50Z")
throughout HS. (graduated from a New England HS in 1996) ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-until-what-age-did-you-have-to-say-the-pledge-of-allegiance-each-morning/672087/47 "2013-10-24T17:44:15Z")
1. Grade 1, I think. I recall saying it in pre-k and kindergarten, but after that I canā€™t recall. 2. 1989ish. 3. Los Angeles ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-until-what-age-did-you-have-to-say-the-pledge-of-allegiance-each-morning/672087/48 "2013-10-24T17:51:28Z")
In Kansas in the mid 1980s, my elementary school said it every morning. A student was elected to read it over the PA system first thing in the morning. I went to that school for K, 1, and 2. Then we moved to Indiana, by now in the late 1980s, and there was no regular pledge. Maybe we said it as assemblies sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-until-what-age-did-you-have-to-say-the-pledge-of-allegiance-each-morning/672087/49 "2013-10-24T17:52:12Z")
It was in the '60s and my memory is fuzzy, but I think all through elementary school, which is through the sixth grade. West Texas. It stopped after that, Iā€™m pretty sure. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-until-what-age-did-you-have-to-say-the-pledge-of-allegiance-each-morning/672087/50 "2013-10-24T18:00:29Z")
Up to and including sixth grade, so until 1967 or so. Then not in junior high or high school. Upper Midwest. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-until-what-age-did-you-have-to-say-the-pledge-of-allegiance-each-morning/672087/51 "2013-10-24T18:43:36Z")
Somehow this mania about everyone reciting the Pledge on every conceivable occasion reminds me of _Catch 22_ when the base commander thought it would be a great and patriotic idea if loyalty oaths were signed by everyone, frequently and often. Before getting a meal at mess, for example. Remember what happened when a big-ass visiting general was handed one to sign before being served? ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-until-what-age-did-you-have-to-say-the-pledge-of-allegiance-each-morning/672087/52 "2013-10-24T19:07:39Z")
We said the pledge up to fifth grade **and** also said the Lordā€™s Prayer everyday in public school in rural Ohio. It was 1970 and the teacher was retired/dismissed the next year because of it (just because the Supreme Court said she couldnā€™t). Ruby Burns, she was the definition of old school; made us learn the names of the presidents in order (recite them to the class) and you had to be able to answer with the name of a specific stateā€™s capital city whenever she randomly choose to call on you at any odd ball time during the day. It wasnā€™t so much loyalty oath as it was brainwashing you into being a American! We just knew we were better than those commies that didnā€™t recite the Pledge and Lordā€™s Prayer! I can still hear her emphasizing the ā€œone nation, _ **under God** _, indivisibleā€ part of the pledge. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-until-what-age-did-you-have-to-say-the-pledge-of-allegiance-each-morning/672087/53 "2013-10-24T19:10:05Z")
Said it every day K-12, NY Suburbs, graduated 1989 Said it this year at Parent Back to School night here in LeftyVille NJ, was lead by the local Boy Scout Troop. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-until-what-age-did-you-have-to-say-the-pledge-of-allegiance-each-morning/672087/54 "2013-10-24T19:27:39Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > I did it all through high school and I graduated in 2008. In North Carolina. We still love America in this part of the country Just for the record, itā€™s possible to love something that you donā€™t pledge allegiance to. And vice versa. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-until-what-age-did-you-have-to-say-the-pledge-of-allegiance-each-morning/672087/55 "2013-10-24T19:41:48Z")
I said it through fourth grade. Then we moved to Montreal and I didnā€™t have to say it anymore. šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-until-what-age-did-you-have-to-say-the-pledge-of-allegiance-each-morning/672087/56 "2013-10-24T20:13:20Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > It wasnā€™t so much loyalty oath as it was brainwashing you into being a American! We just knew we were better than those commies that didnā€™t recite the Pledge and Lordā€™s Prayer! I can still hear her emphasizing the ā€œone nation, _ **under God** _, indivisibleā€ part of the pledge. Shit, I remember being given pocket cards with the new wording in bold, just like that. We had to relearn the pledge. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-until-what-age-did-you-have-to-say-the-pledge-of-allegiance-each-morning/672087/57 "2013-10-24T21:09:32Z")
K - 12, western NY, this is back in the 80s. By high school, people could, and did, either say the pledge or just sit quietly while others were saying it. It wasnā€™t a big deal at all, either way. The biggest reason for sitting quietly was if you were trying to get some homework done before the end of homeroom. My best recollection was that on any given day, it was about half and half. And it wasnā€™t always the same people sitting it out, kind of like if you had some time, you would do the pledge on Monday, but maybe you were trying to get in 3 more minutes of studying for your Chem exam on Tuesday. This is one of those things where I was surprised, later as an adult, to learn that saying it or not saying it had been a challenging or difficult issue faced by some people. Truthfully, it would have been unusual to have a non-US student in the school in the town where I grew up, so Iā€™m not sure how that would have gone. My guess is that the handful of exchange students who came through in high school would have been taught the pledge as an example of ā€œlife in America!ā€ without any particular push for them to actually participate. And their non-participation would have blended right in with no comment. ---
**Author:** ![ctaylor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6f9a4e/32.png) [@ctaylor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ctaylor)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-until-what-age-did-you-have-to-say-the-pledge-of-allegiance-each-morning/672087/58 "2013-10-24T21:56:11Z")
Not school related, but here in Southern California, we still say it when we get together for one of our weekend shooting matches at the gun club I belong to- because even if we donā€™t agree with all her policies, we love our country! ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-until-what-age-did-you-have-to-say-the-pledge-of-allegiance-each-morning/672087/59 "2013-10-24T22:11:02Z")
I know we did thru 8th grade - I was in Catholic school those years (1960-68) but I donā€™t remember doing the pledge once I started 9th grade in the public school system. Maybe we did, but I donā€™t recall. I avoid it now as often as I can, but sometimes, itā€™s easier to go thru the motions than get plastic patriots all riled upā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-until-what-age-did-you-have-to-say-the-pledge-of-allegiance-each-morning/672087/60 "2013-10-24T22:15:51Z")
I think we stopped reciting the pledge in the 5th grade. Maybe the 6th? Itā€™s hard to recall for certain. Said it occasionally in Scouting. Still remember my Scout Oath too. On my honor, I will do my best To do my duty to God and my Country and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-until-what-age-did-you-have-to-say-the-pledge-of-allegiance-each-morning/672087.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-until-what-age-did-you-have-to-say-the-pledge-of-allegiance-each-morning/672087.md?page=4)