Editing Pledge of Allegiance (section)

==Recital==
[[United States Congress|Congressional]] sessions open with the recital of the Pledge, as do many government meetings at local levels, and meetings held by many private organizations. All states except [[Nebraska]], [[Hawaii]], [[Vermont]], and [[Wyoming]] require a regularly scheduled recitation of the pledge in [[Education in the United States#Public and private schools|public schools]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dress |first=Brad |date=April 2, 2022 |title=Here is a breakdown of laws in 47 states that require reciting the Pledge of Allegiance |url=https://thehill.com/news/3256719-47-states-require-the-pledge-of-allegiance-be-recited-in-schools-here-is-a-breakdown-of-each-states-laws/ |access-date=June 7, 2022 |website=The Hill |language=en-US |archive-date=June 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220607022830/https://thehill.com/news/3256719-47-states-require-the-pledge-of-allegiance-be-recited-in-schools-here-is-a-breakdown-of-each-states-laws/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Many states give a variety of exemptions from reciting the pledge, such as California which requires a "patriotic exercise" every day, which would be satisfied by the Pledge, but it is not enforced.<ref name=SFC >{{cite news | url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/education/article/Many-schools-skip-Pledge-of-Allegiance-4379740.php | title=Many schools skip Pledge of Allegiance | last=Tucker | first=Jill | newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle | date=March 23, 2013 | access-date=September 18, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130327030624/https://www.sfchronicle.com/education/article/Many-schools-skip-Pledge-of-Allegiance-4379740.php | archive-date=March 27, 2013 | url-status=dead | quote=California state law doesn't require the recitation in schools, although 45 other states do. But students can't be required to say it or even stand during the pledge, according to a Supreme Court decision. ... California does require every public school to include a "patriotic exercise" every day – which the pledge would fulfill – but it's a vague requirement that's not enforced. }}</ref> The [[Supreme Court (United States)|Supreme Court]] has ruled in ''[[West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette]]'' that students cannot be compelled to recite the Pledge, nor can they be punished for not doing so.<ref name=Crawford2015/> In several states, [[Flags of the U.S. states|state flag]] pledges of allegiance are required to be recited after the pledge to the American flag.<ref>{{cite web|title=American & State Pledges|work=Speck's Web|date=November 16, 2013|access-date=September 4, 2014|url=http://specksweb.com/pledge/|archive-date=September 4, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140904215907/http://specksweb.com/pledge/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The current [[United States Flag Code]] says:

{{Blockquote|The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag: "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation <!-- NOTE: This text matches the reference. Vandalism will be reverted to the original text --> under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all," should be rendered by standing at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. When not in uniform, men should remove any non-religious headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Persons in uniform should remain silent, face the flag, and render the military salute.<ref>''[https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2011-title4/pdf/USCODE-2011-title4-chap1-sec4.pdf U.S. Code 2011, Title 4, Chap. 1, Sec. 4] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327204547/https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2011-title4/pdf/USCODE-2011-title4-chap1-sec4.pdf |date=March 27, 2017 }}.'' Government Printing Office. Retrieved September 22, 2017.</ref> Members of the Armed Forces not in uniform and veterans may render the military salute in the manner provided for persons in uniform.<ref name="Pledge">{{cite web|url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/4/4|title=Title 4, Chapter 1, Section 4, US Code|access-date=March 30, 2021|archive-date=March 26, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326022406/https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/4/4|url-status=live}}</ref>}}