Won't Stand for Pledge

In a 1998 article, a California student, MaryKait Durkee, refused to participate in reciting the pledge of allegiance. The high school sophomore did not believe in God and chose to sit quietly while the rest of the class performed this daily ritual. Her teacher responded by singling her and telling her to stand and say the pledge on her own, but the girl refused. The incident quickly became a political issue involving school officials and lawyers. Many believed that the actions taken by Durkee showed a great deal of disrespect for our country and our country’s principles. But what are those principles? Are they not individuality and liberty? This article, while presenting both sides of the issue, seemed to be in favor of Durkee. Those quoted in the article included Durkee’s mother, her attorney, a law expert, and Durkee herself. Also quoted to end the article was founding father, Thomas Jefferson, and what the author thinks he would have thought about the situation. Each of these individuals helped the writer in establishing the idea that no matter who is offended and whether you agree with her position or not, Durkee, along with every other American citizen, reserves the right to freedom of speech and expression.



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