Co-written by Oneeka Kohli

In October of 2017, a 17-year-old senior was suspended for refusing to stand up for the pledge of allegiance at Windfern High School. Since then, many people have done the same, however as we look around the classroom, there are many people who continue to work and disregard the pledge as our principal says it.

In our opinion, students should have the right to decide whether or not they want to stand up for something they believe in. However, it has become increasingly hard to determine whether someone is choosing not to stand up because they no longer agree with certain aspects of the pledge, or because they are trying to finish the last question on a worksheet.

In the end, the question remains: is it because they disagree with parts of it or because they are simply too lazy to stand for one and a half minute? Regardless of the reason for choosing not to stand up for the pledge, we believe that students should not be punished for their decision.

From a young age, it has been drilled into us that we have the freedom of expression, and as more relevant social and political issues appear, it seems as if the teachers are beginning to understand our point of view when it comes to the pledge of allegiance.

Many teachers today no longer require us to stand up for the pledge. In fact, a lot of them do not stand themselves. This goes to show how outdated many of our school policies are.

A majority of states still require students to recite the pledge, and failing to do so often times this audacious act results in severe consequences. The school tends to give severe consequences that can ruin the child's whole career. These consequences include but are not limited to suspension and expulsions. The consequences from parents include lawsuits to the school for not letting their child express themselves.

School should be a place where we as children can be who we want and express our interests and hobbies that may be weird to other people. If that means not standing up for the pledge, then fine, but that does not mean the school can simply hand out punishment after punishment for it.

SEE ALSO: It's OK To Sit During The Pledge Of Allegiance Because Forced Patriotism Violates Our Constitutional Rights

This goes to show how outdated school policies really are, and it is time for school boards around the nation to make a change in order to make a point to the government that they, too, are willing to make a change. This will improve the accepting environment at school and allow children to be who they truly are inside without hiding under their shell.