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I see people are so busy on their soapbox that they don't even bother to pay attention to the actual story. The child didn't say he was staying seated out of political protest, he said that he/his family believed in making pledges to God, not to a flag. Perhaps they are Jehovah's Witnesses or another denomination that has a policy position on this.
In any case, it's obviously completely inappropriate for a teacher to handle a student in that manner.
Right. Given what he says in the video at least, his reasons had to do with religion.
It makes some of the outrage being directed against him difficult to understand when conservatives so often maintain that freedom of religious expression is being attacked, e.g. cake bakers, county clerks, et al. Given the boy's statement as we see and hear it I am surprised he has not been heralded as a conservative hero.
In searching Google for more on this story, I see that his father has claimed that his son made this decision in the past to not pledge allegiance to the flag, but only "God and family," and that this is the first time that he has had a problem in a school. It sure sounds like the conservatives should be 100% supporters of this youngster - God and family, the supposed heart of the matter for conservatives.
I see nothing out of line. Refusing to stand for or recite the Pledge of Allegiance SHOULD have stiff social consequences. Not criminal consequences, however.
Do you not see the irony in being forced to pledge allegiance to the flag and the FREEDOM for which it stands? Are you saying a physical attack is justified if a kid doesn't stand for the pledge?
Did I wake up in North Korea this morning?
A pledge of allegiance is ridiculous in a free country we don't live in some tin pot dictatorship.
Question to those that think the kid should be deported or punished for refusing to publicly pledge to the flag:
Would you really rather someone go through the motions only because they fear being subjected to violence, and not have their heart in it at all? Maybe even feeling resentful?
You know how Conservatives are always going on and on and on and on about "liberal indoctrination" in our schools? As a Conservative, do you see anything in your post that contradicts that, Laura?
A good teacher would have used this as a teaching moment and asked the student to explain why he remained seated. Imagine the educational discussion that could have followed. But this teacher believed much as Laura and other Conservatives apparently do. Shut up and conform to the authoritarian state or suffer the consequences.
Conservatives believe in small government. Not that the truth matters to you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JAMS14
And these same "patriots" claim they love the Constitution when it's clear they have no idea what's in the Constitution.
I see nothing out of line. Refusing to stand for or recite the Pledge of Allegiance SHOULD have stiff social consequences. Not criminal consequences, however.
Why?
I prefer people to do things VOLUNTARILY.
What's the point in forcing someone to recite a pledge if they don't want to?
If the kid doesn't want to pledge the flag, then he shouldn't have to.
The teacher shouldn't have put her hands on him. If she felt he was being disruptive or whatever, send him to the principal's office. But don't yank the kid up.
If the teacher didn't make such a big deal out of it, maybe the kid would have sat there and reflected on how great America really IS. I have freedom to NOT be forced to do something that I don't agree with. He said he only pledged allegiance to God and his family, and that he was seeing the pledge as some sort of idol, like worshipping a flag or whatever he said. So? If that is what he believes right now in his life, then he should be free to hold those beliefs. Fake, phony forced patriotism is NOT patriotism, so what is the point?
Making young kids pledge allegiance to the flag is moronic, anyhow.
Most of the kids don't even understand what they're doing. Empty, meaningless pledges do nothing to educate a person on the importance of the ideals our country was founded on: Freedom and Liberty. Teach the children why this Country IS so fantastic. Teach them the details of the Revolutionary War. Teach them the heroism of those who fought. Then perhaps, their patriotism won't be some shallow, empty, mindless reciting of a pledge, but TRUE patriotism. Maybe they'll come to truly respect and appreciate their country.
I see nothing out of line. Refusing to stand for or recite the Pledge of Allegiance SHOULD have stiff social consequences. Not criminal consequences, however.
Conservatives believe in small government. Not that the truth matters to you.
Says the person who doesn't know what a right is.
Oh please. I have never know one Conservative who truly believes in small government. This whole pledge business is proof of this. If you don't want to stand then don't. If you don't want to recite it, then don't. This is a free country not a dictatorship.
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