https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Bellamy
Francis Julius Bellamy (May 18, 1855 – August 28, 1931) was an American Christian socialist Baptist minister and author.[1] He is best known for writing the original version of the Pledge of Allegiance in 1892.
You did have the freedom, but nobody told you that you did. There aren’t a lot of perks to growing up a Jehovah’s Witness, but never having recited the pledge is one of them.
I didn’t think that was the kind of freedom they were referring to.
And “made” is relative. I’m an atheist, so I skipped the “under God” part. I was in a pretty liberal school district so I’m sure I could have gotten away with not doing it at all, but peer pressure is a hell of a drug.