By Kristina Raevsky; Young American Patriot of the Year, Author of “A Sheep’s Tale, Young Patriot’s Guide to Saving America”
Veterans Day is a time we take to remember and honor our brave and heroic veterans who risked their lives so that America and the American Dream could live. They sacrificed so much out of their deep love for our nation, and it is important for all of us to share that love so the veterans who fought did not do so in vain. It starts with raising a young generation of patriots like myself who honor, love and cherish our beloved country.
Chances are, every American child knows one particular set of patriotic words by heart after repeating it countless times at the beginning of each school day: the Pledge of Allegiance. Sadly, whether or not these children say this oath to our country is another question. Despite the pledge only taking 15 seconds to say, I have personally witnessed students who choose not to say these proud words and instead look just about anywhere except at our glorious American flag. Some just want to get this “chore” of sorts over with so they do not have to be bothered with patriotism for the rest of the day. While in some situations, the majority makes up for the few who choose not to say the pledge, in other situations, the room is filled with chirping crickets as I am the only person dutifully and patriotically saying the pledge. This saddens and disappoints me as I see this notion becoming a growing and more acceptable practice. Not only do some students deliberately not say the pledge, they are proud of it. One classmate, without being prompted or questioned by anyone, began to explain how she was “tired” of saying the same old pledge every day. That outright infuriated me! What little respect it shows for our country! The lack of shame in not pledging loyalty to America is appalling. Not only does the problem occur in my school but nationwide. According to a study done by statcrunch.com, 40% of people surveyed stopped saying the pledge in elementary school while 35% did so in middle school. Essentially, the majority of our population no longer recites the pledge by age 15. Moreover, only 10.5% believe that not saying the pledge was unpatriotic. This is extremely concerning for our country’s future.
Thankfully, there are ways to turn all this around. Fostering a love for America in our young generation comes from the home. If the family shows admiration and respect towards our beloved nation, then their children will likely follow in their footsteps. Encouraging students to not only stand during the Pledge of Allegiance but to actually say it is a good place to start. Just taking a few seconds out of your day to join your peers in patriotically saying the Pledge of Allegiance means everything.
Many, especially kids, don’t realize how important the pledge is and what it stands for. To these people, it is just some words that they had to memorize and recite everyday out of habit. However, think about what the pledge represents: loyalty to America, loyalty to our flag, and all the amazing freedoms and liberties that make America special. This Veterans Day, Nov. 11th, let’s take time not only to celebrate our heroic veterans, but also to remind the young generation why America and saying the Pledge of Allegiance, is important. That way, the America, which all of our honorable service men and women fought for, will live on.
