Student forced to stand for pledge.

East Middle School? Isn't that basically the same as Middle East School???

Repukes are working to make school entirely optional. "Go to school and learn! Over my conservative dead body."

Ugh....I wish I was 80 plus, lived a full life and I was done. Unfortunately I'm only 30. Grew up in a rural area and now work in DC with the non sense. My grandparents or possibly my parents lived in the best time frame. Not at all depressed but I wish I grew up in a time frame when technology wasn't so rampant like it is today and almost everyone had to do more constructive things with their time. Also family life was much more of a way of life. This garbage nowadays that I see on the news or in person makes me want to gag.

For my son I'm commuting 70-90 miles one way in 6 months so he can live in the most simple environment possible in a rural area.

Do you want to live in America? Then get your tail off the chair and say the pledge or you need to leave America. An eleven year old boy got his way. I know middle school kids, and now there are hundreds of other middle school kids who know of this story and realize that they (still) have the upper hand in a country where the tail continues to wag the dog.

The pledge is so funny to me. It baffles me that the right is dead set on making people stand up and swear fealty to our government. It's such a communist concept.

Yeah I certainly disagree with people sitting for the anthem but it isn't worth it to me to make somebody stand. Too much to lose in that situation especially physically forcing an elementary school kid to stand.

I do agree that the notion of standing is a "communist" concept of sorts if you think about it in isolation. However, standing is the least we can do to show respect for the brave folks who died so that we can live in a country that is so free that punks like this kid can win over a licensed adult professional.

why all this show of jingoism?

Why do the pledge at school? What's the point? Are you all afraid if you don't salute the flag you'll turn into a commie?

How frightened everyone appears.

jman1 wrote:

I do agree that the notion of standing is a "communist" concept of sorts if you think about it in isolation. However, standing is the least we can do to show respect for the brave folks who died so that we can live in a country that is so free that punks like this kid can win over a licensed adult professional.

The pledge isn't about showing respect for brave folks who died. Zero of the words of the pledge pertain to that.

The pledge is basically a very successful marketing jingle. A flag manufacturer wrote it to increase sales by giving schools a reason to have a flag in every room.

okeydokie wrote:

why all this show of jingoism?

Why do the pledge at school? What's the point? Are you all afraid if you don't salute the flag you'll turn into a commie?

How frightened everyone appears.

What's the point of anything?

over the heads wrote:

The pledge is so funny to me. It baffles me that the right is dead set on making people stand up and swear fealty to our government.

1) In West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette--in 1943!--SCOTUS ruled that no one can be compelled to stand and salute the flag, period:

"The case is made difficult not because the principles of its decision are obscure but because the flag involved is our own. Nevertheless, we apply the limitations of the Constitution with no fear that freedom to be intellectually and spiritually diverse or even contrary will disintegrate the social organization. To believe that patriotism will not flourish if patriotic ceremonies are voluntary and spontaneous instead of a compulsory routine is to make an unflattering estimate of the appeal of our institutions to free minds."

This has been the law of the land for more than 70 years. Gee, I do wish that the law&order types in the public schools would do a better job of, you know, obeying the law.

2) Why would so many people who profess to be Christians try to force children to worship a graven image (which is what a flag is)? Note the words of the PofA: "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America"--oh, and as an afterthought--"and to the republic for which is stands."

Flags are pieces of cloth and no professing Jew, Christian, or Muslim should worship them or proffer "allegiance" to them.

Libstand wrote:

Liberals how are we handling this? At first glance I wasexcited that a minority is refusing to stand for the pledge of allegiance. But then, a sick twist is thrown in there and I realized it's because of his devout Christian beliefs.

Do we support his choice of sticking it to the man or berate him for believing in something "fake?"

I need to know how to proceed on social media so I can reaffirm how progressive and free thinking I am.

As a semi-serious response to a trolling OP, I agree that it's unfortunate a young, trusting child has been indoctrinated into god-belief. But his right to skip the Pledge does not stem from whatever his religious beliefs might (or might not) be. He is entitled to sit during the Pledge because he is a free American.

The pledge needs to go. What a bunch of fascist bullcrap. Same thing with national anthems at sports events (other than national teams playing).

The only thing that needs to go is all the lefty liberal commie pinko snowflake dregs that are leading us to oblivion.

MAGA

Trump2020OP-the real one wrote:

... commie pinko snowflake dreg who is leading us to oblivion.

MAGA

That is Trump.

eff the pledge; bet none of these vensl 'patriots' (sic) even know it's b.s. provenance. the pledge is banal, anti-intellectual and 1000% in contravention our constitutional ideals (not that they've often been reality but it gave us a good base to grow from.)

jman1 wrote:

Do you want to live in America? Then get your tail off the chair and say the pledge or you need to leave America. An eleven year old boy got his way. I know middle school kids, and now there are hundreds of other middle school kids who know of this story and realize that they (still) have the upper hand in a country where the tail continues to wag the dog.

Do you want to live in America? Then learn that our country's freedoms include the freedom for a person not to do things just the way you happen to like them. If that's just too difficult a concept for you, start looking for another country to live in.

BTW the right of "middle school kids" NOT to pledge the flag has been recognized since 1943. Not a new development, ignoramus.

Honestly, I'm on the right and the Pledge of Allegiance kind of creeps me out

Wouldn't it just be easier to eliminate it from schools and put it before every WWE live event and TV broadcast instead?

Then the morans who actually care about this crap would still be getting a healthy dose of the pledge, and intelligent people could stop worshipping a piece of polyester manufactured in Indonesia.