Washington Votes Forum

Introduced in the House on January 18, 2008

Click here to view bill details.

Teaching the pledge of allegiance to high school students is a good idea. Who could be opposed to this bill? Vote YES!

Teaching the pledge of allegiance to high school students is a very good idea. Who could be opped to this bill? Vote YES!

I learned this in the 1st grade. What am I missing here?

this is a wonderful idea

This is an awesome idea you guys! People definitely need to know what they are pledging to, and any patriotic citizen should agree. Keep working on it, and I hope it gets passed!

I believe that you are not thinking out of your learning experience. Just because YOU have learned this in the 1st grade, doesn't mean everyone has. I would like to know if you like the idea. From my personal experience, it was awhile until I understood or even cared (which is something they want to get at, CARING about the Pledge)what the Pledge meant, and it is obviously important if schools have to recite it every day and it has to be recited at all assemblies, as stated in RCW 28A.230.140. In addition, learning the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance in the 1st grade couldn't have been very affective at such a young age. It should be taught more than once, for it to stick in the brain.

Not everyone learned it!!!

More style over substance and more absurd mandates for our underfunded school system IF History and Government classes had been properly provided we wouldn't have these meaningless displays of fake patriotism. How many hours of class time will this take up which could be used to teach the REAL truths of our great constitution

If this were in fact meaningless, then you would be saying that the meaning of the pledge would be meaningless! I want to honestly know if you know the meaning of the plede!

7th honors core, I think you misunderstood what the anonymous citizen was saying. He/she said "meaningless displays of fake patriotism", which doesn't mean that they think the Pledge is meaningless. They just think that other subjects, like the Constitution, are MORE important than the Pledge. So don't over react. You don't want people to think that you can't agree to disagree, do you?

Hi this is Makaela. HI!!!! koolio! (thumbs up) Great idea! Go Eatonville Middle School 7th grade Honors Core!!

this is an awesome bill to pass

I pledge allegiance, to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands... These words are encouraging, poetic, and of great importance to our country. I believe that everyone, old and young, should recite these wondrous words proudly out of respect for our dear nation and its loyal soldiers and veterans. If you do not think this is important, than you should learn about how Francis Bellamy made a great unknown (to many) discovery. In plain words, Teach the Pledge!!

I'm shocked that kids don't already know the pledge of allegiance by the end of the 1st grade. I guess we should make it a requirement to pass an arithmatic test. Patriotism, Loyalty, and Respect isn't something you can force upon someone. Make part of the graduation process something that will prepare them for entering the working world after graduation. And throw out their calculators.

ya it is cool

really you know what all of the word mean and why we say them sience the first grade. i didnt know that teachers taugth that at a very young age. interesting

really you know what all of the word mean and why we say them sience the first grade. i didnt know that teachers taugth that at a very young age. interesting

that you my class and i think so too.

We are talking about the meaning of the Pledge here! We were saying that we were saying the Pledge mindlessly. Thats why we made the bill in the first place! We want other people to have the same deep understanding as us!

I didn't know that they taught it in first grade either! what school did you go to?

AMEN to that!!!!!!!!!!!! VOTE YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am a Washington resident and serving in the war. Studying the pledge of allegiance as a graduation requirement is stupid! You pull the match WASL, but want the kids to study the pledge...can we have real priorities or frivolous junk?

I agree that it might be a good idea for high school students to discuss the meaning (and origins, etc.) of the pledge, but I find it quite disturbing to have 6 year olds mindlessly citing "allegiance" to a "republic" when they don't learn even the basics of those words until at least about the fifth grade. It is very pre-war Germany (even down to the outstretched arm hail salute that had to be changed.) wikipedia: Pledge of Allegiance, and Bellamy Salute, etc Though, deciding how people must show their patriotism isn't one of the duties we gave to the federal government in the Constitution so maybe they need to spend a little more time on that as well.