Child Refuses To Recite Pledge

Posted by Vulnadia on Nov 17, 2009 at 07:30 AM Growing up, we were always made to say the Pledge of Allegiance each and every day at the start of our school day. One day, I became old enough to understand the eerie similarity to the loyalty oaths of years gone by and began to question why we were taught and furthermore made to recite it in the first place. Nobody ever said anything to us if we chose not to do it as I went to Magnet and it is quite commonplace for kids there to assert themselves in this way or that for some reason or another. In fact, it is often encouraged that if we find problems with something or question it, we were allowed to have our opinions and our options as long as we did our homework and researched it and had valid reasons to go along with it. This child doesn't seem so lucky. His parents are supporting him, but the school doesn't seem to do so. Should he have told the teacher to go jump off a bridge? Probably not, BUT why is nobody asking Teacher (sub or not) why she said what she did? Should either side be punished for their actions? Should the child be allowed to abstain from the pledge? Has your own child questioned having to recite the Pledge in school and if so how did you handle this and what did you tell them? Do you agree or disagree with what is going on in this case? original Student Braves Controversy, Refuses to Recite Pledge by Tom Henderson