[Guest: But again we go back to how little respect kids today have for America and what it stands for. I also blame the parents who tolerate this kind of behavior from their children. Wasn't this "child" taught why he should stand for the Pledge?? Short of an open apology from the student and his parents, he should be suspended at the least! :angry:]
Back in my day someone would have a foot up this young gentlemans ass.
21 comments
I don't recite the pledge. Because I do not pledge my allegiance to the flag, or the state, but instead- if anything- to the ideals the country should stand for.
DAD: You see son, this is America, you can do and say whatever you want here. Within reason of course.
I had a teacher who told everyone that they had to stand, but they didn't have to recite the pledge if they did not want to. So, I just stood with my hands at my sides and waited for it to be over in every class and every grade after. In retrospect I wish I sat simply to make a point since I wasn't fond of the in god we trust crap. Regardless I fail to see why people give respect to a flag. Yes, it's a symbol, but lighten up. People who do not want to worship a piece of colored cloth on a pole are not anti-American, they're simply anti-trandition and/or anti-symbolism.
Why, because this person doesn´t share the same ideas as you?, in that case, be my guest. And it´s the same lack of respect that Phelps and other repent America like have for America. And they don´t have the excuse of being KIDS.
So the fact that we no longer physically abuse children when they act in a manner contrary to expectations is a bad thing? Sure hope you don't have kids. I've been teaching for many years now, and corporal punishment simply is not an effective discipline technique beyond a certain very young age, and at that young age, only minimal physical correction is required, since the true impact is emotional.
I have taught my son to stand, out of respect.. it is up to him whether or not he places his hand over his heart and recites a bunch of words that are taken for granted.. but I have also taught him the PROPER WAY to say the pledge.. and it has, more than once gotten him in "trouble". I was called into the office at his old school, where they told me he refused to say it correct. I explained that he IS saying it correctly, and then proved it, by showing the principal the ORIGINAL penning of the pledge. She shut up.. for a while. But wanted me to tell him to just say it right. So.. I told him to say it right... the way he had been saying it.
When I was 14, in the 1970s, I stopped standing for or saying the pledge. It pissed off a number of people, but no one tried to insert his/her foot into my butt. It was not so sad.
People sure do get worked up against others who refuse to conform to the norm. The first time I was at a school Christmas concert that included "The Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's Messiah , everybody stood up -- except me. (Tradition, schmadition -- I still think it's rude to the performers!) People were prodding and poking me, trying to get me to stand up like everyone else, and I got the hairy eyeball from people for days afterward, just for not participating in their silly custom.
If the pledge was to the values of the Constitution I might be willing to take it, if I was an USian kid ("might", because I still have a few issues with a Constitution that allows people to own lethal weapons in the name of "self-defense", but...). Pledging allegiance to a nationalist symbol, on the other hand, is totally out of question: way too close to "my country, right or wrong" for comfort.
I used to do the pledge all the time, then when we invaded Iraq and never found one freakin' weapon of mass destruction, the whole purpose of invasion, I stopped because I lost hope in America's future if we could so easily be dragged into conflict without proper reasoning. It was my personal protest.
I still support our troops, but not the war.
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
To post a comment, you'll need to Sign in or Register . Making an account also allows you to claim credit for submitting quotes, and to vote on quotes and comments. You don't even need to give us your email address.
