patriotism, pledge, allegiance, arkansas,
The controversy: A 10-year-old in Arkansas decides that he doesn't want to say the Pledge of Allegiance, because liberty and justice are not truly for all in this country. The teacher completely loses her shit, boy gets a little disrespectful, principal gets involved, mom gets called, media gets informed, and here we are.
The Supreme Court decided 40 years ago that children have the right to refuse to say the Pledge of Allegiance on moral or religious grounds. (Jehovah's Witnesses won't say the Pledge, for example.) So the teacher's insistance that the boy say the Pledge was totally inappropriate.
As are the comments to the article.
Proving that the First Amendment is not for everyone:
Using your freedoms is attention-seeking:
GAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!
A child shall lead us- to hell!
Constitution be damned- support our troops!
The Pledge has won wars! Lots of them! Read books, you'll see!
Oh noez, someday he'll be voting for Democrats!
We'll end with questioning the sexuality of a 10-year-old:
The Supreme Court decided 40 years ago that children have the right to refuse to say the Pledge of Allegiance on moral or religious grounds. (Jehovah's Witnesses won't say the Pledge, for example.) So the teacher's insistance that the boy say the Pledge was totally inappropriate.
As are the comments to the article.
Proving that the First Amendment is not for everyone:
The words coming out of this childs mouth are his parents......for what ever reason....they are teaching him disrespect and I hope that he is removed from the school and his parents are ran out of the country. What a disgusting example of parenting. They can take their brat child, their gay rights, their disrespect for our country and leave, give up their citizenship as they must do and rot in another country. Be gone with you and your disrespect for our country.
Using your freedoms is attention-seeking:
He said it the whole school year up until now. Of course his mother put him up to this for the attention.Everyone is going around exercising their rights, getting on the news and in papers and internet. Another bunch of attention seekers. His mom should be kicking him in the a$$ to be an American.
GAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!
America is a free country, but we are taking so much for granted in this free country. Yes, we have rights, but why would we want to not pledge the awesome red, white and blue, that so many have laid down their lives for. Even the gay ones that don't ask don't tell in our armed services. I am sure there have been gays killed in our wars, so why wouldn't they want to pledge the flag? This child has been led to believe more about the rights of gays, then the gays that have lost their life for that flag too. I do not support the gay life style, God forbids it in the Bible. But, sadly there are gays in our military, and that flag stands for our free American that all have fouhgt for. That kid is being led astay and his mom just likes the publicity she is getting through all of this. Which is so sad.
A child shall lead us- to hell!
It is completely awesome thats some little sh1t thats still sucking snot can down grade everything that our forefathers fought and died for and whats better yet is the fact that his parents support him...
America as I once knew it is GONE !!!
Constitution be damned- support our troops!
CONSTITUTIONAL OR NOT, MAYBE HIS PARENTS SHOULD TAKE A TRIP TO IRAQ TO SEE WHY IT IS IMPORTANT AND WHAT IT REALLY MEANS TO BE AN AMERICAN.
The Pledge has won wars! Lots of them! Read books, you'll see!
This has got to be one of the saddest stories I have ever read. Not only did this child disrespect his teacher, it is being condoned by his parent. The news anchor laughed at the child for using such disrespect to his teacher. One thing that might be helpful to both the father and the child is to go back and read some history books....if it were not for American soldiers who not only pledged allegience to their flag, but actually walked the walk, this country would be very different today...we would probably be living in a country with very few if any rights. America is the greatest country in the world. For those who do not understand just how great this country is, perhaps it would be a valuable learning experience to travel to some other countries where people really don't have any rights...why do you think so many people want citizenship here?until one is well traveled and well read, it is difficult to understand what a great country we live in. It is easy to sit in your den and believe everything that is being reported on television rather than seeing for yourself and to take for granted what our soldiers have sacrificed to keep our country great.
Oh noez, someday he'll be voting for Democrats!
The little prick needs to move to some third world communist nation if he thinks its so bad here. Its rif raf like this thats grows up to be liberal trash polititions that want to CHANGE everything. F'ing sickining!
We'll end with questioning the sexuality of a 10-year-old:
c'mon people either his dad is gay "notice his mom not with them" or the little boy is gay its a given you can totally tell....
Interesting that the commentors proved the boys premise for not wanting to say the pledge in the first place.
ReplyDeleteI stopped saying the pledge in 7th grade. In a civics class we watched a video on the bill of rights, and then it hit me like a ton of bricks, the pledge says that we are one nation under god. But people have different religious beliefs. And I do not believe in a god! It seems to me that the pledge violates the establishment clause of the first amendment. I have not said the pledge since that day. And I will tell you, in middle and high school, that decision won me few friends.
ReplyDelete*is severely depressed after reading that load of shit*
ReplyDeleteA related issue: a slightly older High School student’s fight to be allowed (because, apparently, laws explicitly stating he has the right to do so are not enough) to remain seated and silent during the Pledge, and the incredibly repulsive reaction from his principal. Pricks like him are one of the reasons why I despised school and still do.
