# Did you recite the Pledge of Allegiance in school? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 29, 2005, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-recite-the-pledge-of-allegiance-in-school/328479 "2005-10-29T18:39:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-recite-the-pledge-of-allegiance-in-school/328479/21 "2005-10-30T01:37:05Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > New Berlin, WI. Every Monday. And nary a serial killer among us. Nor a child molester. Read into it what you will. šŸ˜ƒ Everyone up 'till now has very nicely kept politics out of this poll. Please continue in that vein. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-recite-the-pledge-of-allegiance-in-school/328479/22 "2005-10-30T01:39:53Z")
Some schools we did; some not. (I attended ten schools in my childhood.) I definitely remember it from Catholic elementary school in Virginia, and in public junior high in Massachusetts. ---
**Author:** ![parthenokinesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/cc9497/32.png) [@parthenokinesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/parthenokinesis)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-recite-the-pledge-of-allegiance-in-school/328479/23 "2005-10-30T01:41:37Z")
I led the pledge of Allegiance over the school intercom every day when I was in eighth grade. Why? Cause my sister did it the year before and I couldnā€™t let her be better than me. Sibling rivalry can lead us into very strange behaviors. Jack ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-recite-the-pledge-of-allegiance-in-school/328479/24 "2005-10-30T01:53:29Z")
I refused. At least eventually I did. I recited it along with everyone else in grade school. Some time around junior high I decided I couldnā€™t be arsed. It was eating into my reading time. So when everyone else stood up I ignored it. And got called to the principals office for it. Where it was explained to me that I didnā€™t have to say it but I had to stand up. Which sounds like a load of shit, really, but from then on I did stand up. Didnā€™t put my book down though. (and for the recordā€¦it did have a bit to do with ā€œunder Godā€. And a bit more with a general dislike of loyalty oaths. I donā€™t need to pledge anything, I know George Washington knows whatā€™s in my heart šŸ™‚ ) ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-recite-the-pledge-of-allegiance-in-school/328479/25 "2005-10-30T01:59:20Z")
> [@betenoir](#): > > (and for the recordā€¦it did have a bit to do with ā€œunder Godā€. And a bit more with a general dislike of loyalty oaths. I donā€™t need to pledge anything, I know George Washington knows whatā€™s in my heart šŸ™‚ ) Please see my post #21. If people are interested in _debating_ the Pledge of Allegiance, please start a different thread. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-recite-the-pledge-of-allegiance-in-school/328479/26 "2005-10-30T02:07:15Z")
We recited the pledge in grade school, but I donā€™t recall if it was done every day. We also had the official New York State School prayer: Our father, we acknowledge our dependence on thee. We ask Godā€™s blessing upon us, our parents, our teachers, and our country. Amen. When the Supreme Court wisely declared this sort of thing unconsitutional, it was dropped. I think they quit with the everyday pledge about that time ā€“ though it would be used at assemblies. ---
**Author:** ![Spiratu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@Spiratu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiratu)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-recite-the-pledge-of-allegiance-in-school/328479/27 "2005-10-30T02:24:46Z")
Probably every morning in grades K-2 in Rochester, NY (although my memoryā€™s fuzzy on that) and every morning in grades 3-12 in rural northwestern Pennsylvania. Flag on the wall and all that. When I was student council governor, I occasionally would start off the pledge for the whole school while doing the morning announcements. We had a ā€œmoment of silent reflectionā€, too, before the pledge, for anyone who wanted to pray or meditate or frantically finish homework during. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-recite-the-pledge-of-allegiance-in-school/328479/28 "2005-10-30T02:36:32Z")
Every morning K-9th grade at the Baptist school I went to. Often but not always followed by a patriotic song and always followed by a prayer for the day. The public school I went to for 10-12, I can only remember doing it in Mrs. Simpsonā€™s English class for 10th grade. ---
**Author:** ![633squadron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/ee59a6/32.png) [@633squadron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/633squadron)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-recite-the-pledge-of-allegiance-in-school/328479/29 "2005-10-30T02:40:06Z")
> [@DaphneBlack](#): > > I ask because I did not (except for maybe three times in fourth grade). It seems like it is/was a fairly widespread practice to recite it every day. Every day in elementary school, for sure, back in the early 60s. Heck, we both **learned** and **recited** the _Lordā€™s Prayer_ back in kindergarten. I was Jewish! ;j. I didnā€™t realize it wasnā€™t a Jewish prayer until I was much olderā€¦ I think that we might have done the Pledge in Junior High, but not in high school. My attitude, really, is big deal. Itā€™s not as if I listened to anything my teachers or administrators said. I didnā€™t seriously start paying attention to ideas until I was halfway through college. ---
