The Pledge of Allegiance

Huh, my schools never forced anyone to do it.

 

They do? Where I went to school, we were never required to say it. Also, if you'd rather sit then you were excused from the pledge. We stopped reciting it altogether once I finished elementary school. I never heard of anyone in my area being required to say it either.

Is it really most schools? I know this happens in some schools but I never heard it happened in most schools. It says you're from Texas, is being required to say the pledge a southern thing or did I just get lucky?

I don't understand why they would make anyone say the pledge, especially if they're a citizen of another country

 

by law, you have the right to not say the pledge. forcing you to do so is an infringement on your freedom of speech. since you're a UK citizen, they really shouldn't require you to say it at all.
i personally think the pledge is too 1984 for me.

in my school, you weren't forced to say it but you had to at least be silent during it. my teacher also made us all stand. i'm not sure whether or not you can be punished for refusing to stand.
we just kinda had a "be respectful" rule.

 

I think it happens, in some way or another, in most schools. Or maybe the conservative/public schools? I went private in HS and we didn't have to.
In MS, though, we did. We also has the moment of silence.....interesting, I guess.

I do understand the problem with it, though. I hate forced things. If I want to take the moment of silence to dream about Ryan Gosling, I should be able to do that. If I don't want to do the pledge, I shouldn't have to. I personally never cared, but I didn't love it, either. I don't feel like "wow, I'm American, gotta show off!" That attitude causes us a lot of issues

 

My school requires us to stand for the pledge, but we aren't forced to say anything if we don't want to.

I've never heard of anything like this though. You should have a right to not say it if you don't want to, and they can't punish you for doing it.

 

One story of someone in your same shoes, at least to some degree.

Students Not Required to Participate in the Pledge of Allegiance | ACLU of Oregon

 

It wasn't ever required that we say it (although it was pretty much expected.) We were required to stand. I don't think its legal in any states as far as I know to require students to say it.

With that said, the whole thing is pretty silly.

Pledge of Allegiance - The Whitest Kids U'Know on IFC - YouTube

 

It wasn't required in my school, but you were a weirdo if you didn't. And personally, I agree with Clowstar; the whole thing is too 1984 for me. It smacks way too much of indoctrination. If the USA is worth being loyal to, I shouldn't have to recite a pledge every day to convince myself of that fact.

 

I remember the Pledge of Allegiance every day through junior high. Then, come high school, it was abandoned. Except for one semester with a social studies teacher who insisted on doing it because it was state law.

And yes, the idea does seem very 1984.

 

oh, you're in texas lol.

you know, you don't have to say anything lol.
you can just like, palm over heart and check your pulse

wait till college, aint nobody got time for pledge

 

my school never did it... (maybe coz it was a private school?)

 

We have to stand for it, not standing will likely get you sent to ISS (In school suspension) for a class or two. You may say it voluntary, I was required to say it when I was younger in elementary school but they dropped it afterwards.

There would be less of an issue if they didn't include the whole "In faith under god" part. Honestly it feels pretty mean when I know I've had friends who have to listen to it everyday and were in no way christian or followed the faith. Being Christian isn't being American.

While we are allowed the freedom of our choice of religion it would be nice if things were more evenly represented, especially by the institutions that are supposed to protect our rights as citizens and residents of the U.S.

 

In my school, we are pretty much forced too. Now I honestly have no issue with it or anything in it, but I can see where this would cause issues.

 

I don't say it. I hate it, take out the 'God' line, and I'm in.

 

I was homeschooled! I never had to say it, but I DID in my 4-H clubs and in other various events I was at. I always felt really awkward and it never felt like something I embraced and wanted to say.

 

I wasn't forced to say the Pledge of Allegiance in high school, but I still did it.

This country certainly has its flaws, but I'm extremely proud to be an American.

 

My schools forced us to say it every morning. I just stood up, but never said it.

 

Nobody can be FORCED to recite the pledge. However, I always said it. I'm proud to be an American. Why wouldn't I say it? It's not indoctrination, it's just words. Don't wanna say it, don't say it. The OP isn't an American citizen, therefore I understand WHY he wouldn't want to say it...but everyone is making it sound like we are a police state with teachers holding us at gunpoint FORCING us to recite it, which is far from the truth. In my high school (in a small town in Oklahoma) if you didn't want to say it, then all you had to do was remain silent. Simple as that.

 

Yeah, I don't agree with the pledge either. I feel that the "...liberty and justice for all" does not include much of the LGBT community and I also don't agree with "under god" line but that doesn't need to be explained. I just stay silent and let my arms rest at my side with my hands in my pockets.

I think you should challenge them making you and punishing you for not reciting it. That just isnt cool.