Pledge of Allegience fiasco....Please DU this poll......

[hwmnbn]

A student in Forida is being hassled for refusing to stand for the pledge. Please support this student by voting yes on this poll.


http://www.palmbeachpost.com/yourtown/content/local_news/epaper/2006/02/05/m1a_pledge_0205.html

[MADem]

1. 31 yes, 69 no; could use a bit of help and a kick n/t

[otohara]

2. Ugh - Freedom Crowd

not so much into freedom

[biscotti]

3. Done

[biscotti]

4. Opps

[jackster]

5. Idiots - !

n/t

[Betsy Ross]

6. I gave up standing for the pledge in the early 60's

High school was so taken aback they didn't do anything. Well, they didn't do anything about that but the girls' VP pulled me out of classes for a day because I was wearing boots. She had the nerve to tell my father that my dress might be appropriate for a UCLA drama major, but not a HS student. My father, a UCLA PhD alumn, got furious at her for insulting UCLA.

[Bill McBlueState]

7. It doesn't matter what we or any poll respondents think

(although it doesn't hurt to DU a poll!)

Just like the article says, the Supreme Court settled this in Nineteen-forty-fuckin-three. Why are we still having this debate?

[CTyankee]

8. I voted yes, but I'm afraid this kind of poll is a loser for us

Not that we should back down, absolutely not. However, we must work to reframe the issue and talk about the defending the Constitution. This kind of poll is too simplistic.

[Missy M]

9. I have never understood the need for the Pledge of Allegiance...

to be said everyday in school. It becomes a robotic routine and the words become meaningless. Once out of school most people seldom recite it again, but I guess the idea is by that time everyone is indoctrinated. In a free country you should have a choice to participate or not.

[KurtNYC]

10. it's moving 33 to 66% - freedom is on the march!

-ducks-

[sui generis]

11. holey moley! I have a photo from highschool

we could be twins. That was weird.

Way to go Frazier!

[Deep13]

12. Copy editor!

"...to not take the Pledge of Allegiance."

The defendant has been found guilty of splitting the infinitive and is sentenced to watch two hours of local television news.

Side note: any nation worthy of loyalty does not need to insist on a loyalty oath from its children.

[hwmnbn]

16. Are these editors getting paid for this?...

Or are they interns from high school in these positions? :shrug:

Loyalty oath means there is no trust. There is now a contract, it's strictly business.

[Kerrytravelers]

13. The following, in particular, stood out to me:

That might be why Frazier's actions outrage some people. They say he should be deported, forced to join the military, assigned to a roadside mine-clearing operation in Iraq.

Isn't it nice that a 10th grader has more common sense millions of adults:
"I believe that the real meaning of the flag — freedom, liberty and equality — has been tarnished by the recent policies of our government," the teenager said. "Patriotism is more than going along with everybody else and just saluting a flag. It's about things like supporting our troops during the holidays and helping hurricane victims."

Then there's this:
"The flag represents our country. It doesn't represent anything else," Haverly said.

It's not oppressive; it's a privilege, he believes.

"How many men, women and children have died for us to have the privilege to pledge allegiance to the flag?" he said. "I can't understand anybody that hates this country so much that they can't stand up."

Yep. That's it. Kid must hate the whole entire country.

And finally, some sense from a military wife.
The Florida law requiring kids to say the pledge every day or have permission to stand silently has been on the books since 1942. Then in 2004, the state passed a law that says a 2- by 3-foot flag must be displayed in every public school, community college and state university classroom.

Some people call it civics. Some people call it forced patriotism, an oxymoron.

Gwynne Chesher was an Air Force wife for years. She still gets a chill when she stands and says the pledge.

"I feel patriotic because I think that our freedoms are very important. That's why we love our country," said Chesher, of Wellington.

That's also why she understands exactly what Frazier did.

"To force somebody to stand and say the pledge is completely against what the pledge is about," Chesher said. "It's hypocritical.

"When people go around and say we're fighting for freedom, when the president says this is a war for freedom, what does he mean by freedom? If you don't do exactly as they think you should?"

[spindrifter]

14. done--results are not good.

[Oceansaway]

15. Done...n/t

[rock]

17. Thomas More

Enough said.

[mzteris]

18. kick

for the afternoon crowd.

:kick:

[hwmnbn]

19. It's up to 36% yes..... DU can do better than this!!...

c'mon folks! let's get those mouses moving!


Yes 36.36% 713

No 63.64% 1248