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The second Iraq war started when I was in junior high, that’s when I stopped standing for the pledge and kept it through high school. There was a big discussion
by isykt 3y ago
The second Iraq war started when I was in junior high, that’s when I stopped standing for the pledge and kept it through high school. There was a big discussion about whether students could be reprimanded, but ultimately I think it was decided that refusal was a form of free speech. I was proud of that, and so were my parents.
- bachmeier 3y agoIt was decided long ago: https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/west-virginia-v.-barnette-the-freedom-to-not-pledge-allegiance https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/west-virginia-v.-barnett... There was a Jehovah's Witness in our school. And of course he would not participate, leading some of the other kids to want to beat him up. They only gave up after they were threatened by the school and told by their parents that they have to respect other views. That was long ago, when the US valued civility. These days the parents would probably tell their kids to beat him up. The parents might even show them some moves.
- clipsy 3y agoJust because it was decided a long time ago doesn't mean school administrators have stopped being petty authoritarians. The school district I was attending at the time tried to push mandatory recital of the pledge every morning and after pushback (nothing in the courts, unfortunately) settled on the absurd policy that you don't have to recite the pledge, but you need to stand, put your hand on your chest, and pretend to recite the pledge. I wish I'd had the insight at the time to do an end-run around my parents and contact the ACLU about it, but oh well.
- isykt 3y agoThe US is astoundingly good at re-litigating, on a local level, things that were “decided long ago.” Florida has now decided that slavery had some upsides for Black people.