Pledge of Allegiance

[Kaelani]

Have you ever been told to stand for the "Pledge of Allegiance", even though your beliefs of God--or lack of beliefs in God--stand astray from what is said in the poem? The fact of the matter is that many students that attend public schools around our nation have; some have even been harrassed or recieved punishment. According to "TalkLeft", a website that has articles on current political events, Colorado attempted to pass a law that stated that all students attending public schools had to stand for the "Pledge of Allegiance", unless they had a written statement from parents giving them freedom to do as they pleased, or had a religious objection. However, the law was not passed, due to a judge stating that the law was "unconstitutional". Although this may be a gigantic relief among students, a few teachers said otherwise.

Mr. Tolles, a History teacher at Coronado, once served in the armed forces before he became a teacher. Because of that experience, he says that, "We owe it to the people who died for us. I would appreciate it if they would, and I try to tell them that there's people dying for them right now, but we have choice in America."
Among these certain choices, we have Freedom of Religion. However, many people don't know that around 902,000 of the people in our nation are Atheist, meaning they have no belief of God. That may not be a lot, but for many people, it should be enough to have freedom, public school or not, to sit for the "Pledge of Allegiance".

Going back to what Mr. Tolles said, we do have people who risk their lives for us, and many people die for us on a regular basis, however, most kids that choose not to stand or recite our "Pledge of Allegiance" do so with respect. They, for the most part, stay quiet, being as they still have respect for our country, and the people who brought it to life, so to speak. With that said, I believe all students in public schools, including Coronado, should be free to choose whether or not they should stand every morning, pledging to our country's flag, and to God.

By the way.
I had a small debate with Kaio's human, Rob, over this issue.
He brought up the fact that our country was founded on Christian beliefs and principles. My response to that is:
There are also many other countries--such as Iran, Iraq, etc.--that were founded on other beliefs. However, those countries don't have the freedom that we do to believe in other gods, and have separate religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, Atheism,Buddhism, etc. We do. We have many freedoms, such as Freedom of the Press(hehe, gotta love that one), Freedom of Speech, and Freedom of Religion. If teachers can punish us for not standing for the Pledge, due to the "under God" phrase; if our government can pass laws saying that children that attend public schools cannot sit in their seats -quietly- and -respectfully- for thirty seconds, not distracting any one person or student, then what else can they do? How far can they go? Can they force adults to stand for the Pledge every morning? Can they force us to believe in God, or any certain religion? Can they force us to keep our mouths shut when we have something to say that is disagreeable to the Pledge, or to any of the ways that our government goes about doing things?

Hopefully with this, my opinion is clear. If my opinion offends anyone, I'm sorry. Feel free to ask questions and make comments. I'll respond.

~Claire~

[Icsis of Exuma]

The Convo we had this morning...

[09:34] icsis_of_exuma: well no I am not offeneded by the flag thing.. I tend to be hard to offend.. but I also was raised in the background that this is one nation under God however distasteful the phrase may be to one... you wouldn't ask Gerorge Washington to change his name just because you don't like the name gerogre.. why should we change history? because some people find a pharse distasteful?
[09:35] com0larosa: It's not about taking out the phrase.
[09:35] com0larosa: It's about students being allowed to choose whether or not they sit or stand for the Pledge, depending on their beliefs.
[09:35] com0larosa: If we can't change history, we're supposed to put our beliefs aside?
[09:36] com0larosa: It may not seem like a big deal to people who believe in God (I -do-, by the way), but it is a big deal to many people.
[09:38] com0larosa: There. Refresh the page. Maybe that makes more sense.
[09:38] icsis_of_exuma: no, you should never put your beliefs aside.. but you shoud show respect for the ones that have died.. during moments of silence most stand out of respect for the dead. The Pledge of allegience is like the verbal equivelent to a moment of silence.. it recgonizes the ones before and makes a "pledge" to stand with them or behind them.. so yes I think the sorry asses should stand.
[09:38] com0larosa: Hon.
[09:39] com0larosa: Read the entire thing.
[09:39] com0larosa:
[09:40] icsis_of_exuma: I read the entire thing.
[09:41] icsis_of_exuma: Twice now
[09:41] icsis_of_exuma: I know it is about the first amendment rights.
[09:41] icsis_of_exuma: weather you should have the choice to stand or sit.
[09:42] icsis_of_exuma: while the law was not something everyone should agree with or even would agree with.. can they pass one like it?
[09:42] icsis_of_exuma: yes
[09:42] icsis_of_exuma: should they? no
[09:44] com0larosa: Sorry, writing to my teacher. o.o
[09:44] com0larosa: -.-
[09:44] icsis_of_exuma: the government can and will do what is necessary. Yes we are founded on freedom, and personal rights and blah blah blah.. look at the roots behind it all. the government controls your everymove, your going to school, and the ability to do anything.
[09:44] com0larosa: That's why I'm writing the article.
[09:44] com0larosa: Colorado's government has been trying to pass a law to force all public school students to stand for the pledge since 2002.
[09:44] icsis_of_exuma: I know
[09:45] com0larosa: So, I'm stating my opinion.
[09:45] com0larosa: We have freedoms.
[09:45] com0larosa: Just because we are "children" shouldn't make it any different.
[09:46] icsis_of_exuma: Perhaps it is my narrowminded old fashioned self, but I don't mind the idea of a law forcing children to stand. To much of the younger generation has lost respect.
[09:46] icsis_of_exuma: Yes you have freedoms.
[09:47] icsis_of_exuma: But children are minors.. they are under even more stringent government regulations than adults.
[09:48] com0larosa: Maybe some small children, yes. But, I remember even in elementary school, I was writing about the armed forces.. so many kid's parents are in the armed forces now, that they DO have respect. Also, who says that kid's parents haven't raised them among different beliefs? Beliefs that don't include God, or don't include any religion?
[09:48] com0larosa: To the "younger generation has lost respect" comment.

