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Letter from Billy Gobitas to Minersville, Pennsylvania, school directors, November 5, 1935

In 1935 a Pennsylvania public school expelled 10-year-old Billy Gobitas for refusing to salute the American flag. His letter to the school board explained that as a Jehovah’s Witness he believed pledging allegiance to the flag violated his commitment to God. In 1943 the Supreme Court upheld the right not to recite the pledge on religious principle.

I do not salute the flag because I have promised to do the will of God. That means that I must not worship anything out of harmony with God’s law.

Manuscript Division, Library of Congress

Letter from Billy Gobitas to Minersville, Pennsylvania, school directors, November 5, 1935 I do not salute the flag because I have promised to do the will of God. That means that I must not worship anything out of harmony with God’s law.
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Pledging Allegiance

Citizens of the United States, diverse in their backgrounds and beliefs, are united by adherence to principles of liberty and justice symbolized by the American flag. A pledge written for an 1892 Columbus Day celebration became the official affirmation of national loyalty in 1942 when Congress included it in flag legislation. In 1943 the Supreme Court upheld a citizen’s right to follow individual conscience and beliefs in choosing whether or not to recite this pledge.