I don't pledge allegiance to any flag

[gsmulticolored]

It would be theft if I didn't fill you in on my debacle of the day. Debacle - big, strong word. Makes me look both smart and daring - daring to have taken part in a debacle, and smart to know what it means. So here it is

Comments

[my_rain_face]

The Pledge of Allegiance is such a tangled bunch of words. One day, people will understand that forced displays of patriotism are not patriotism at all. The point is not whether or not you say (or stand up to respect) the pledge, it's whether or not you CHOOSE to, and if you want to choose not to then that's damn well your right in the "free" country you're living in. So good for you -- REALLY -- for sticking to your guns, and keep at it. In my mind, there are two kinds of respect at stake in the situation you were in: respect for the pledge itself, and respect for the other students in your class. The second of these is the important one, and you absolutely respected and acknowledged everyone else's right to say the pledge. And whether or not you chose to honour the pledge, you respected it by being polite and quiet while it was said. You've done nothing wrong at all. I think there may have been a supreme court case about this -- something about some baseball player who didn't want to stand for the pledge, and now doesn't

[amphithea]

I went to school in New Jersey. I was told I didn't have to stand if I chose not to. I chose not to.

However, right after Columbine happened, a friend of mine, who attended my high school the prior semester and moved away, came back to visit for the day. I waited for her to come, she was going to be my guest for the day. Finally I got a call from the office. She was sitting in there sobbing. They had called MY father to come pick her up because they couldn't let her into the school as a "safety precaution".

I guess my point is a lot of the time administration would rather push their own asshole agenda than look at what was in front of them. Which, in my case and yours, is an innocent crying girl.

[p1nes]

I'm so sorry this happened to you. My opinion on this is that I think you should avoid legal action as much as possible, but first try to sort things out with the administration. This type of situation can go far and beyond administration before having to take legal action.
You did nothing wrong and do have your rights, but try not to make this situation bigger.
Take it one step at a time and see how far that gets you.
Don't worry, I'm sure everything will turn out ok. Good luck!

[thegranddewru]

WOW! I'm so sorry this happened to you. First off, that teacher didn't have the right to yell at you period in my oppinion. Even if you had been disrespectful! *growls*

But most of all, good for you looking the law up for yourself. More people need to do this. These things are twisted and misquoted constantly and too many people readily regurgitate what someone else has told them. As you have seen, even teachers aren't always right.

[lotrvhluva]

I'm guessing you have Brodman for history? Yeah, we discussed this for a day or so in IPLE last year, and he told us that the law doesn't require us to stand, and that he never says the pledge, for his own part (I can't remember his reasoning, but it made sense at the time). Anywho, Morris is an ass, has always been an ass, and always will be an ass. That being said, having spent time in the military has made him overwhelmingly protective of his country and its ideals- last year, a friend of mine put an anonymous card in his mailbox on Veterans Day, and he was moved to tears. He probably freaked out, misunderstood the law along with the administration (as did I, for a while- I always thought the law was to stand, but not to say it), and took it out on you. Basically, while you weren't wrong, you picked the wrong teacher to cross on the subject

[ninerzguy18]

Yowza!
First off, very well-written entry. I especially liked the way you described Morris as "male, middle aged and resembling a bull about to charge." Well done.

As for the episode itself, I hate to say it but I'm not shocked at his actions- he's done this before. But I am proud of your response, especially considering the fact that you're the first person I know of to stand up for yourself (and probably the first to not have stood for ideological reasons, not just that you weren't paying attention.)

As for me? Well, I stand. I oppose the theory of the Pledge, and there are things I don't like about it, but oh well. I dont feel strongly enough about the issue to do something about it. But you do (and did) and stayed the course. You'll see this through.

[gsmulticolored]

Just because Mr Morris has done this before to other people, just because they didn't stand up for themselves, doesn't mean what he did was or will ever be right. He may be an ex-marine (whatever the hell he was), but I'm not in his fleet. I don't deserve that kind of treatment unless I enlist in the army, and believe me, I've signed none of those papers. That's the case I'm standing on now. I'm done with the pledge. I'll stand, I really dont care. And since 3rd quarder I have VIETNAM first period, I damn well better stand

[ninerzguy18]

1. I never said he was right. I'm just pointing out that he's done stuff like this before- it's worth noting, as it proves beyond reasonable doubt that the man, in terms of character, is deeply flawed.
2. "He thinks too much, such men are dangerous." =D