A healthy democracy depends not only on laws and institutions, but on the habits and symbols that remind citizens what they share, even when they disagree. That reality was on display recently during a discussion at Athens City Council about whether to include the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of meetings.
The debate itself was not troubling. Disagreement is a feature of a free society. What deserves closer examination, however, is why the pledge so often becomes a focal point for division rather than a reminder of common ground.
At its best, the Pledge of Allegiance is not about loyalty to a leader, a political party, a religion, or even a particular policy agenda. It is an affirmation of allegiance to the constitutional republic itself, to the framework that makes self government possible and protects freedom of conscience, speech and dissent. These are the ideals that allow a diverse people to live together without requiring uniformity of belief.
That distinction matters. The United States was founded on the understanding that disagreement is inevitable and even desirable, but that it must occur within a shared civic structure. The pledge, properly understood, does not deny difference. It acknowledges that difference exists within a system committed to liberty under law.
Much of the opposition to the pledge rests on discomfort. Discomfort with its history, its wording, its symbolism, or its association with contemporary politics. Those concerns are not frivolous, but discomfort alone cannot be the standard by which we decide whether shared civic expressions belong in public life. A pluralistic republic guarantees disagreement. It cannot promise comfort at every turn.
Concerns about religion are often raised, yet the First Amendment already addresses them directly. It protects both the free exercise of religion and freedom from government establishment of religion. Participation in the Pledge has always been voluntary, and no one is compelled to speak words that violate conscience. That protection is not separate from the pledge’s meaning. It is one of the freedoms the pledge itself recognizes.
Others argue that the Pledge is merely performative. But civic life is, by nature, symbolic. Athens City Council meetings already begin with acknowledgments honoring Indigenous peoples and the leaders who shaped our city, our state, and our nation. These recognitions are offered despite the fact that those from our past, like all human beings, were imperfect and often deeply flawed. We do not honor them because they were without fault, but because their contributions and their place in history matter. In the same way, the Pledge need not be flawless or free from controversy to deserve a place as a shared civic acknowledgment of the constitutional framework that enables our public life.
It is also worth considering the unique role of elected officials in this discussion. City council members serve not only as private citizens, but as public representatives of the civic order itself. Even when an individual official chooses to abstain from reciting the pledge, there is value in honoring its place as a shared civic expression. Respecting an institution that many constituents hold dear, while exercising personal conscience, models the balance between liberty and responsibility that our system depends upon.
Allegiance in the pledge is not sworn to any president, administration or political movement. It is sworn to the flag, the republic and the ideals they represent, ideals intentionally designed to outlast any individual or era.
Perhaps the most striking aspect of this debate is its irony. We are able to argue openly about the place of the Pledge precisely because we live in a country that protects our right to do so. That paradox is not a contradiction. It is the point. The freedom to question civic traditions is itself evidence of the liberty those traditions exist to affirm.
Ultimately, decisions about civic practices should not be left solely to elected officials. A self governing people must also govern themselves. That means attending meetings, paying attention to local debates, contacting representatives, and engaging respectfully with those who disagree. Athens is a remarkable city because its citizens care enough to participate, and that participation is strengthened, not weakened, by shared civic commitments.
Whether one stands for the pledge or chooses not to, the deeper question is whether we are willing to engage in the responsibilities of citizenship with the same seriousness as we defend our freedoms. Our city, our state, and our country depend on that balance.
Gabriel Spiezio
Athens
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