School nurse refused to treat student who didn’t stand for Pledge of Allegiance

What a jackass.

According to the letter, when the student was confronted by the nurse, she responded that she had the right not to stand if she wanted. The nurse responded, "Fine, then leave! I have the right not to service you!"

The AHA's attorney, Monica Miller, wrote:

The student reports that she left the nurse’s office in tears and went to the administrative offices to call her mother. A secretary then led the student to an office, but at that time the same nurse appeared again, saying, “She isn't calling a parent until I have a long conversation with her!” Still sobbing, the student said she only wanted to call her mother. At this point a school counselor arrived and took the student to his office, where the student remained for the first two class periods. Though he showed some sympathy, he also incorrectly instructed the student that she should stand in the hallway if she does not wish to stand for the Pledge exercise!

Link

So I sort of despise atheist groups, but I'm glad they are garnering this event some publicity.

The pledge of allegiance is archaic, pointless and no one should be forced to say it. A nurse using her position to influence a student is beyond reprehensible.

Going on to state that the child wouldn't be allowed to contact her mother until the two had a "long talk" seems criminal to me. If it's not, it should be. I'm not all that litigious, but sometimes it's the only way to get people to start acting appropriately.

Who the bleep cares if someone doesn't say the pledge? It's kinda creepy anyway. Forcing someone to say it is a spit in the face to our constitution. Wasn't it brought about in the 50's or something to sell flags anyway? I hope the nurse is disciplined very harshly, preferably fired.

I agree, the pledge of allegiance is a brainwashing tactic and completely inappropriate in modern society and schools. Furthermore, that nurse needs to be fired immediately. Apparently, she is too dumb to understand the difference between the first Amendment and her contractual job duties.

America.... thanks for your daily entertainment.

It never gets old

What's next...

I read these stories and I'm like: "Please be in California"

I just don't want to feel like I'm a "stereotyper" - - thinking: "It's gotta be Bible Belt or Midwest or . . .

Not that California hasn't had a few

a reply to: Domo1

Oh pssh.

It takes a Village to raise the next generation of Community Citizens.

If the young lady is going through her rebellious phase while figuring things out, so be it. I started questioning the whole "pledge" thing in the fourth grade, and while I kept my personal position silent, I still went along with the actions of the class and didn't feel the need to make a freaking scene about it.

Some kids just hate when the tables are turned and the Elders dish out the same attitude.

Seriously. This call for firing the Nurse is about as rational of me insisting that the "sad face" mark I got back in Elementary School for spelling the "i" in my name with a circle instead of a dot was somehow psychologically damaging or something.

This young lady will get over it eventually, learn from the experience, and be a wiser person for it one day.

The pledge is not a binding contract, it's a gesture of good faith and group cohesion ya silly Commies!

a reply to: Domo1

While I agree of course that whatever ceremony might be communally conducted by students and teachers (pledge of allegiance, fist bumps, jumping jacks, public readings of 50 shades of grey), there is no requirement to participate.

I think these incidents are strange because there is no obligation to participate in any activity or, for the matter, to even attend. I think it is time to retire the failed socialist experiment of conscripting pupils into compulsory state educational facilities.

Agreed!
The problem, once again IMHO, is that there are far too many opinions available for people looking for trouble and the argument will be be full of political clowns juggling their diatribes. Whether yay god/flag or nay god/flag its irrelevant because of the potential, ad nauseam repeating of the same argument over and over and over... Both nauseating and repetitive, the nurse with the cinched up asshole should be relieved of her duties. Cheers :/

a reply to: Domo1

While I can agree with your argument in theory.

I disagree with your choice of tactics. The local news article was dated April 9 and every article said the school is investigating this. Your position is to take this child's claims as fact in order to attack something else you find fundamentally flawed. ( The pledge of allegiance)

originally posted by: Domo1

Who the bleep cares if someone doesn't say the pledge? It's kinda creepy anyway. Forcing someone to say it is a spit in the face to our constitution. Wasn't it brought about in the 50's or something to sell flags anyway? I hope the nurse is disciplined very harshly, preferably fired.

Hmmmm, didn't we have this discussion - - if a Christian firefighter could refuse to treat a LGBT person under religious freedom laws?

a reply to: Domo1

Oh wow...

