lph, I also feel the same cringe at reciting the Pledge. I don't know why. I always have, even as a kid. I am American, and while I don't agree with a lot of things going on here, I don't want to change my citizenship!
I think it has to do with actually "pledging" to something, which seems a little Nazi-ish to me. I can't really describe it. Saying the Pledge had dwindled in practice when I was a teen, going to school here. Then I moved to Florida, where, let's say it didn't go over well when I refused to stand for it.
As a teacher, we mostly could do it if we wanted, at the beginning of the day, in the middle school. For awhile, I had a principal who said it aloud, over the PA. Only once, did I have a kid ask me why our homeroom didn't say it. I told them, we could, if they took turns leading it. No one volunteered.