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Shagnanigans wrote:

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Powers wrote:

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Did you sit down during the "under God" part and make a scene? I'm all up for the kid not saying the words, just stand up with the rest of the class and take a moment to think about the fact that the flag represents your very right not to recite the Pledge.

Sitting down and refusing to take part is just a bit over the top.

I didn't make a scene, but I didn't have to. No teacher ever gave me grief for it, but then I grew up in liberal Massachusetts, not backwater Arkansas like where this kid lives.

If he wants to refuse, that's his right. He does have a point about gay rights. The school should've just let it go. Kids have these whims. If you make a big deal out of it, they're usually even more stubborn about it.

Hm, I can't recall the pledge being mandatory when I was in school (also in Mass) nor for the kids. Those who had issues due to the God part or whatever could sit quietly when it was recited at assemblies or such. I can't recall having it done in home room either after 5th grade even in Virginia when we lived a stones throw from DC. In VA there were a lot of children from other countries living in the area so I just guessed they had issues with several things in regards to the pledge.
In MA @ the public school I attended for some reason the majority of us were herded over to the Catholic church for morning masses so I guess TPTB figured we got enough brain washing from doing that little excursion. Seems weird that in 2009 anyone would get called out for refusing to pledge to the flag. I know a lot of people got super patriotic after 9/11 with flag flying, chest pounding while spouting patriotic rhetoric and so forth but even so why dredge up old Vietnam era issues like this? If I'm Hindu, Atheist, or Wiccan I'm not praying to the God of Islam, Judaism or Christianity. How do they address that part of the pledge or are those folks the ones made to stand and just omit the God reference when they do the pledge?
Sounds like the pledge and flag issues will continue to be dragged out similar to Roe vs. Wade. As a country it seems we just can't let things go and move on. I'm on the side of no to forced participation of pledging the flag. It hardly makes a person a terrorist if they acknowledge that the reality for many of the people in our great country that there isn't true justice. I also see the argument in relation to the "under one God" part. Those that don't share any of those faiths should have no need to feel guilt over not wanting to acknowledge another cultures God. I don't see how sitting during the time the rest of the class is standing up doing the pledge is disrespectful. I'm not going to bow to the queen or participate in any other countries patriotic displays either but I would certainly remind quiet in my own little area (and hope I don't get tossed in the local clink).