rcressl

Just want to give an update on the letter thing (I can only get online to this message board once a week at my grandma's house b/c our phone was recently shut off)

I edited the letter, fixed it up a little (well, a lot) and handed it to the teacher on Monday. Before I handed to her, though, I went to another teacher who is VERY VERY much for separation of church and state, etc. and got her opinion on it; she said to go for it and that the worse thing that could happen is that I'd have to talk to our principal (the one who had us out by the flagpole singing "God Bless America".... ) Anyways, I handed the letter to our teacher who was standing in the hall before school started. She read it, walked away in a hurry, we (a friend and I) saw her go down the hall a few times pass the doorway and then she came back into the classroom without the letter... in fact, I've never seen it again.

Anyways, she's not forcing me to stand now.

beejay

Congratulations.

<img src="graemlins/notworthy.gif" border="0" alt="[Not Worthy]" />

Not only have you stood up for your rights, but you've made it easier for any other student in your school to do the same.

Alonzo Fyfe

Thanks for the report.

Now I can call back the search parties.

(Some of us were getting a bit worried.)

GH

Bravo. That story makes my day.

Sushi X

Amen

Now, for those of you out there who, for some reason, have to stand for the pledge, here's an idea. Try saying it, but not saying "Under God." If anyone asks you about it, make a big scene.

[ October 12, 2002: Message edited by: Sushi X ]</p>

Alonzo Fyfe

(A) Nobody has to stand for the pledge. That was one of the key components of this discussion, to stress this point.

(B) Saying or not saying the words "under God" is not relevant. The words themselves state that all true patriotic Americans stand against injustice, tyranny, separation and rebellion, and (since 1954) against atheism and non-motheistic religions. That meaning is there regardless of who says them (the teacher, the student standing next to you, the janitor). The meaning is there even if nobody says it out loud.

I can actually think of no clearer case of a violation of separation of church and state than for the government to daily lead millions of children in a promise to treat atheism and non-monotheistic relgions the same way they promise to treat rebellion, tyranny, and injustice.

More importantly, even if no Contitutional provision had been written, to require children who hold such beliefs to attend school each day and face this insult, and for the school to teach other children to insult their classmates in this manner, is still wrong, and ought not to continue.

Your proposal does not address the basic wrong of a public school leading ANY student in such a pledge.

[ October 13, 2002: Message edited by: Alonzo Fyfe ]</p>