My name is Sarah Whitney. Currently, I am a senior in District 300 schools. I have been a student in this district for 9 years now. For years, even in a different district, I was taught to participate in the pledge of allegiance out of respect, an automatic response when asked to recite it, with my right hand rested above my heart. However, when we take a close examination on the Pledge of Allegiance itself, it should have no place being so widely spread, especially in public schools. The first issue is that America is one of the only countries in the world to participate in a pledge in our schools. Think objectively about how we would respond if we were to see this in another country, pictures of children mindlessly reciting allegiance to their countries flag, every single morning of their school day. It is an extremely odd behavior, especially due to the nature behind the pledge itself. It expresses an allegiance to a flag of a country, a method of forced patriotism and the idea of American Excellence. The second issue is swearing under God. Not every student believes in God, and have we so quickly forgotten the intentional separation of church and state? God should have no place being revered every morning by nearly every student in a public school. The third issue happens to be that 'liberty and justice for all' doesn't exist. It is well known at this point that our country is one of the worst 'developed' countries with rising injustice rates. Hate crimes are happening every day, homophobia, racism, sexism, misogyny and sexual harassment are rampant in the very high schools that recite that line every day. There is definitely not liberty and justice, and it most definitely not for all. Some may argue there is no need for the removal of the pledge, as no one is forcing or requiring students to participate each morning. However, there is peer pressure as well as pressure from adults to participate, making students feel as though they are disrespectful for not participating. Instead, it just should not be recited at all. Don't make students choose between forced patriotism or feeling uncomfortable being alone in their classroom. We don't mention any other religious figure or deity every single morning since Pre-K, and there is no reason we should continue an outdated and inappropriate tradition.