Arkansas 10-Year-Old Won’t Pledge Allegiance Until Gays Gain Equality

[zabet]

Arkansas 10-Year-Old Won’t Pledge Allegiance Until Gays Gain Equality


A 10-year-old Arkansas boy name Will Phillips has decided that he cannot in good conscience pledge allegiance to the flag as long as the country for which it stands refuses legal equality to its GLBT citizens.

That stand has brought young Mr. Phillips anti-gay taunts in the lunch room, but admiration from around the country, reports a Nov. 5 Arkansas Times article. The West Fork School District fifth grader clashed with a substitute teacher for his refusal to stand for the pledge, prompting a call to Will’s mother, Laura Phillips. When the principal acknowledged that Will has the right to refuse to say the pledge, Ms. Phillips asked that her son receive an apology--a request that the principal declined to honor.

A 1943 Supreme Court decision found that schools may not punish students for refusing to recite the pledge. Objections to compulsory recitation of the pledge arose from the Jehovah’s Witnesses on the basis that their religion does not permit expressions of allegiance to anything other than their own religion and to God. The Jehovah’s Witnesses lost their first case before the Court in 1940, and reportedly suffered from bias-motivated violence in the aftermath of that case. The Court’s 1943 decision reversed the earlier finding, and students have had the right to decline saying the pledge since then, although socially such refusal is often met with disapproval.

Such has been the case with Will Phillips’ stand, but he hasn’t backed down. Laura Phillips told the Arkansas Times that her 10-year-old is "probably more aware of the meaning of the pledge than a lot of adults. He’s not just doing it rote recitation. We raised him to be aware of what’s right, what’s wrong, and what’s fair."

Fairness in this case is more than a mere abstraction, (continued here: http://current.com/1uh024c }

[dmallind]

1. Good for him

That's either a really grounded and informed 10 yr old or some parental direction at work, but in either event it's a good stand to take, and I hope he is not hurt physically or bothered emotionally by the inevitable backlash - especially in a place like AR.

[babylonsister]

2. Wow, he and his parents are what I wish all Americans

were composed of. If only people learned by example.

[zabet]

3. Out of the mouths of babes...

comes to mind. This young man has more principles than most adults these days.

[JustAnotherGen]

4. Atta boy!

I think the Christian Socialist that envisioned a strong federal system and who gave a nod to the French Revolutionaries with his 'Liberty and justice for ALL' would be quite proud of this little guy. I don't think that utopian society that Mr. Bellamy and his cousin envision included excluding people for being born the way they are born. I'm glad that little guy had inclusion of all instilled in him.

[bluestateguy]

5. As usual the publik skool bureaucrats are being lunkheads

Sounds like they could use some constitutional rights sensitivity training.

[cbdo2007]

6. Hope his parents didn't put him up to this.

If he's making the decision on his own, then good for him.

If he's being used as a puppet by his parents, shame on them all.

[gratuitous]

8. And what would be your metric for determining that?

Young Will is, after all, only 10. His first teachers during his first decade walking this old Earth were his parents. Where else would he learn about equality and respect for everyone? I'm not sure how that would make him a "puppet" in any case.

As for the principal, I'm more than a little disappointed. When you're wrong, you're supposed to apologize, even without a "demand" from the wronged party. However, I'm sure this story will now attract the attention of some folks who can't understand why young Will is causing so much trouble, seeing how much discomfort he's causing for those around him.

[cbdo2007]

9. I'm sure someone closer to the situation can see what's going on here.

You said it best, "Yount Will is, after all, only 10"

There is a major difference between knowing the difference between right and wrong, and making a spectacle of yourself and your school to try to bring publicity to a cause that is known to have overzealous participants on both sides.

He is, after all, only 10.

[sinkingfeeling]

7. Story is from last year. He was Grand Marshall for the Gay Pride Parade in Fayetteville

this year.

http://www.towleroad.com/2010/06/watch-10yearold-will-phillips-to-lead-arkansas-pride-parade.html

[red red red]

10. This brings to mind...

of something that happened maybe 40 years ago (I'm not sure at all of the time) - a young boy about this kid's age, I believe, who would stand outside the school and preach - and he would preach everywhere he went about hell and damnation - I remember people thinking that maybe this kid should be taken away from his parents because I believe his parents did that too. I just wonder whatever happened to him - does anyone know?
Getting back to Will, though, I think he sounds like he may actually have done this himself. He sounds so grown-up! Go, Will!
Besides liking Will's message, he also is not causing any 'problems' or disturbing others. This other kid apparently was disturbing others, and OK, I did not like his message. Sorry if that sounds hypocritical. :think:

[donheld]

11. This story is from November 2009