Pledge Of Allegiance

Sooners1

Active member
The ACLU of Virginia has sent a letter to Spotsylvania County School Board members, formally urging them to change the district's Pledge of Allegiance policy.

"It is nothing short of hypocritical to teach children that the First Amendment protects their right of free expression and then to eliminate that right without a compelling reason," reads the letter from ACLU of Virginia Executive Director Kent Willis.

The School Board is scheduled to vote on its pledge policy tomorrow night at the River Run Business Center on U.S. 1 across from Massaponax High School. The meeting begins at 6:30, and members of the public are allowed to address the board before the vote.

Spotsylvania requires all public school students to stand and salute the flag for the pledge at the start of each school day. The county's policy doesn't require students to recite the words, but it doesn't let objecting students sit through it.

A 12-year-old seventh-grader at Ni River Middle School objected, arguing that's a compelled act of patriotism that violates his First Amendment right to free speech. He said he doesn't agree with many of the federal government's current policies.

School administrators told him to stand but later allowed him to sit after a School Board attorney said Spotsylvania was breaking Virginia law, which specifically allows objecting students to sit.

Board members and administrators said they never intended to break state law, calling it an oversight and saying teachers who forced students to stand misinterpreted the policy.

Other Fredericksburg-area schools all drafted policies allowing students to sit.

At its Dec. 13 meeting, the School Board voted 6-1 to change the policy and allow objecting students to sit. Ray Lora was the lone dissenter. The board has to vote twice on the policy change.

Spotsylvania administrators are recommending that the board change the policy Monday to allow students to sit through the pledge.

Lora said he plans to vote against the change, saying he's concerned that students can object to the pledge for any reason without parental approval. He added that he's ready to move on to other items--including passing a budget for next year.
 
The thing is I doubt highly that a 12 year old came up with that argument of forced Patriotism. I'll bet it was mommy and daddy and their high minded liberal beliefs. Their probably just usin the kid as a front man.
 
03USMC said:
The thing is I doubt highly that a 12 year old came up with that argument of forced Patriotism. I'll bet it was mommy and daddy and their high minded liberal beliefs. Their probably just usin the kid as a front man.

I Agree on this!!!

This WHOLE thing makes me :evil:

Schools aren't like they used to be over 23 yrs ago!

Between the Schools and The way Some parents are these days
They wonder WHY kids are the way they are NOW!!

They Need to Get their HEADs out of their ARSEAs!!


LadyHawk

**Future Marine Corp Mom**
 
.. well, it's not like they live in the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA or anything. There is no reason whatsoever to be taught to have pride in one's own country, that's preposterous! :roll:
 
I put this in here to see if I was the only one that had a major problem with this. It is good to see that I am not, although I do know a couple of members that if they see this thread will go off on it and how we are wrong and the kid is right.
There is no way a kid is gonna be able to know these things and what is he bein taught at home? To not want to say The Pledge is one thing but to completely disrespect it all together by not standin is a complete other.
 
It's liberal chic. Drive a 50,000 dollar SUV. Live in a 250,000.00 dollar house in the burbs. But disagree with everything the Goverment does, says or makes possible for you.

It's not cool to be Patriotic, or support your country.
 
Or it's probably a matter of laziness. And trust me, I've seen too many ridiculous "my right'ers" in the United States believeing their rights is outmost important. It is not by responsibilty of liberal education or parent but by the person itself.
 
Okay I can agree with that on adults part or even a high school aged student. But when the charge of Forced Patriotism is made by a 12 year old, nope sorry theres an adult behind that.

And my answer to Forced Patriotism is......... Voluntary Immigration.
 
OnlyOneStanding.jpg


this kind of hit me when i read this thread! Almost makes you want to kick the crap out of some lazy bastards!
 
:evil: OOOhhhh man :evil: as if I wasnt fired up enough about the start of the thread, now that has really hit hard. Lazy disrespectful :cen: .
 
I hear ya Brother. The thing is you and I for the most part grew up when Vet's were prevelant. The WWII Vets , would have raised three shades of h**l if this had come down the pike in 70's.

We were taught respect for the flag and the men who had sacrificed their blood and lives for the freedoms we enjoyed, the flag represented them.
These beliefs were reinforced in the Corps.

The majority of our generation do not impart these beliefs to their children, nor believe them themselves.
 
That picture of the guy in the wheelchair really got to me. When I was in high school we were taught a course called "civics". You learned how our system of government works and why we observe the customs and ceremonies that we do. Apparently it isn't taught anymore. A damn shame. I honestly can't see how that 12 year old could mistake supporting the current administration for supporting their country. They are not the same thing by any means. It isn't all black and white though (few things are). I can see how a Buddhist for example might object to the words "under God" for themselves and so not say them, but it would be wrong to remove them for what is by and large a Christian country. Tolerance is the highest goal. If we were all more tolerant of each other these issues would never come to the fore. Those that decry patriotism are just as intolerant as anybody else and so lose any moral justification for their actions. But as I said in another thread, I don't find these people who Tom Payne called "Summer Soldiers" and "Sunshine Patriots" to be a whole heck of alot better. It really boils down to this for me; from the words I saw on a sign in my youth "Freedom has a taste for those who fought for it that the protected can never know".
 
Since we are on the issue "forced Patriotism" I must tell you all this.

A guy (a veteran) in Portland Maine wanted to fly a giant American Flag with lighting equipment on the Civil War era Ft. Georges in Casco Bay

pharbor1.jpg


The fort can be seen from most of the scenic spots in Portland and the joining towns. The huge flag and solar lighting system was all privately paid for. A few "citizens" called a town meeting about the issue. One person compared flying the US flag with flying the nazi flag back in WWII. Even the most liberal town council member said "that went too far." My brother told me about it when I got back from Iraq. The story was too small for me to find it on the web.

Why is it everyone is allowed to fly a flag supporting their cause except for our nation's flag.
 
Well I think its good. But on the other hand, I'm not American so I'm not used too that custom, so that might be why.
 
It's more than a custom. It is as its name says, an oath. You are declaring yourself to be an American and to uphold the things we hold dear. The words "under God" could be left out at the swearer's discretion but the body remains the same. The last words are "...with liberty and justice for all" so those words alone obviate any complaints about it being "forced".
 
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