Cursive & The Pledge? Get your priorities straight, America.

If you’re on social media at all, the odds are high that you’ve seen posts declaring cursive should still be taught in schools and students should be required to say The Pledge of Allegiance every morning. 

The thing is… the times, they are a-changin’. Kids don’t really have a need for cursive; that’s not a top priority anymore. These days, teachers are tasked with getting their students to pass standardized tests (implemented by our government so no student is ever left behind) and teaching them how to barricade a classroom in the event of a shooter. Teachers spend an inordinate amount of time each day asking students to put their cell phones in their backpacks and to remove their earbuds from their ears. Teachers have a lot on their plates without the added expectation of incorporating an untested subject – handwriting – into their curriculums. But do you know what teachers do continue to incorporate into their lessons each and every day? The Pledge of Allegiance. 

I am actually not a fan of The Pledge. The line “one nation under God” has always bothered me because there is meant to be a separation of church and state when it comes to public schools… but even more than that, I’m bothered by the fact that the line “with liberty and justice for all” is such a blatant lie. 

Yesterday, America elected a felon to serve as President.

Yesterday, America voted to disregard women’s rights. 

Yesterday, America ignored comments like “Grab them by the pussy” and “I moved on her and I failed. I'll admit it. I did try and fuck her” to elect a man who has promised lower prices at the grocery store. 

Yesterday, America once again chose hatred instead of kindness. 

I am not a fan of The Pledge, but as a public educator, I have always stood for it and placed my right hand over my heart and recited the words that I, as an American, am expected to recite. 

I will no longer say The Pledge.

November 6, 2024, marks the day that I am giving up on The Pledge of Allegiance altogether because there is not justice for all… and I no longer have it in me to pretend that there is.