Should children be forced to stand and say the Pledge of Allegience?

[Pirate Bill]

Originally Posted by Betty

They could have have a learning experience by discussing the pledge, her viewpoints, it's history and had a great debate about it.

I totally agree.

Nobody should be forced to participate in anything. It sounds like the teachers involved panicked and didn't deal with it appropriately. By having an open class discussion the teacher would have had the opportunity to explore the meaning behind the pledge. Giving the student an opportunity to give her point of view is not something to be feared either. If she "converts" other students to her cause then they have made that decision with more information instead of just in rebellion to unjust authority.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by Pirate Bill

Nobody should be forced to participate in anything.

As I prepare to do my taxes I couldn't agree more!

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Pirate Bill

Nobody should be forced to participate in anything.

That's the difficultly. In compulsory education the opposite is true. Students are forced to participate in all kinds of things. And it isn't surprising that individual teachers lose track of the line (I stand by my assumption that there aren't many schools, at the administrative level, that aren't aware of the SC rulings on this) separating what can be forced from that which can't.

And that is what I assume happened here from what was described in the video. It wasn't made clear very well whether she was forced to recite or to simply stand while the other students did so (the stand question is much less settled). Then the school backed off and she was allowed to do what she wanted.

I would assume that the school administration (at the district level probably) eventually got enough wind of it all to say "knock it off" to the teacher/principal.

Plus, knowing how overly dramatic my fellow high school students behaved in the face of administrative slights (both perceived and real), I wouldn't be surprised that the events were significantly exaggerated in this student's telling of things.

[Pirate Bill]

Originally Posted by Pirate Bill

Nobody should be forced to participate in anything.

Originally Posted by scaeagles

As I prepare to do my taxes I couldn't agree more!

Originally Posted by Alex

In compulsory education the opposite is true. Students are forced to participate in all kinds of things.

And I now realize that in my rush I made an overly general statement.