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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Amid a historically contentious election year mired by deep political division across the U.S., July 4, 2024, serves as an opportunity to consider the meaning behind the 31-word statement that Americans are expected, but not required, to recite before public meetings, school days, and many other official events.

The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892, marking the 400th anniversary of what was recognized as the ‘discovery’ of America. Its current form has been in place for 70 years, after the addition of the words “under God” in 1954.

Here are some of the responses we received from Missourians when asked what the pledge of allegiance means to them:

“The pledge of allegiance to me is a matter of showing respect for your country.”
“For me, I guess it’s showing respect to our country and, in a way, paying tribute and remembering all the people that died for this country and how far we’ve come.”
“Personally, I don’t believe in pledging to an inanimate object. However, at the same time, I am a patriot and I believe in the protection of our country and to create a better life for posterity.”
“It means patriotism. It means it shows respect, not only to our country, but to our active military, their families, who also sacrifice so much, and definitely to our veterans. We owe a lot to them.”