Saturday, May 10, 2008
Standing During The Pledge of Allegiance
No, you can't punish students for refusing to stand during the Pledge of Allegiance, and bravo to this principal for correcting the situation immediately when she learned she was in the wrong. I grant, though, that she should have known better in the first place.
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4 comments:
What happens if the teacher disagrees with the idea of the pledge? Does he still have to lead it?
We're usually on the same page, Darren, but we part ways here. If nothing else, this is a breach of classroom discipline. The same students could just as well refuse to recite and hide behind the catch phrase "Freedom of Expression". In keeping with the way this played out, they could also have said, "Screw America!" and gotten away with it.
There comes a time when you have to take a stand. Regarding the war, it would do us well to remember that the nation is at war, not the Army, not the soldiers. If you disagree with your children you let them know, but you still back them because they're your kids. The same is true of your country.
At some point we need to stand together. We may disagree at times but we are, in the final analysis, Americans. Cohesion, national pride, a sense of responsibility and duty, an appreciation for history - these are all desireable traits to be inculcated in the nation's citizens, and it all starts at home and in the first real socialization experience our youngsters have: at school.
Dempsey
The Supremes decided this in 1943. That 65-year-old word is still law, whether we agree with it or not.
The whole pledge thing seems VERY strange from this side of the Pond. But as long as it is voluntary, it seems to be just that, strange. If it was compulsory, it would be flat out wrong.
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