**Author:** ![straykat23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@straykat23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/straykat23)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-recite-the-pledge-of-allegiance-in-school/328479/30 "2005-10-30T02:46:58Z")
Every day, K though 8th grade, Catholic schools in San Francisco and Oakland. There was an outdoor assembly after the morning recess where we said the pledge, sang the Star Spangled Banner (3 verses), said a few prayers and sang a few hymns. Catholic high school, 9 through 12, Oakland. No pledge. ---
**Author:** ![elfbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b782af/32.png) [@elfbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfbabe)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-recite-the-pledge-of-allegiance-in-school/328479/31 "2005-10-30T03:15:49Z")
Said it every day through sixth grade. After that, it was only at major events until Wisconsin law made daily recitation of the pledge mandatory. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-recite-the-pledge-of-allegiance-in-school/328479/32 "2005-10-30T06:22:51Z")
I got kicked out of high school for NOT saying the pledge. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-recite-the-pledge-of-allegiance-in-school/328479/33 "2005-10-30T11:36:11Z")
I didā€”for the fairly brief time I was in public school, till first gradeā€”but I didnā€™t say the ā€œunder Godā€ part. (ā€œOne nationā€¦[pause]ā€¦indivisibleā€) I donā€™t think anyone else ever noticed. It didnā€™t seem that big a deal to meā€”I didnā€™t believe in God, but I liked my country, so I just didnā€™t say that one bit. ---
**Author:** ![galen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecc23a/32.png) [@galen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-recite-the-pledge-of-allegiance-in-school/328479/34 "2005-10-30T16:33:21Z")
Never. Rural Minnesota. 1955-1966. The Pledge should be banned from schools. Just more pseudo-patriotic bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-recite-the-pledge-of-allegiance-in-school/328479/35 "2005-10-30T18:07:00Z")
> [@galen](#): > > The Pledge should be banned from schools. Just more pseudo-patriotic bullshit. _sigh_ Please see my posts #'s21 and 25. Next time, Iā€™m bringing out the clue stick. This could be a debate/opinion thread, but itā€™s not. Itā€™s a _ **POLL** _. ---
**Author:** ![Strinka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strinka/32/512_2.png) [@Strinka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strinka)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-recite-the-pledge-of-allegiance-in-school/328479/36 "2005-10-30T18:36:50Z")
My elementary and junior high school did every day. My former high school did it once a week. My current high schoolā€¦ well, thatā€™s hard to explain exactly. I stopped saying it sometime in junior high I think. I never got into any trouble for it. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-recite-the-pledge-of-allegiance-in-school/328479/37 "2005-10-30T18:46:14Z")
I know I said it in public elementary school. I donā€™t remember saying it in high school. This was is in CA. They always say it before a Board of Trustees meeting on a college campus, but lately I have not been pledging. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-recite-the-pledge-of-allegiance-in-school/328479/38 "2005-10-30T19:11:25Z")
Iā€™m sure I said it in grades K-7. Iā€™m not sure about 8th grade (but that was the same school as 7th grade, so probably), and Iā€™m pretty sure it was only at assemblies in high school. All grades were at Catholic school. ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-recite-the-pledge-of-allegiance-in-school/328479/39 "2005-10-30T20:11:37Z")
It was recited almost every day, every year. Public school in New Jersey, graduated in 2004. Sometime in freshman year, I realized I really didnā€™t care about it, personally found it a bit creepy, and stopped saying it or even standing for it. Only had occasional problems with teachers on that issue. ---
**Author:** ![DaphneBlack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daphneblack/32/5389_2.png) [@DaphneBlack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaphneBlack)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-recite-the-pledge-of-allegiance-in-school/328479/40 "2005-10-30T20:11:08Z")
Thanks, **This Yearā€™s Model**. I really do just mean this as a poll! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-recite-the-pledge-of-allegiance-in-school/328479.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-recite-the-pledge-of-allegiance-in-school/328479.md?page=3)