Have you ever thought about what it really means to be a patriotic American? A patriotic American simply supports his country, whatever the cause; or does this patriot passionately rebuke his country's injustices, no matter how small or large? Consider the Pledge of Allegiance. This loyalty oath binds us as Americans and should unite us. The key word is "unite", for the essay to which I will respond I think differently. In fact, Gwen Wilde is against the inclusion of a certain phrase: “Under God.” Her main belief is that the phrase in the Pledge is, as she puts it, "unnecessarily divisive." Is he right? I believe it is, because the Oath as it stands today is discriminatory and you will soon find out why. First let's look at Gwen's essay titled "Why the Pledge of Allegiance Should Be Revised." The main idea is his rejection of the words "Under God" included in the Pledge of Allegiance. He firmly believes it is divisive and even anti-American. With this in mind, he begins his essay by giving us a little history on the topic. It is explained to us that the Oath originally did not include the above phrase, and in fact contained no reference to any deity. As Gwen believes, the inclusion of the phrase is "a truly strange addition to a nation said to be 'indivisible'." He wonders what it means to be a patriotic American. According to her, patriotic Americans are not all religious. An important note for her, as she then goes on to mention how silence during the Oath can lead to accusations of unpatriotism. These accused are, as Gwen says, “somehow not quite American, perhaps even un-American.” Yet his argument is not so much about the constitutionality of the Pledge; an assumption that you specifically have... middle of paper......religious ideals and the Oath should reflect this. Overall the Oath needs to be revised to be a truly patriotic oath. I share Gwen's sentiments and believe that the Pledge of Allegiance should be a religiously neutral and all-encompassing pledge. One in which all Americas from all walks of life can participate; a commitment to be proud of regardless of your religious beliefs or otherwise. We must remember that our Nation was founded on the basis of unity. While religion has been used to unite us in the past, in the future our diversity should instead be used to unite us. Because America is a rich and diverse country, but in this diversity we share common American traits. I challenge the idea that the Oath is of trivial importance because the opposite is true. The Pledge of Allegiance must be the Oath that binds us, despite our religious beliefs.