Red stands for hardiness and valor.

White stands for purity and innocence.

Blue stands for vigilance, perseverance, and justice.

Stars symbolize the “heavens and the divine goal to which man has aspired to.”

Stripes symbolize “the rays of light which emanate from the sun.”

These basic but iconic colors and symbols make up our American flag — what defines America and what we stand for every day. Even when we don’t all stand for America, America stands for us.

In modern times much controversy exists over standing for the pledge of allegiance. Today I stand to pledge allegiance to our country and to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can have a free, equal, and united nation.

By standing, we stand for those who can no longer stand for us. Over the many wars the United States has been involved in, more than  1.1 million soldiers have given their lives fighting for this country. In Afghanistan and Iraq alone almost a million service members have been critically injured. I stand to remember and honor these brave men and women who gave their all so I can live in a free, protected country.

In the United States the government protects the freedom of speech and bestows it as a individual human right. Not every country enforces this the same way as the United States. Countries including North Korea, China, and even the UK do not allow or clearly state this human right in their laws. I stand for this because we all have a voice that can be heard and not censored by other people or the government.

Our nation has worked and is working to spread democracy around the world. According to the Department of State, “Democracy and respect for human rights have long been central components of U.S. foreign policy.” The United States recently has been encouraging countries in the Middle East to convert to democracy. One country they have helped is Tunisia, where it has continuously become more free according to the Middle East Institute. Due to the fact that it’s the ninth largest recipient in the area of United States support. This is just one county that the United States has helped with the spread of freedom and democracy. I stand for the hope that other countries around the world will become democratic and enjoy the same freedoms as Americans.

The United States has also taken great lengths to ensure basic human rights, and to provide humanitarian aid. The Department of State stated, “a central goal of U.S. foreign policy has been the promotion of respect for human rights, as embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” Along with this, the Congressional Research Service reported in 2016 that the United States spent about $27.4 billion in providing humanitarian aid. I stand to support other countries and not to just benefit ourselves.

Our country does not stand to benefit one person but works to make all equal. This includes everyone; no matter race, gender, sexuality, and religion. Laws such as the Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 Civil Rights Act of 1991, Fair Housing Act, Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, The Equal Credit Opportunity Act, and many other laws prevent discrimination in different parts of Americans’ lives. I stand because the government does not favor one group of people; but in their eyes, we are all the same.  

We are all Americans. We stand together to show we are not divided. A weak America is a divided America, so stand united.