The purpose of the Pledge is to indoctrinate you into bending over for the US government .... daily. Government and religion have similar agendas, they are both tools used by the few to fleece and control the many. And thus "God" is incorporated into the Pledge. If you attend public school, you're right, it is unconstitutional to recite the Pledge and force children to stand, face the flag and recite the Pledge. Try to make a case of it and they will call you unpatriotic and worse, because they have all been indoctrinated. The duty of a patriot is to protect his country from its government. - Thomas Paine They will never teach you this in school: http://www.amazon.com/dp/148121618X...e=df0&creative=395093&creativeASIN=148121618X
I have to agree with Oxymorn "respect your country" you may not agree with this practice and that is your right, however respect for the flag and what is stands for and that is "freedom".................as a young lad you really don't know all the facts about life at least not yet. You could be living in a third world country with little or no freedom at all.
I do. The Constitution of the State of Virginia Article I. Bill of Rights Section 16. Free exercise of religion; no establishment of religion That religion or the duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence; and, therefore, all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience; and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love, and charity towards each other. No man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burthened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief; but all men shall be free to profess and by argument to maintain their opinions in matters of religion, and the same shall in nowise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities.And the General Assembly shall not prescribe any religious test whatever, or confer any peculiar privileges or advantages on any sect or denomination, or pass any law requiring or authorizing any religious society, or the people of any district within this Commonwealth, to levy on themselves or others, any tax for the erection or repair of any house of public worship, or for the support of any church or ministry; but it shall be left free to every person to select his religious instructor, and to make for his support such private contract as he shall please.
Something to ponder. Regardless of school rules or policies, the Constitution does not necessarily exclude children. Children are afforded some 'basic rights'. Further, I believe the OP is most certainly entitled to his or her opinion regarding the pledge. And is free to express it whether in school or outside of school. And in fact Federal law prohibits compelling public school students to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance. You may, or may not like that fact and are entitled, of course to your opinion. But as a matter of law that doesn't really matter. In my opinion when one, whether child, teen or adult, exercises his or her rights under the Constitution they are in fact being patriotic. And that includes exercising the right not to recite the pledge.
I'm 50 years old living in FL, and I believe in part of what you say, not in others. First, I agree it's unconstitutional to force somebody to stand, face the flag and recite the pledge. I don't believe there should be a requirement to inform students they aren't required to do that, and I don't believe it's wrong to do it over a loudspeaker or CCTV. Same with "under God." It's your choice to say any or all of the pledge. If you don't know how to get that changed, you need to read about the process for things to become a law. To become a law, it has to be proposed by a legislator in each House of the State legislature, and then (after consideration by committees) it is voted on. Then, the governor of the state has to sign it. - - - Updated - - - Then do so, but don't disrupt class or disrupt the other people who might want to say the Pledge.
Hydra - Something to ponder. Regardless of school rules or policies, the Constitution does not necessarily exclude children or teens. Children or teens are afforded some 'basic rights'. Further, I believe you are most certainly entitled your opinion regarding the pledge. And you are free to express it whether in school or outside of school. And in fact Federal law prohibits compelling public school students to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance. If your school administrators or officials are unaware of this or are forcing or otherwise compelling you to recite the pledge they are in violation of Federal law. You, and or your parents are certainly free to point this out to them. In my opinion when one, whether child, teen or adult, exercises his or her rights under the Constitution they are in fact being patriotic. And that includes exercising the right not to recite the pledge.
You cannot be legally compelled to recite the pledge; simply stand up and be mute. If you are in a private school, then they my be able to discipline you by expelling you or imposing other penalties, but that is one of the fallbacks in the private school industry. I refuse to say the word, "under God" because it does not belong there (it was added in the 1950's as an after thought). If you want to change it both on the level of the school and country, you certainly have an uphill battle and unless it really sticks in your craw, you'd be better spending your time doing other things, however if you take on the challenge, you might begin with your local school board, working your way up through the state governmental officials and finally to the federal level by contacting your local congressman and Senator.
I am not going to wade through many pages of drivel and I will give you one legal precedent or case, it was determined that Jehovah's Witnesses, have a Religious objection to the pledge of allegiance since they only pledge their allegiance to God, the courts have determined nobody can be forced to violate a Religious belief, they can only require a Religious objector to sit quietly during the pledge. Each person can decide if that is what they wish to do. Google Jehovah's witnesses and the pledge of allegiance. Other cases involving Jehovah's witnesses, swearing an oath in a Court of law, to tell the truth etc..... Jehovah's witnesses and blood transfusions, they object on Religious grounds, and many times taken to court on this issue.
If you don't want to say "under God", don't say it. The rest of the pledge is perfectly reasonable. If you don't want to pledge your allegiance to this country, when you're old enough, leave it. My two cents ....
"Reasonable" is in the eyes and mind of the beholder. What may seem 'reasonable' to one person may not to another. Certainly there are good things about this country, the United States. But it's far from perfect. And as such one may not feel that they could in good conscience pledge their allegiance to it. There's more to being patriotic than just citing a pledge or displaying a flag on the fourth of July! Exercising one's personal freedoms and rights are patriotic. Exercising the right to vote is being patriotic whether or not one feels it may not make a difference. Serving on jury duty when called to do so is being patriotic. And exercising the right to express one's dissatisfactions with this country whatever those may be is being patriotic, like the right to protest in public or to address grievances to one's elected officials. I get sick and tired of others telling other folks if they don't 'like it' to 'leave the country.' You may not know that even though a person is dissatisfied with this country, you don't know to what extent.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/04/us/pledge-of-allegiance-fast-facts/ 1943 - In West Virginia State Board of Education vs. Barnette (319 U.S. 624), the Supreme Court rules that requiring a person to say the pledge is violating the first and fourteenth amendments. The case involved a Jehovah's Witness student refusing to say the pledge in schools on the grounds it was against his or her religious beliefs.
Don't do it. You are free to sit if you want to. BTW is it against the first amendment to be quiet during class? Is it against the first amendment be forced to do homework?
It is not unconstitutional to play the pledge of allegiance. You can refuse to say it. So then don't. Problem solved.
It's not unconstitutional to "play the pledge" however it would be to make you stand and recite it.... No you don't have to recite the pledge if you don't want to, but if others want to it's their right. Besides, you're not even a legal adult so really your rights come from our founding documents through your parents onto you. Your parents decide what you can an cannot do...
Lol. I was going to say something similar... Well I wouldn't call doing homework a constitutional issue lol..... It seems this kid is looking for a reason to rebel tho. I'll say this much - the kid obviously goes to a terrible school if he/she has to ask this question. If it matters when I was a kid we stopped saying the pledge after grammar school.
C'mon kids have basic rules, I mean if he tells his principal to go F-off he's going to get into trouble, not arrested but perhaps kicked out or thrown into detention for a day, just like if an adult told his/her boss to F-off they would probably get fired.... Kids have rights and the First Amendment does indeed apply here and they shouldn't be required to recite the pledge but most kid do and will and if the school wants to have them recite the pledge then so what..... Thing is if you don't you will look like a real rebel tho. If anything reciting the pledge is embracing the First Amendment too.
***“I hold it that a little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing” - Thomas Jefferson.*** I think that, no matter the issue, when a teen becomes aware or concerned about things like being forced against his or her will to recite something or do something that they have a Constitutional right to refuse to say or do is a good thing. Refreshing in a world where other teens are overly concerned about being on the cell phones gossiping with friends or on their tablets/computers too busy on FB/Twitter etc. or 'gaming'.
