The Pledge of Allegiance

[seito]

The kids recite the pledge of allegiance every day at the start of class. Ever since Nov 3rd, I have not been able to bring myself to say the words.

I stand at attention during the pledge, but I just can not say the words.

Is that wrong?

[Borgnine]

1. I haven't been able to say it since December 2000.

I find the whole concept of pledging allegiance to a piece of cloth ridiculous anyway, but my feelings of disgust are even stronger since Bush stole the office.

[Bouncy Ball]

2. No.

No matter what the political climate or who is in office, I don't care for it.

It's strange, if you think about it, to have children recite a pledge of loyalty to the country in a FREE country.

It's nationalism, not patriotism.

I never said it either.

No big deal. I think our actions are far more important than our words, anyway.

[bettyellen]

3. i could never say the act of contrition in church!

i was sorry for nothin!!

[Massacure]

4. Only half the people in my class stands at attention for the pledge.

No one says it.

In fact once we pissed off a fundie substitute teacher by singing O' Canada during the pledge.

[Reverend_Smitty]

5. nope...

why say the words if they are meaningless. I was in HS during the 2000 election, after Shrub stole the election the first time I refused to say the pledge any more. I would stand but say nothing, nobody hassled me... especially during my junior year (my first period teacher hated Shrub, she was a good liberal). My senior year I had study hall, so nobody really noticed.

[Deja Q]

6. I cannot support a leader who supports the killing of his own subjects.

* supports offshoring.
* supports the devaluing of the dollar.
* supports the increased reliance on India and China in general.
* supports fooling the public into doing irresponsible, unpresidential behavior.


Either * is naively insane, or he's the greatest danger this once-great country has ever had.

So, I am supposed to say the pledge with 100% of my being behind it? I'm sorry. I cannot. Not until conditions improve for Americans. Then I'll be proud to say it and I wouldn't care who is in office. It's not a political party thing. (I won't say the "C" word just yet...) It's an action thing.

And, let's face it, a lot of us are scared. * has done all sorts of things and provided no rational explanation for them. And, on top of that, he wants everybody to blindly trust him? Sorry, it isn't 1952 anymore. Few people will blindly trust the government. Hey, I was a Dem at the time and I never blidnly trusted Clinton either!

[Bouncy Ball]

7. This is as good a place as any to tell people something they might not

know...

In June of 2003, Texas passed a law which states that ALL public schoolchildren, teachers and administrators will say each day:

1. The pledge of allegiance

2. The Texas pledge ("Honor the Texas flag: I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one and indivisible.")

3. 60 seconds of silence.

The only way a child can be excused is with a parent note and for religious reasons (Jehovah's Witnesses do not pledge).

Teachers and administrators cannot be excused from this for ANY reason.

They can't even write themselves a note, and there is no clause in the law for teachers or administrators who have religious objections (ie: Jehovah's Witness).

So far, it has not been legally challenged.

[Deja Q]

8. The Texas Pledge? Can't those mutherfuckers secede and be done with it?

We don't need them nor want them.

Their Dallas airport smells like used cowboy boots anyway, Lord knows what else they scent the air with... I felt so patriotic that day... :crazy:

(okay, that was heavy sarcasm. But the United States is the United States. Not 49 states plus superior lil' Texas down there. :eyes: )

[Bouncy Ball]

9. The funny thing is

Texas IS divisible.

There is an old law in the state constitution, STILL on the books, that allows Texas to divide up into five sections.

So everytime I heard the word "indivisible" in the Texas pledge, I would giggle.

[seito]

11. OMG

You have GOT to be kidding :puke:

[Bouncy Ball]

13. No, unfortunately, I am not.

[Reverend_Smitty]

16. It's a good thing I'm not in school in Texas...

Because I would refuse to say any of that fluff. I would stand and respect others who choose to do it but it would be a cold day in hell before you would force me to say it. How can they force kids/teachers to do this in a public school?? I'd ride it all the way to the supreme court!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

10. No

and no teacher better force you to say it, as that violates your First Amendment rights.

I don't pledge my allegience to a flag but to the Constitution...maybe time for new words for the pledge.

[seito]

14. Well, I am the teacher

I do not require that any of the students say the pledge, but they all do.

I have sworn an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC.

I agree, perhaps it is time for new words.

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. I say it

but leave out the 'under god' part.

[seito]

17. I do not have a problem with "under God"

I have a problem with making a pledge of to a "flag." This is compounded by the fact that the flag represents a Republic which is currently dishonoring its own citizens, and is actively engaged in criminal activity around the world.

[proud2BlibKansan]

20. Yes I don't like it either

but if I didn't say it, my kids wouldn't. And it's a piddly battle when put in perspective.

On the other hand, I teach in a public school and feel pretty strongly about not wanting religion in our public schools.

[havocmom]

15. Haven't been able to say it since Ford pardoned Nixon

That "with liberty and justice for all" part just won't come out of me cuz I know it's a lie

[Piperay]

18. I haven't since Raygun

was President, it just didn't seem like my country anymore.:-(

[Seabiscuit]

22. It hasn't really been our country any more since 1968 when Nixon won.

[fleabert]

19. I haven't said it since middle school. I thought it was stupid to

pledge anything to a piece of fabic. That was about 15-20 yrs ago...

[baldguy]

21. "I pledge allegiance to the Constitution..."

"...of the United States of America and to the democracy for which it stands, a nation with freedom and justice for all."