Throughout elementary, middle and high school, the Pledge of Allegiance confused me. When you’re very young, you don’t know what it means. You’re simply taught to recite it, five days a week, having just arrived at school. You’re pledging allegiance to the good ol’ United States of America before you’re even fully awake. You recite it nearly every day for thirteen years, and a lot of students have no clue what it means until they’re much older. “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.”

Adults have to repeat the Pledge too, every so often at public events such as sports games. Of course, they’re given the choice to sit it out, but they would still be met in most areas with disdain for their “disrespectful” behavior if they exercised that choice. It’s considered socially unacceptable not to say the Pledge. Growing up and learning about controversies in which students refused to say it and were called out by the teacher or sent to the principal’s office, I felt that those school officials were right. After all, I thought, why wouldn’t the students just do what they were told? They’re probably just trying to be disruptive.

This opinion of mine changed drastically as I grew up (as did most of my opinions). The older I got, I came to realize that I had found the Pledge strange my entire life. I wasn’t against what it said or what it stood for; I agreed that the United States represented liberty and justice, and I loved that about my country. Still, the Pledge seemed to be a strange way of expressing our pride. Why did we have to say these same words every day, looking and feeling robotic? I wouldn’t have minded if we had to say the Pledge a couple of times a year and admire the flag as a reminder to be proud Americans, but the compulsory nature of the Pledge didn’t sit right with me. To me, requiring students to stand and say it—or looking down on them if they chose not to—seemed contradictory to the liberty that the Pledge itself proudly announced.

In the midst of this revelation of mine, conflict over patriotism broke loose in the county where I attended high school, Lake County, Florida. The Lake County School Board recently elected to ensure that students would be allowed the option to opt out of saying the Pledge of Allegiance in school. Technically, it was already allowed, but the legislation had been unclear, so now the Code of Conduct had to explicitly state these rights. My Facebook feed following the vote was filled with outraged and upset locals who felt that the policy was a sign of disrespect to the American flag, to veterans, to the United States as a whole. These posts tended to spiral down into the tired rant of, “This country is becoming so soft that even the Pledge of Allegiance is offending people. Why are people always so offended? America as we know it is going downhill!”

This isn’t an exact quote, but it’s hardly different from the numerous social media posts I’ve seen, particularly from older generations. I’ve even seen the phrase “RIP America” used in this discussion. I take issue with that because, at least in my opinion, America is very much alive. America is a successful country filled with some extraordinary people. Despite that, the likelihood of a few students choosing not to recite the Pledge has upset and angered many to the point that they question the strength of our nation. This upsets me because I think that, as a nation, the U.S. is stronger than these policy issues—indivisible, as the Pledge says. People say that refusing to recite the Pledge is disrespectful to veterans, as well as to those currently serving the United States through military service. While I understand the sentiment behind this, first and foremost, it does not mean that anyone should be required to speak in a manner that they are uncomfortable with. Freedom of speech is one of the freedoms that those in the military fight for, even if many disagree with the speech at hand (or lack of speech). If a student or anyone else chooses not to say the Pledge of Allegiance, they reserve this right in the United States.

Additionally, opting out of the Pledge is not a form of hateful speech toward America or veterans. I do not agree that everyone who comes from other nations to live in America must agree with and assimilate to every American custom and tradition, and one of these traditions is the Pledge of Allegiance. Maybe the student holds dual citizenship—or aspires to—and still feels stronger ties to their home country, but had to move to America for family or financial reasons. Maybe a Jewish, Muslim, or nonreligious student feels uncomfortable pledging to a God that the student does not personally worship. Whatever the reason, choosing not to say the Pledge is that student's right while on American soil.

Those in military service fight for what the flag symbolizes, for American values like the rights of equality, liberty and justice. In my opinion, as Americans, we should display these values by living out our lives in a just manner, treating people fairly and allowing others to strive for their happiness so long as it does not hurt anybody else, no matter the group with which they identify. The Pledge that so many hold dear calls for liberty and justice for all, even those you may not agree with. That includes the rights of the people who decide not to say the Pledge of Allegiance for whatever perfectly valid personal reason they may have. This doesn't mean a student who opts out doesn't appreciate veterans, and it doesn't make the student un-American. It makes the student a person whose rights are being exercised. Contrary to what many people believe, pride in your nation does not come automatically with birth or residence in that nation. It's a choice that every person will make while growing up. Students shouldn't have it forced upon them; they should be given the right to learn what America stands for so that they can make this decision for themselves. I'm sure that students will come to appreciate America's values and the efforts of veterans significantly more if they see that they are provided real freedom by the Stars and Stripes, whether or not they decide to pledge to it.