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We already do. Many schoolchildren have to recite the Pledge of Allegiance at school every morning. At least they did when I was in school.
that varies by state and even in states where the law says you don't have to, teachers will order kids to do it...
In WA children must stand and be respectful if they do not want to partake.
seems like a fair enough balance to me... but worth nothing the whole pledge thing is extremely odd and normally seen in dictatorships, single party nations, totalitarian states.
Yes it is! IF you tell a child that they have to recite "whatever" and you don't teach them the meaning of whatever then you are forcing them.
well, these children learned this at an early age. In my world, children are taught the following, but I don't believe every child should behave like this. To each his/her own
Yes it is! IF you tell a child that they have to recite "whatever" and you don't teach them the meaning of whatever then you are forcing them.
Then teach them. Maybe that's the issue that has led us to the crap we are in. Kids these days have absolutely no appreciation on how good they have it in America.
Because that's exactly what conservatives seem to want by cheering the recent involvement of the President in this whole NFL kerfuffle. Look, I don't personally support what football players are doing, and I would/do stand for our anthem, but that's not the point here
In case you don't understand how First Amendment works, here's a primer for you: the government shall conduct no policy that obstructs exercise of religion, free speech, or right to assembly..
That means that what happens with sports players on the NFL is to play out as a PRIVATE matter.. Sports players are free to stand out sit out the anthem, NFL is free to fire or keep them, and you the viewing public are free to support or judge / boycott the whole thing. May the strongest force win.
But when you have the leader of our nation butting in, he isn't just speaking as a private citizen; he is inevitably speaking with the weight of the public office he represents. His words can and will pressure people to conform in certain ways, which ends up as de facto government policy that can ultimately control how you behave.
So go ahead, Trumpers, and keep supporting the blurring the line between private expression and public censure; you'll end up with this, where you have to show up and "enthusiastically" participate or else you lose your job, your kids don't get higher education, or your family members even disappear in prison. Believe me, I know. I came from such a country.
Surprised (or maybe not) that you supposed freedom-loving cons aren't smart enough to put this together. Just because Trump is expressing an opinion you like doesn't mean it isn't dangerous precedent.
I'd be willing to wholeheartedly support the Pledge of Allegiance, under one condition:
President Trump and his many associates who are currently under federal investigation must clearly and completely demonstrate that their allegiance is to the United States of America - meaning, the country's values and all of its people, not just Trump's political supporters - rather than what so many Americans suspect their actual allegiance is to: namely, those who support Trump's political agenda, whether they be domestic right-wing extremists and white supremacists or a hostile foreign government (see: the aforementioned federal investigations).
I'll be waiting with eager expectation for Trump's presidential leadership on this matter.
A lot of people don't wish to worship a flag that represents the evil done by the US Military Industrial Complex over the decades all over the globe. Saluting the flag to their way of thinking MIGHT seem to indicate approval for all of the wars, and "democracy forcing" we do under the guise of "freedom." Patriotism isn't all about dead soldiers. What about farmers, brick layers, medical teams, bakers, teachers, utility workers, etc ?
A lot of people don't wish to worship a flag that represents the evil done by the US Military Industrial Complex over the decades all over the globe. Saluting the flag to their way of thinking MIGHT seem to indicate approval for all of the wars, and "democracy forcing" we do under the guise of "freedom." Patriotism isn't all about dead soldiers. What about farmers, brick layers, medical teams, bakers, teachers, utility workers, etc ?
the flag represents the evil done by the US military industrial complex ?
lol
Marines raising a U.S. flag atop Mount Suribachi, during the Battle of Iwo Jima, in World War II. Why was the flag important to them? (if it is just a piece of fabric)
The meaning of the flag has NEVER changed. It has VERY little to do with the military, by the way.
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God? Country?
