&uot;I pledge allegiance, to the flag …&uot; were among the first words I heard my first day in Mrs. Jenkins’ kindergarten class -- and in Miss Evans’ first-grade class, Mrs. Peck’s second-grade class, Mrs. Cupp’s third-grade class -- you get the picture.

Every day I was in school from kindergarten through sixth grade, my classmates and I recited the Pledge of Allegiance. None of us

questioned it, none of us loathed it and none of us refused to recite it for political or religious reasons. We lived in America -- it was the proper thing to do.

Now, it seems as if the pledge has become taboo. Somewhere along the line, it became an invasion of civil liberties. It no longer stands for our love for our country and our freedoms. Quite frankly, this is sad.

Lawmakers in Ohio and other states want to require school districts to set aside time each day for students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. The Supreme Court, however, says this is unconstitutional. Maybe so, but we need to look at the big picture here.

How can we tell our children that we live in a great, free nation if something as symbolic as the Pledge of Allegiance is considered controversial? Early on in my education as a child, I was taught of how our founding fathers --

leaders of the original 13 colonies -- united to declare their independence from Great Britain. These men could have easily succumbed to the adversity they faced, but they didn’t -- they simply would not give up.

It seems ironic that all of the uproar about the pledge is coming now -- days before Independence Day. This is the time of year when we should be focussing on patriotism, not questioning if it is wrong or right.

Maybe students shouldn't be forced to recite the pledge, but saying it every day certainly wouldn't hurt them. There are some things that should not be taken away. What's next to be banned, the National Anthem? Shawn Doyle/The Ironton Tribune