We all must stand for Pledge of Allegiance and our national anthem

This fall, we will experience again an anniversary of significance.

It was October 1892, when “children at schools across the country rose to their feet, faced a newly installed American flag and, for the first time, recited 23 words,” pledging allegiance to the red, white and blue.

We probably don’t pay much attention to this anniversary because what’s to celebrate, really? A bunch of kids doing what the teacher told them to do at the time?

This patriotic pledge has been around for decades, although it’s been challenged based on separation of church and state beliefs and called a “ceremonial deism” by a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Today, schools in 47 states pay tribute to the flag, reciting the pledge during morning routines.

Not everyone is happy about it, though. In some schools, one needs a note from a parent to get out of saying the Pledge of Allegiance.

Despite the ongoing negativism, reciting the pledge has become somewhat of a norm in many public settings. The pledge has been produced as part of a Facebook video. The comic Red Skelton once called it a “prayer’’ that needs to be removed from the schools. It’s often associated with socialism and labeled unconstitutional. Yet, Congress has adopted the pledge and it’s repeated during the start of each day in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.

More:Our flag has been co-opted into a tool to divide the nation. I want to protect it.

Who could have predicted the pledge would cause so much discussion over the years? One freelance journalist recently contributed an inspiring piece to Smithsonian.com magazine that carried a catchy headline that read, “How the Pledge Went From PR Gimmick to Patriotic Vow.”

No matter how you regard the pledge, that headline tends to say it all. This so-called public relations “gimmick" certainly has worked.

The controversy continues to spin over the Pledge of Allegiance. And, there’s even more confusion when the appropriateness of the pledge is discussed, along with the purpose of the national anthem.

The controversy over the national anthem has resulted in NFL protests, and the taking of a knee at sporting events. Some claim the anthem is tainted with racism; and it’s dismissed by others who call the melody too difficult for the average vocalist to sing.

The national anthem became the country’s official song in 1931.

More:Freedom came with sacrifice. This Fourth of July, remember we must maintain our democracy.

Whether you believe the opposing views or actions taken to target the song, we all must stand not only by the pledge but also the national anthem, no matter how bizarre the circumstances might be.

We certainly remember Roseanne Barr’s pathetic performance of the national anthem at a 1990 baseball game. And who could forget the varied improvisational interpretations of the national anthem by rockers everywhere? There are more than 50 live performance recordings of "The Star-Spangled Banner" and some range up to six minutes in length. The Jimi Hendrix Woodstock version runs three minutes and six seconds.

For my taste, an impromptu tagline added at the end of the national anthem remains my favorite.

After singing the anthem in the 1990s at a minor league baseball game, my daughter added her personal ending to the song. Go Cubs!

For me, her contribution remains perfect for any setting.

Andrea Chancellor has more than 20 years in newspaper and magazine journalism and 20 years in public relations.