My son chose not to say the Pledge of Allegiance at school ther other day

he is 14 and he told me the other day that he got in trouble for not saying the pledge....he understands that something is not right about it and of course i have been teaching him about liberty and freedom and of course the state but he really couldn't remember what to tell the teachers when they asked him why and if it was some sort of religious reason.....so he just told them that it was his choice and that he loved America but he just feel right about saying the pledge..and that they shouldn't make a big deal about it but they did....any suggestions on what i need to tell him to tell the teachers next time? something sorta simple that he can remember because he is the only one in school that is actually standing up for his personal beliefs. i'm very proud of him but i don't want this to cause him to be an outcast at school.....he is very well liked at school and everyone really looks up to him but when the teachers cant understand why he wouldn't pledge they can come against him....anything that i can tell him? or something that i can point him to that he can read and understand why some people don't say the pledge...and something he can tell these teachers without being seeming to be mean or a have a smart mouth...something kinda lite and to the point without getting him further in trouble..thanks guys

reply to post by Funkydung


Depends on how he went about not saying it. Not standing up during the pledge would be considered insubordination. However if he just stood up and stood there quietly, then I say kudos and more power to him.

I would demand a meeting with the principal and inform him you are disgusted that in this age of ending bullyism, that teachers are allowed to bully students who re only exercising their civil rights. Your son does not HAVE to give a reaosn for not saying it, and I suggest yall don't. I would then demand an answer, and if unsatisfactory, go to the school board. I despise when teachers abuse their authority like this.

Please keep us informed of what happens GOOD for your kid, sounds like a great kid!!

He could say that he would pledge to what "America used to be",
But now its just a pledge to a country run by corporation that is dismantling the very constitution it was built on.

I find it quite strange you HAVE to do this.... Do all school HAVE to do this or can pupils opt out?

If one can opt out then simply say "We opt out" and leave it at that... I wouldn't even try to explain.

It's NUNYA as my American hubby would say!

[would ask him what I asked you about opting out but he is in AR fishing with his Pappy!]

Well it sounds to me like you don't know either and somehow he got the idea from you. Not trying to be negative however if you can"t tell him why then he really doesn't know why and is just emulating you. So why is it you wouldn't say the pledge ask yourself that first?

All these people see it as a way to show love for our country that is the extent of thier understanding and most don't want to know anymore then that, so if you're going to not do it you better know why. What he said is all they need to know it is free choice and why the hell do they think they can force him. But still you better understand why you taught him that first for sake of his friends.

To late for the outcast part. People are going to treat him differently now because of what they believe about the pledge. Should have thought of all that first. Even the best of explanations will not change most peoples minds

Well being that America is no longer "AMERICA", and being that all of the politicians are fully 100% anti-America, there really isnt any reason to proudly pledge allegiance to her (America) any more!! Isnt that SAD?!!

We are better off pledging allegiance to CHINA or INDIA, as they got our jobs and they have our economy and we are left with politicians and their corporate buddies all profiting on MOUNTAINS of cash from SELLING AMERICANS OUT.

What a disgrace. No need to pledge allegiance to her anymore.

Originally posted by hotbakedtater
I would demand a meeting with the principal and inform him you are disgusted that in this age of ending bullyism, that teachers are allowed to bully students who re only exercising their civil rights. Your son does not HAVE to give a reaosn for not saying it, and I suggest yall don't. I would then demand an answer, and if unsatisfactory, go to the school board. I despise when teachers abuse their authority like this.

Please keep us informed of what happens GOOD for your kid, sounds like a great kid!!

I heard that! Check this, our school is a Public School, but it is a School Corporation. Everybody knows that a Corporation is in business to make money. The "Public" allows the county to levy taxes for the school budget. Our boys are always bringing home stuff to sell door to door. Expensive stuff too, we live in a poor community. So I went to the school, and asked to speak to the Corporate CEO, or business Manager of the Corporation, and I was told there is no such person or office, that there was a school board. OK, I knew that, just testing the waters. I advised them of the Federal Child Labor Laws, and told them that as a Sovereign Citizen my boys were not allowed to perform any labors for the Corporation without a stipend. I was informed that these "projects" were to raise money for a field trip. Isn't that in the budget? I asked. Yes, but.....so then I started talking again, which really made them all "get back" a little. and I told them, the principle, assistant principle, security guard, and secretary, that if they made it a rule, I would be taking 25% off the top for expenses and pay for my boys, under the fair wage laws. The room got real quiet for about two minutes, then the principle, a nice looking woman in a tight dress, said nicely to me that she would not be sending any more "money raising projects" home with our boys.

Kudos to the kid in the OP! I cannot swear allegiance to the flag of those who see me as an enemy, it is not the flag of Freedom anymore.

Originally posted by hawkiye
Well it sounds to me like you don't know either and somehow he got the idea from you. Not trying to be negative however if you can"t tell him why then he really doesn't know why and is just emulating you. So why is it you wouldn't say the pledge ask yourself that first?


All these people see it as a way to show love for our country that is the extent of thier understanding and most don't want to know anymore then that, so if you're going to not do it you better know why. What he said is all they need to know it is free choice and why the hell do they think they can force him. But still you better understand why you taught him that first for sake of his friends.