Asked to step outside for the pledge...

Rather it is for religious reasons or personal, you have every right not to resight the pledge.

It's a shame this nurse can't see what finger I'm saluting her with

Good for the kid, but it's a shame she had to get a dose of blind fanaticism to go with her realization of freedom of choice. I gave my teachers a real run for their money when they gave me crap about it (the pledge) back in my day, but I never got treated this badly over it. Madam Nurse should be ashamed & find another job if she has any sense of respect & remorse.

originally posted by: GENERAL EYES
a reply to: Domo1

Oh pssh.

It takes a Village to raise the next generation of Community Citizens.

If the young lady is going through her rebellious phase while figuring things out, so be it. I started questioning the whole "pledge" thing in the fourth grade, and while I kept my personal position silent, I still went along with the actions of the class and didn't feel the need to make a freaking scene about it.

Some kids just hate when the tables are turned and the Elders dish out the same attitude.

Seriously. This call for firing the Nurse is about as rational of me insisting that the "sad face" mark I got back in Elementary School for spelling the "i" in my name with a circle instead of a dot was somehow psychologically damaging or something.

This young lady will get over it eventually, learn from the experience, and be a wiser person for it one day.

The pledge is not a binding contract, it's a gesture of good faith and group cohesion ya silly Commies!

What? The little girl doesn't get a salary (by our tax dollars) to pledge her allegiance to an institution she doesn't even understand fully. The nurse does get paid to treat the children, even if those children don't blindly follow her cult beliefs.

But, you are right; she will learn a lesson in all this. She will learn to hate the pledge even more because it has been used as a weapon against her to withhold something she had every right to receive. She will learn that patriotism and religion are tools for some to use as leverage against those without power.

I hope that nurse created a future American activist.

This is wrong and the nurse is a moron.

Children deserve medical attention regardless of her beliefs or theirs.

Fire the nurse .. she way out of line .. her job is to take care of patients end of NOT to force her misguided outdated failed political ideology on patients ..

a reply to: Domo1

I would be bereft of my name if I didnt say something about this. while I agree with you that the nurse was wrong but saying that the pledge of allegiance is archaic I cant let that go without a rebuttal.ect

SO should patriotism be consider archaic? agreed that it shouldnt be forced because that is not correct definition of patriotism. But this is one of the reason's why your drilled as a youngster so you can at least remember like your times tables and other such things.

It's a sad state of affairs we're in. True, the nurse should have treated the student anyway, and not made such a huge issue.

The sad state of affairs amounts to the crowd-thinking of today in general, for lack of a better word. I know my view isn't popular, but just reading some of the replies here makes my stomach turn. People want to keep out the Mexicans and Muslims and put up border fences, but expressing any unity for the flag of the United States is somehow "brainwashing". It seems to me people want it both ways. "One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all." Are we offended because of the word "God", or liberty, is there something in there that would do harm to our children? Or is pledging allegiance to the flag so offensive? The same flag our grandparents and great-grandparents and their parents fought for, and died for, by the thousands, have people no respect for their heritage at all?

And then we wonder why our schools and institutions of learning are failing. We wonder why other countries don't respect us. Heck, we don't even respect ourselves. Both parents are working and the schools are raising the kids, and the parents are too lazy to take an active role. Heck we're too lazy to keep up with the things that matter, because we're wrapped up in work and social media and pursuing our own personal agendas. No sense of country, no sense of community, no sense of family. No sense of culture or history. Tell me, who is to blame?

I realize my opinion isn't the most popular one here, and I'll probably get attacked personally, but I've got broad shoulders.

a reply to: American-philosopher

Only thing patriotism does is get people killed so that corrupt bastards can earn their bloodmoney ...

a reply to: AreUKiddingMe

oh wow that post was beautiful. like some old school defiant wild wild west Billy the kid stuff

a reply to: AreUKiddingMe

Medical personel have an obligation to treat ALL patients regardless of what their race.. religion.. politics .. leave all that # out of it and do the job .. if cant then they should get the hell out of the medical field .

a reply to: Expat888

right because they have an idea of what the country can be for there loved ones and are willing to die for it. Because that idea is powerful and beautiful.