Damn, forgot to comment on how Will Phillips is an awesome little man with truly exceptional bravery, resolve and righteousness. (Note that I said “righteousness”, not “self-righteousness”. The former just means standing up for your own rights.)
ReplyDeleteI'm not a fan of parents using their kids for political purposes, even when I support the political purpose in question. However, the teacher's response was way over the top. The pledge means nothing if it has to be forced.
ReplyDeleteI always thought that blind repetition of the pledge every school day made it pretty meaningless anyway. I'd be willing to bet that for most kids, it's an empty ritual that means nothing. They should save it for special occasions.
I'm not a fan of parents using their kids for political purposes, even when I support the political purpose in question.
ReplyDeleteAnd where, precisely, does it actually say that the kid's parents used him for political purposes? The commenters claim they did, but that's no more proof than if the commenters claimed the sky is purple with yellow polka dots.
"And where, precisely, does it actually say that the kid's parents used him for political purposes?"
ReplyDeleteDo you have any kids? I seriously doubt a ten year old boy came up with that idea without some assistance from his parents. It's possible, but unlikely.
So, not only is the First Amendment not for everyone: apparently grammar isn't either.
ReplyDelete*my eyes are bleeding a little bit*
In October 1955 I was eight years old, and for reasons that probably had little if anything to do with politics or religion, I refused to say the pledge or pray in class (as scripture and prayer were mandatory in those days)and was reported to Authority.
ReplyDeleteI was counseled, but still wouldn't do it.
My mother and I were summoned to see an Administrator (my mother was mortified, disgusted with me)and I was asked why I wouldn't pray. I said, "I don't believe in god" (although I don't think that had anything to do with the situation as it was originally, and I was as surprised to hear it as they were...I sort of wondered, Where'd THAT come from!!?? myself. But it was the truth) and that man who was about five times my size roared, "I'll teach you the luvva gawd", was around his desk and back handed me out of the chair.
He and my mother gave me a five minute mauling that gave me a black eye, bloody nose, lumps and bruises, and an arm that was injured so that I couldn't lift it even shoulder high for about four months.
It's always struck me as strange how these 'freedom lovers' eschew anything like actual freedom. How often they refer to an 'inalienable right' as a privilege, which is very different.
I never prayed or recited the pledge again.
ReplyDeleteMy teacher was apprised of the fact that I STILL wasn't praying to either their imaginary deity or civic deity, and she asked me if I was going to do it. I respectfully said 'no', and she said, "All right, I'll pray for you". I've never really know whether she petitioned The Flag or her Deity, but she didn't turn me in again.
I learned that snitches are highly valued in our society, much more than freedom. Learned more from that than any civics class.
UNNR;
ReplyDeletei'm a military brat - my first years of schooling happened in schools ON military bases, taught by either retired military people, or military spouses.
i *NEVER* said the pledge of allegience after i turned 7. that was the year i became *active* in my religion; that was the year that i came to realize that the Pledge was, essentially, a pledge to serve a *specific* face of God
i was old enough to be aware of how non-white kids were treated differently.
i was aware enough to know that Mr. Richardson, the other 2nd grade teacher, had a "husband" instead of a wife.
i was aware enough to know that talking about *my* religion would cause me a thousand thousand problems.
and i was DEFINATELY aware that i DID NOT have to say the Pledge, just as i did not have "pray" or say "amen".
at 7.
no, it is NOT weird that a ten year old can see this. that he was BRAVE enough to do it, once attention was brought but before his parents were involved, that is where i see something exceptional.
i have heard of kids, from ALL grades, rejecting the Pledge because of something personal. maybe the kid has a relative who is gay/lesbian/bi/something. gods know there's been enough media shouting about gay rights for him to have picked it up.
denelian,
ReplyDeleteI don't think its weird. And like you I knew the pledge was not an absolute requirement even when I was ten. I had several classes with classmates who were Jehovahs Witnesses.
But I do think it is highly unlikely that a ten-year old is going to refuse the pledge in order to protest a major political issue without significant input from his parents.
Trust me, kids can develop their own view on things, and be pretty forceful about it by age 6. Do you have any idea how hard it is to feed a suddenly vegetarian 6-year-old? I mean, the protein requirements for a growing child make that difficult, to say nothing of various vitamins and minerals that are generally only found in significant amounts in meat.
ReplyDeleteI did it, though, because my niece suddenly decided that eating meat was wrong, and she wasn't going to do it anymore. I was not a vegetarian at the time. I have no idea where she got it from. The school wasn't happy about it either, until I threatened to convert to Hinduism and sue their asses for religious discrimination.
MediaCurves.com conducted a study among 328 viewers of a new clip discussing a student who refuses to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance in support of gay marriage. The majority of viewers (66%) reported that the student should not be forced to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. While the majority of respondents supported the student after watching the video, prior to viewing the video, the majority of viewers (65%) indicated that students “should be” forced to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. More in depth results can be seen at:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mediacurves.com/Politics/J7639-PledgeofAllegiance/Index.cfm
Thanks,
Ben