To late for the outcast part. People are going to treat him differently now because of what they believe about the pledge. Should have thought of all that first. Even the best of explanations will not change most peoples minds

hey hawk...yeah he got the idea from me....i told him about the pledge and who wrote it and he understands that the government is corrupt....and he understands that it is just a flag and that you dont have to pledge allegiance to something or someone to love and appreciate where you live....i was just wanting to get the opinion of others to maybe get some others explanations...or maybe someone could give me a really good response to these teachers that he could give that i havent thought of....as for the outcast part...his buddies seem to agree with him and then there are others who of course are going to criticize but he doesn't really care what they say...he is very solid.

here is the letter i gave him to give to the teacher in case they pull him out of class again and send him to the office like they did the other day....

i give permission for my son to say or not say the pledge of allegience. i feel that it is his personal choice and his freedom to choose is what makes this country so special. he loves his country and understands that it is freedom of choice that he is exercising. saying the pledge of allegiance should never be forced on anyone seeing how that would go against everything this country stands for. thank you very much.

so i told him if they have anything to say to him again to give them this. hopefully this will keep them quite for a while.

reply to post by Funkydung



Before, I would say that: He should say it.. And respect the country that he lives in. But since the teachers harassed him about it, then he should refuse to say it now out of principle.

We were always told in my school that you don't have to say it and that that should be respected by students and teachers alike.

I come from the Northeast though, not sure if that makes a difference.

...funky - your son should come up with his own response... if he's old enough to take a stand, he's too old to carry a note from mommy or daddy to explain it...

...suggest that he take the weekend to contemplate his reasons and the appropriate response when questioned... it doesnt have to be a complicated response and it should be polite because, when you're waist deep in crap's creek, being a smart ass will not improve your situation...

...a simple "i dont want to" response would work for me but i'm very tolerant of young people who are testing their wings...

The Official Pledge of Allegiance Salute Used to be a ‘Hitler Salute’

The pledge of allegiance was originally written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a socialist magazine writer. When he wrote it for an children’s magazine, he also described a salute that he thought would be appropriate during its recital.

The pledge was aimed towards children, and the magazine also gave free flags away to schools, where the pledge was originally recited. The salute they were taught to give, with one stiff arm outstretched toward the flag, was deemed the “Bellamy salute” after its creator (who had gotten the idea from a salute that the Romans had done).

history.verdeserve.com...

It likely wasn't his not saying the pledge that got him into trouble, it sounds like he was trying to come up with a reason why he shouldn't and couldn't, then tried to tell the teachers how to do their jobs.

Telling anyone in authority how to do their jobs will get anybody into trouble.

reply to post by Funkydung


Just have him take a close look at what the Pledge really says and whether or not our nation lives up to those principles.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic, for which it stands

First, what is a republic? Are we truly living in a system where the people, through representatives, have a say in how our country is run? Or do corporations have more of a say?

One nation, under God, indivisible

Regardless of your religious views, should we all really be forced to say an oath that, by saying it, we acknowledge our country is run under religious principles, even though there is supposed to be a separation of church and state?

With liberty and justice for all

Do we really have liberty and justice for all? With over half a million laws and codes that govern every single aspect of our existence, can we really call that liberty? When our leaders, corporations, and military commit crimes and are never prosecuted, can we honestly say that we have justice for all?

It would not be right to swear that our country is based on all these things when in reality it isn’t. It’s as simple as that.

Good on you for teaching your kid to stand up for his beliefs and principles. Also, remember that knowledge is power. The more equipped we are to explain our beliefs to others, the more power we have to awaken them from the illusions that they cling to and really bring about change.

In my country I have been abused for not standing & singing the national anthem.

I love my country (the land itself) but not what the government has made it stand for.

I have to go with hawks here. It is your sons choice as you yourself stated. I feel it is important that he do a little research on his own terms to understand why he didnt want to say it. He is old enough to stand on his own feet ! You can teach your son till your blue in the face , but the best way to learn is still to educate yourself !

The young man has courage ,thats what scares the teachers. They will call your son disorderly and disruptive ! America doesnt want people to think for themselves ,not anymore anyways. I would start by having him read and understand the constitution and bill of rights. maybe help him see just how they have both been violated. That should give him a solid foundation to stand on.

After my first post, I thought of something. My son is also 14 and at that age is vulnerable! Tread carefully with how you explain this to him. You certainly dont want to upset him ,and as a parent, want him to have the best shot at a happy life! So it is imperative he understands it isnt America but the corporations that have led to where we are today! I have a feeling you already pondered this and perhaps that is why you seek others views on the matter. I get the impression from your post that he has had a solid upbringing. He didnt say the pledge ,but didnt act out when asked why. That says alot to me. Im confident youll make the right choice

You gotta give the kids simple stuff to respond with. They tend to freeze up and not remember the longer retorts so things like this are best:

"This is America pal, I don't have to explain my choice to you"

"This is America pal, mind your business"

"This is America pal, You love the flag, I'll love my country, got that."


If the antagonist persists:

"Are you done? Done Harassing me?" (and visions of lawyers danced in his head....)