[Kaelani]

By the way... Keep in mind that this is meant for a high school newspaper.

[Jocelyn]

shakes head*...Lol I read the first bit and gave up..I don't get it,really I don't. *smiles sweetly* I'm a wittle Aussie who doesn't like America very much >.<

[Jocelyn]

No offense to you guys...btw

[Andre D'dary]

Nah. I'm not a huge fan ofte American government myself. Or the mentality of some of the people that love there.

I can sympathise though, I always refused to sing our national anthem, and boy did I get in the shit for that...

[Avenging Neko]

What's the british national anthem? ;

*had to always stand and say the pledge in elementary school*

[Andre D'dary]

You shouldn't me made. Isn't the 5th Amendmant that you have the right to stay silent? By that, the human right of free thought, free speech, and free religion NO-ONE has the right to make you say those words. Anyone that tries is plain wrong.

[Labyrinth]

The Brittish anthem is Rule Brittania or something like that.. my spelling is fucked, yes I know. As for freedom of speech, that's gone to hell since these new Sedition laws and anti-terrorist programmes are coming out. It's such bullshit. I never sing the anthem for Australia.. I sing my own version which is Far less complementary.

[Andre D'dary]

God save our gracious Queen
Long live our noble Queen
God save the Queen
Send her victorious, happy and glorious
Long to rain o'er us
God save the Queen

Is the British national anthem. Well, it is the first verse. It's the others I have the problem with. They talk about how slaughtering people for fun is cool and that the slave trade was pretty nifty...it disgusts me

[Tyra]

Aussie National Anthem is super cool. ;;;;

I've also always wanted to know the American and Canada ones for some reason.

[Andre D'dary]

The american one goes on seemingly endlessly. Never heard the Canadian one though. I like Canada.

[Jocelyn]

Australians all let us rejoice for we are young and free...
FUCK THAT.
Anywho..
Is it sad that I know the bloomin' british anthem as well?
I had to sing it once for some reason...
And I don't know why....
I blame the parentals and family for that,
because...
I can.

[жSęph¤ñęж]

The USA National Anthem is verrry long...and it's a very very hard melody to sing well. If you really are wanting to know it Tyra I'd be glad to send it to you sometime just let me know. And isn't Canada's "Oh Canada"? I'm fairly sure I made a tourists sing it to me in the bookstore where I work last summer.

And with the Pledge thing, since elementary school when I started founding my own beliefs on life and morals I've always had a problem with being required to say the Pledge. I was kicked out of school for it, I've been suspended roughy 2months time accumulatively, and had to go before the schoolboard in 3 school districts because I refused to chant it like every other mindless drone in our schools.

The one school I lost the debate over having to say it at I _signed it_ only because I knew the teacher didn't know ASL I signed something completely different which she would have fainted had she known *batts lashes innocently* Did the same thing when we had to learn it in Spanish, I altered it and my "Majored in German minored in English taught Spanish" teach didn't have a clue what I was saying...

[Andre D'dary]

Have I told you that I love you recently? You have style, girl