[quote name='"420rowdyguy"']its kinda sad that highschoolers have to go through this stupid routine... in Canada, we recite our anthem (i think) everyday in elementary school during an assembly once we move on to middle school and highschool we don't recite it, there's no point.. it only wastes class time and gives students more reasons to rebel and hate school (by forcing us to conform and taking away our right to make our own choices) i would be willing to bet at least 60% of Canadians don't know the anthem i only know about 1 sentence the american anthem sounds more like a pledge to join some secret society, where as the canadian anthem is like a song that embraces our nationality (what an anthem is supposed to be..) but then again i have no clue what the american anthem says lol[/quote] cause its not an anthem. it IS a pledge. we do have an anthem tho, its sung before football games. op: just stand up. you dont have to say it but at least stand. comprimise.
Wow a lot of people are way off here they can't force you to say the pledge even if you are under 18 and i've never gotten what's so special about the flag IMO it's just some fabric and dye
[quote name='"HankMoody"'] Woah..you are dead wrong. The school is not legally allowed to force a child/student to pledge to the flag, and yes it is brainwashing. What the teacher did is illegal, can get fired and the school can get sued. Unless you go to a private school, the school and teachers have no right to force you to stand up and pledge to a flag.[/quote] Suing over stupid things like this is why public school systems have no money
Actually if you want to be specific, public school systems don't have money because the government continually cuts funding for it. For what reasons I'll leave for out for the sake of brevity.
[quote name='"Danonymous"'] Suing over stupid things like this is why public school systems have no money[/quote] Exactly. This is why our country is a bunch of spoiled babies. Parents sue the only means of education. Why not sue the police for all the bullshit they do? Because the schools an easy target because your rebellious little cry baby son didn't want to compromise. Are you aware you will need to compromise in the real world? But right on, you little rebel, OP.
You know, I think you're on the right track. We should definitely just keep teaching our kids that they should just take whatever given to them, and it's not okay to fight for what you believe in. Certainly not your own rights. People will always have their best interest in mind, and if things have worked in the past, they should definitely never change. Right on man. Right. On.
[quote name='"Continuum"'] You know, I think you're on the right track. We should definitely just keep teaching our kids that they should just take whatever given to them, and it's not okay to fight for what you believe in. Certainly not your own rights. People will always have their best interest in mind, and if things have worked in the past, they should definitely never change. Right on man. Right. On.[/quote] Idk man that's different than suing for an insane amount of money because you're getting riled up over having to say the pledge. I agree with you and I don't like the idea either, and he should definately mention it to someone higher up, but idk if you guys are seeing eye to eye on this
Nope, not legal to punish you for that. My ex-girlfriend did the same thing in the 6th grade because she didn't believe in god, and they couldn't touch her.
[quote name='"Continuum"'] You know, I think you're on the right track. We should definitely just keep teaching our kids that they should just take whatever given to them, and it's not okay to fight for what you believe in. Certainly not your own rights. People will always have their best interest in mind, and if things have worked in the past, they should definitely never change. Right on man. Right. On.[/quote] You can rebel without depleting 200-1,000 other kids of a well funded education I think is the point he's trying to make. Rebel, make waves, challenge the system... just do it without robbing an already stretched out budget The right to not stand up and say something for 45 seconds it a pittance compared to... I don't know... police brutality? Jerrymandering voting districts around to reduce the effectiveness of the poor and minorities votes? Jail time without a trail? Invasion of privacy without probable cause? If I could trade out any one of those with being forced to say the pledge 5 times a week, I'd do it in a heartbeat!
Iraq war vet checking in to support OP in not standing. I don't even bother standing for the national anthem these days. Maybe when my elected officials get around to fixing our shit pile of a country I'll be able to be proud of it again... but I'll probably have relocated to a different country at that point anyways. And it won't "drain" the school budget. OP, just print out the supreme courts decision on the matter and the next time the teacher gives you lip hand it to her and say the harrasment will stop or I will be forced to seek legal counsel. Tell her you also want to talk to the principal and hand him a copy. If the school system wants to waste their money they will try to fight you, but that is them wasting their money, not you taking their money.
Sue the school district for all its worth, show them that constitutional rights trump all. Only way this will stop is if the schools get checked by the courts. How else will they learn to stop violating the constitution?
[quote name='"rileyscool101"']Hi, i am 18 and a senior in high school. Today, after the pledge (which I do not do), my teacher called me up to yell at me for not standing. He then said that I must recite the pledge or else he will write me up everyday I do not. Now, if I get written up, I lose my exam exemptions and I get ISS or OSS. I was under the impression that the pledge was voluntary. I do not believe in god, and thus do not believe in certain parts of the pledge. Also, I really do not like what this country is turning into. Therefore, I believe I should not have to stand up, as part of free speech and freedom of religion. Now, my question..can my teacher punish me for not agreeing with the pledge? Can he make me stand up and recite it?[/quote] Tell your teacher to shut the fuck up you don't have to do the pledge if you don't want to
Fuck giving in. You don't give in when a cop wants to look in your car without cause? No. They are wrong and you are right. If you learn nothing in school you should learn to never back down when you have a chance to exercise your rights. Because for every person who makes a scene and refuses to be walked on there are 10 people sitting on their asses wishing they had the guts to speak up too. By speaking out you speak for them and you might just give them the courage to do the same thing one day. Know your rights! Exercise your rights! If you forfeit your rights you do a disservice to those who paid the ultimate price for you, and you make it harder for every person who comes up behind you because you set a precedent and you ennobled the establishment so that they will believe they can keep on doing it. Never back down.
[quote name='"HankMoody"']Sue the school district for all its worth, show them that constitutional rights trump all. Only way this will stop is if the schools get checked by the courts. How else will they learn to stop violating the constitution?[/quote] By showing the teacher in question the supreme court case, not punishing the entire district
It looks bad? So do the clothes that kids wear to school. What's your point? I'm willing to bet that every single city across this entire country has a church. Doesn't mean anyone is forced or should be forced to attend it. You go to school to learn. The re-iteration of a pledge to our country should have absolutely nothing to do with that process, and therefore should be voluntary, not mandatory, and not participating for this 45-second process out of the school day certainly should not result in any form of suspension that would affect your performance. And don't try and call me anti-patriotic for my stance here either. I simply believe in the purest definition of a free country, and a pledge isn't something that needs to be mandatory. It reminds me more of socialism or communism when coerced out of someone, not patriotism. Sure, you can fight shit like this, but chances are you will lose. Yes, this is wrong and stupid, but just being realistic. It's up to you if you wish to fight it or not, but you're likely to suffer the current punishments until you can reach someone in that administration with some common sense (which may be NEVER).
The teacher may or may not be going by school policy. School Policy is made by the schoolboard in which the district votes for.
[quote name='"HankMoody"'] The teacher may or may not be going by school policy. School Policy is made by the schoolboard in which the district votes for.[/quote] Then he should probably check what the policy is first