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Tbh he is lucky he wasn't cracked in the jaw for that. Not to many parents appreciate random people trying to teach their children lessons.
Hmmm lets see....Dad killed in WW2 means he was born no later than 1945 so he would be at least 70. Cracking a 70 year old man in the jaw? That's acceptable to you? Classy guy.
So my step son goes to a charter school he has most of his life. This year he is in the 8th grade.
lately he has been complaining that he has to stand up during the pledge of allegiance. We all had to do this as kids ourselves & times have changed for better of worse. Should children have to stand for the pledge if they don't want to? The school is writing kids up if they don't stand & take part in it.
This is not about religion not as far as we are concerned. Yes, there are times in his life that he is going to have to do things he doesn't agree with. Is the school forcing children him & taking away his rights or should he suck it up & deal with it? This could be put under the same as prayer in school if you wanted to take it that way. I'm surprised that this is happening here in Asheville, NC considering how liberal it is here. Granted it's still the bible belt. He asked his mom if he should fight it or just go along with it. She said it was up to him & how far he is willing to take it.
I don't have kids (possibly down the road) but I would encourage them NOT to say it. They can if they want to, but the more I've thought about what it is, the less I like it. It's good to be loyal to your community or society, but it just seems like indoctrination. Blind loyalty to a country is not a good thing, and it doesn't seem like kids are doing it genuinely...it's more like they're doing what the teacher tells them to do.
I just think of all the kids in other countries pledging loyalty to their governments...it just continues the mentality that "our people" are the good guys and creates that pack mentality. If you criticize what their government does, they see you as the bad guy attacking them. Its like foreign countries blaming U.S. citizens for things the government did, and U.S. citizens doing the same to them. We're all just individuals...it's not like everyone in every country is the same, or that they all get together and decide to bomb Iraq or whoever...but people are taught by their schools that their country is the good guy.
I don't have kids (possibly down the road) but I would encourage them NOT to say it. They can if they want to, but the more I've thought about what it is, the less I like it. It's good to be loyal to your community or society, but it just seems like indoctrination. Blind loyalty to a country is not a good thing, and it doesn't seem like kids are doing it genuinely...it's more like they're doing what the teacher tells them to do.
I just think of all the kids in other countries pledging loyalty to their governments...it just continues the mentality that "our people" are the good guys and creates that pack mentality. If you criticize what their government does, they see you as the bad guy attacking them. Its like foreign countries blaming U.S. citizens for things the government did, and U.S. citizens doing the same to them. We're all just individuals...it's not like everyone in every country is the same, or that they all get together and decide to bomb Iraq or whoever...but people are taught by their schools that their country is the good guy.
The issue might be a little clearer if the pledge included the words....."and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, right or wrong......" which is the implication and objection for many.
I don't have kids (possibly down the road) but I would encourage them NOT to say it. They can if they want to, but the more I've thought about what it is, the less I like it. It's good to be loyal to your community or society, but it just seems like indoctrination. Blind loyalty to a country is not a good thing, and it doesn't seem like kids are doing it genuinely...it's more like they're doing what the teacher tells them to do.
I just think of all the kids in other countries pledging loyalty to their governments...it just continues the mentality that "our people" are the good guys and creates that pack mentality. If you criticize what their government does, they see you as the bad guy attacking them. Its like foreign countries blaming U.S. citizens for things the government did, and U.S. citizens doing the same to them. We're all just individuals...it's not like everyone in every country is the same, or that they all get together and decide to bomb Iraq or whoever...but people are taught by their schools that their country is the good guy.
Love your post & your right we are taught that this is the greatest country in the world. And damn it if you don't feel that way then you need to leave.
I stopped saying it in middle school when I looked around the room and realized that not a single person in the room had any idea what they were really saying. We started saying the pledge in kindergarten. Do kindergarteners know what a pledge is? Are they capable of making one? How old were you when you learned what "allegiance" meant? And I don't mean the definition of the word - I mean what it really means.
Since that realization, I am very unlikely to participate today. It is a meaningless bunch of words strung together into a memorized paragraph. By saying it, I feel *less* patriotic because it is rote. I'd rather show my patriotism in meaningful ways. And the quickest way for me to point that out is to try to force me - or anyone else - to stand and/or say the pledge. If it is something that is meaningful to you, go for it. If it is not, it cheapens the experience for everyone.
My 8 year old thinks he is old enough to drive my car. If I indulged my 11 year old's every thought, she would eat skittles for lunch every day. They are children. They haven't lived long enough to "think for themselves". It is a parent's job to guide them the way they see fit. I won't tell you how to raise your kids, and I would appreciate you not giving me unsolicited parenting advice for mine. I don't want their school raising them any more than I want you raising them.
Notice I said "Teaching them to think for themselves." The way you handle candy will teach your child to use her brain as she gets older to make the choice on whether or not is a good idea. Forcing your child to say the pledge is just indoctrination though. There is no long term benefit to doing it. This is a public forum, if you don't want people to comment on your posts then maybe it's best you don't comment .
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The school is writing kids up if they don't stand & take part in it.
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