“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” 

Each morning in elementary school, with hands over hearts, my fellow classmates and I recited these 31 words with strength and certainty. Although I did not yet understand their meaning, these words provided a sense of unity that seemed unexplored, yet somewhat identifiable. However, as more schools have eliminated the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, the overall sense of patriotism and unity has since been forgotten, a dilemma not only present in schools, but in the country as a whole. While this predicament cannot be solved overnight, this lack of patriotism can be partially rekindled with the restoration of the Pledge of Allegiance in all schools nationwide, The Live Oaks Welding lab and I strongly believe Live Oaks should help make an impact and begin saying the pledge again. This is the first year without it after 49 years, why should we stop now? The American flag and the Pledge of Allegiance are not symbols of the current administration or any other political institution, but they represent all of the patriots that came before and those who have yet to come. So I ask the Live Oaks commuinty to sign this petition and bring back what we all have missed.