ajm51987

I was seeing again whole hoopla about the pledge of allegiacefe (ahh cant spell) on TV and was wondering if your in school now or, when you were, did you recite the pledge, did you ever get crap from teachers about not reciting it? I just stand there and look around at various class room objects, what about you?

I am

I never even knew it was optional, I stood there and said it. Every day.

Hedwig

I said it in elementary school. I quit when I left. I would remain sitting or stand there and not say anything. Never got a whole lot of flack for it.

[ June 27, 2002: Message edited by: Hedwig ]</p>

Pensee

Last semester, I was teaching in a fifth grade classroom once a week. The regular teacher told me that every once in a while there will be a child in the classroom who does not believe in saying the pledge. At the beginning of the school year, she sends that child out on a task one day and has a class meeting with the other students. She explains to them that child does not believe in saying the pledge, it is that child's right to not say the pledge and she better not hear anyone giving that child a hard time about it. At first, the other kids may think it's funny or weird, but they get used to it.

The good thing for me, when I was there, is that it is this teacher's policy to stand in the back of the classroom while the pledge is being recited, so that all the students aren't behind her and she can watch what is going on during the pledge. Therefore, I was able to stand in the back of the classroom and simply stay silent while those two words were spoken without anyone noticing.

Orestes

I only recall saying it in grade school every day, and it certainly did not seem like it was optional.

copernicus

<strong>The good thing for me, when I was there, is that it is this teacher's policy to stand in the back of the classroom while the pledge is being recited, so that all the students aren't behind her and she can watch what is going on during the pledge. Therefore, I was able to stand in the back of the classroom and simply stay silent while those two words were spoken without anyone noticing.</strong>

Stardust, that may have helped you, but what about the students? Some may have had atheist parents. Why should those children not also be allowed to stand behind all those children so that they could be saved the embarrassment of standing out? Instead, they had to confront the fact that their parents were out of step with the majority opinion that there is a "God" that their "nation" was "under". Why should atheist parents have to explain to their children why they were out of step with the rest of the country? Why should children have to declare their religious views in front of their peers? This is a gross injustice to both atheist parents and their children. Religion belongs in church, not government-subsidized schools.

[ June 27, 2002: Message edited by: copernicus ]</p>

Prince Ashitaka

I just left ninth grade this year. Our school would have us stand for the pledge of allegiance every monday. I sat down during the pledge until one of my teachers made me stand up, even if I didn't say the pledge.

wordsmyth

I recall reciting the pledge in elementary school, however I didn't give much thought to what it actually meant until I was older. Nobody had ever told me reciting the pledge was optional and it sure seemed mandatory at the time.

Hayden

Just think: if the ruling stands, you might be able to sue the government for the mental hardship you endured for all those years!

You should hope they don't figure that out.

HR

Polar Bear

Once I started questioning the existence of God and the wisdom of a mandatory oath of allegiance, I quit saying the Pledge, and I never received any flack for it.

However, I went to one of the most laid-back high schools in my area. There is another school here -- a PUBLIC school -- whose official motto is "For God; for country; for (name of school)."

They probably would have crucified me there.