The pledge of a grievance
Some kids are just show offs
The pledge of a grievance
There is a child in Western Pennsylvania who doesn’t want to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. And the law says she doesn’t have to. Almost 70 years ago, the Supreme Court ruled in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette that schools cannot coerce students into reciting the pledge. That’s why most schools have made it a voluntary act.
So it’s unlikely that the (of course) un-named child will have to show the proper respect to her country and her flag because she has the individual and fundamental right to be rude.
(I’m sure the civil libertarians out there consider it a fundamental right of conscience. You say tomato, I say to-MAH-to.)
Still, I’m getting increasingly annoyed at parents who instill in their children the idea that they are ‘all that’ and aid and abet them in their preciousness. Even if this middle school child came up with this animus toward the country by herself (according to her she can’t fathom pledging allegiance given the ‘state of the country’ just now) her parents should have knocked that existential angst out of her adolescent head and said “don’t make a spectacle of yourself, Susie, life is not a reality show.”
I’m sure the ACLU types will be horrified by that. I mean, after all, our children are our future and we want them to think independently, right?
Well, some children are actually just show-offs who like to get on the evening news. And their parents have no problem signing up an agent for them.
With celebrity, and chutzpah, for all.
Hypochrissy really just has a problem with non-conformists. She wants everyone to be little robots that all think and act the same way. What do you expect from someone who was raised to believe everything that her cult taught her. I bet those kids would be pledging allegiance to the fetus if she were the teacher. (HTML deleted)— scoobysnacks- Absolutely right, @scooby.
Foreign denotes "not of this area," As Native American reservations are technically NOT part of the USA (they are sovereign), they are foreign. Wherever I lecture, @sadim, you can be sure that your kid will not likely be admitted.— sophistry 
soph, you say, "As Native American reservations are technically NOT part of the USA (they are sovereign), they are foreign."
As usual, soph, old, very old girl, you are wrong. Plain and totally wrong.
All Indian lands are superseded by Federal, State and even, where applicable, local jurisdictions. Time to give it up. Being a +1 is hardly stimulating. Get a job.
— PlumberJoe- When everyone in the classroom is standing, it is NOT respectful to sit. If this student is allowed to follow her own rules of when to sit or stand, the classroom discipline breaks down very quickly. Middle school students routinely test rules. If there is no discipline, they will walk out of class whenever they please, talk back whenever they please, or hang out the window if they so please.
I taught every grade from K to 8 and had children of all different races and religions. We had to respect each other's differences but remain a cohesive class.
It is entirely about respect. Sitting when all are standing is disrespectful of the class if not the flag.— Magistra 
Comment removed.- "...[after 1960] federal policy regarding Indians shifted toward that of self-determination, or the right of a group or nation to independently govern themselves. The legislation that has arisen from this policy of self-determination, which has been in effect since the late 1960s to present-day, has greatly influenced modern-day Indian country jurisdiction. The Civil Rights Act of 1968 also amended Public Law 280 so that states no longer held civil and criminal jurisdiction over Indian country unless the tribes consented at certain elections.[20]— sophistry
- Matters not a fig. The Indian tribes are still subject to the laws of the U.S. They do not have diplomatic immunity. Their lands are not considered the lands of a foreign entity.
Get real, pumpkin.— PlumberJoe - Yes, the point here is that this column is stupid as written from the hand of a stunad. Christine's argument is that a kid wants to be on TV so she decides to be difficult about the Pledge of Allegiance? Maybe the kid wants to be on TV, but there are certainly more interesting ways to get (temporarily) famous. A huge SO WHAT???? is the inevitable response of anyone who reads this drivel.— sophistry
- "It is entirely about respect."
Not even blunt force trauma could knock some respect into the heads of the gang of 4 (leader) and + 1. So, let's just giggle, girls.— PlumberJoe - Comment removed.
- We had a quaint custom when I was growing up. Whenever an adult entered the classroom, we children had to rise out of respect for the adult. It was meant to teach us manners and nothing more. We were taught to respect our teachers, our books and all things related to learning.
Some would call that an authoritarian classroom. Yet, we never had fights or threatened each other or vandalized the school's property.
It would never have occurred to us to sit, turn our backs or otherwise oppose the school's rules.
Nota bene: I am not entering any of the skirmishes on this board. I think I made my point.
Good night to all.
— Magistra - Afterthought:
The reason for the Pledge in the first place was to acculturate immigrant children to their new country. It was meant to insitll loyalty to the nation and the nation's laws.
Some may think this anachronistic and quaint, but the last time I looked, we still have many immigrants entering the country.
School is partly about learning and partly about instilling responsible citizenship.
— Magistra - Comment removed.
- Magistra, you have made your points. You need not defend them. They are self evident.
Hamlbum does not understand them. And it is obvious he never will.— PlumberJoe - Christine, you made your point. You delivered a special message to Hamlbum.
You said, "The point isn't the substance of the pledge. But you already knew that. The point is that the child is just the latest example of the 'look at how wonderful and important' I am syndrome infecting society."
But he does not understand that and he never will.— PlumberJoe
Email Christine M. at cflowers1961@yahoo.com Reach Christine M. at cflowers1961@yahoo.com.
