Boy Refuses To Stand For Pledge of Allegiance

Video:

cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009/11/16/am.boy.no.pledge.cnn

Article:

www.arktimes.com...

After asking his parents whether it was against the law not to stand for the pledge, Will decided to do something. On Monday, Oct. 5, when the other kids in his class stood up to recite the pledge of allegiance, he remained sitting down. The class had a substitute teacher that week, a retired educator from the district, who knew Will's mother and grandmother. Though the substitute tried to make him stand up, he respectfully refused. He did it again the next day, and the next day. Each day, the substitute got a little more cross with him. On Thursday, it finally came to a head. The teacher, Will said, told him that she knew his mother and grandmother, and they would want him to stand and say the pledge.

I am completely moved by this little boy. In the video you can tell that he is a little nervous but his message is QUITE clear. I would love to send that kid a mail or meet him and just shake his hand and tell him to keep fighting. It does not matter if this boy is right or wrong, HE IS FIGHTING FOR WHAT HE BELIEVES IN!

When I was in high school and grade school, I can remember the pledge of allegiance was recited every day and everyone stood with their hands over their hearts. There ACTUALLY were a few kids who remained seated in my high school, and probably some kids today to actually sit down during the pledge. Surprisingly they did not get any media attention.

To me, there a two problems with the pledge of allegiance. "under God" being the first and "liberty and justice for all".

This nation was founded as a religious tolerant nation, to get away from religious persecution, but is it honestly necessary to put "under God" in the pledge? I KNOW America was founded by Christians. I KNOW that many if not all of the laws follow the morals of the Bible ( DO NOT steal, kill, ETC ETC!). But this day and age, there is no religious tolerance ANY MORE. If the average American sees a muslim woman with a burka, they would probably be disgusted and discriminated. If the average American sees a turban on a man's head, they would be disgusted. In my opinion, today, it is the opposite... we are oppressing expression of religion and culture today.

Here is a video of such opression of religion. This video almost brought me to tears, I can't even begin to express my emotions. This video has moved me greatly.




As for the "liberty and justice for all" line, well its pretty self explanatory why anyone could oppose this line. Take it from the little boy why someone like I can oppose this line. I am not gay. There are other injustices in this country today in this day of age, I can't even give examples because the examples are everywhere.


Sorry if this is in the wrong section or whatever, just move it if it is.

[edit on 17-11-2009 by fordrew]

Good. For. Him.

if only adults stood up for what they REALLY believe like this little kid did.

This reminds me of being at a college football game a few weeks ago.

The band was playing the national anthem, and I was the only one in the student section singing. at first i didnt notice it too much, then halfway thru i noticed no one else was singing...so i started belting it at the top of my lungs. i got looked at and questioned after...why did you do that..you looked stupid...no one else was singing blah blah blah (nothing to do with ideologies mind you, just not being normal) i told everyone i believe i should sing it because i still believe in what that song, and the flag stand for, despite that people are triyng to take that away.

i fully support him not standing, despite that i dissapprove of the way he chooses to express it. but that is just splitting hairs.

go him. i wish i had a pair like his when i was ten.

Shows that there are some good people left in the world but only some, most are ignorant or too chicken sh!t to do anything. A big thumbs up for the people who spoke up, silence is never a voice and I actually respect the people who spoke out in ignorance than the people who did nothing, at least they had the guts to say what they felt even if it was wrong

reply to post by fordrew


I think this is a good reason why we shouldn't have stopped giving kids a good ass whooopin' at school. Even if he does disagree he needs to follow the teachers commands. I think he is doing it just to try to dominate the teacher. Too bad he is not in Catholic school so she could bust him up with a ruler. The little brat will probably be in jail by 20.

reply to post by HotSauce


Are you advocating beating a child into submission?

He is demonstrating his right to protest, and doing so without harming anyone. He is a free thinker and a true patriot, I salute him.

reply to post by Seiko


No I am not saying he should be beaten into submission but that schools went to hell when they stopped being able to discipline kids with corporal punishment. I received more than a few first class ass whoopins in school and it did me some good.

It is not about his right to protest. It is about doing what he is told to do by someone who is in charge of him. He's 10, what does he know about protesting?

Originally posted by HotSauce
reply to post by Seiko

 

No I am not saying he should be beaten into submission but that schools went to hell when they stopped being able to discipline kids with corporal punishment. I received more than a few first class ass whoopins in school and it did me some good.

It is not about his right to protest. It is about doing what he is told to do by someone who is in charge of him. He's 10, what does he know about protesting?

Then you better stop bitching and start loving Obama...

..

reply to post by Polynomial C


LMAO! I will start loving Obama when he stops doing everything in his power to turn this country into a Marxist state.

That kid shouldn't be able to disobey his teacher. It is about respect and discipline. If he wants to protest, he is free to run around his front yard burning the American flag when he gets home.

reply to post by HotSauce


He apparently knows enough to make a point. He is standing against the establishment because he thinks there's an injustice. I can't see punishing him for doing this. If it was a disruption or caused grief to the school, I might see your point but I don't see it here.

I am against school ass whoopings as you call them, This decision should be left to the parents.

reply to post by Seiko


Funny how the definition of "patriot" changes with the times.

reply to post by Seiko


He is ten, He doesn't know anything about injustice. Most of the adults on ATS scream injustice everytime they don't get another government entitlement.

It is a disruuption. His teacher had to take time several times to address the issue. I think they should suspend him for disobedience.

Obviously it has been left to the parents and now you have this little brat disobeying his teacher and disrupting class by not following her instructions. What if next week he decides he hates Einstein and refuses to participate in science class as a protest? Is that going to be ok?


[edit on 17-11-2009 by HotSauce]

reply to post by HotSauce


I didn't realize they graded on the pledge of allegiance. Shirking school work is different then not participating with the pledge. The teachers responsibility is to teach not to dictate thought.

This child made the national news, he obviously knows something about protesting.

reply to post by Seiko


First off I want to say I always love debating with you.

Ok well I dont think saying the pledge of allegience is dictating thought. Certainly a kid who is so aware of the worlds injustice as little super genius, could recite the pledge without letting it brainwash him.

What happens when he has to sing a song in music class that he disagrees with the lyrics and they promote some idea? Is that ok, because he is going to get graded for participation in music.

If they kid doesn't like the public school his nation provided maybe his parents should put him in some pivate hippy school where he can do as he pleases.

Originally posted by HotSauce
reply to post by fordrew

 

I think this is a good reason why we shouldn't have stopped giving kids a good ass whooopin' at school. Even if he does disagree he needs to follow the teachers commands. I think he is doing it just to try to dominate the teacher. Too bad he is not in Catholic school so she could bust him up with a ruler. The little brat will probably be in jail by 20.

first off...as a graduate of a catholic school 4 years ago..."ass whoopins" don't happen there anymore either. as they shouldn't. now my mother gave each teacher permission to slap me across the head if they saw fit, and i'm all for that.

but back to topic...this kid did nothing wrong. judging by his quotes, he is a very well spoken 10 year old, more so than most the adults i see around here. you have no place to say he has no idea what he is talking about.

but whether he does or does not, freedom of speech applies to the ignorant as well as the intelligent.

yea, he can start listening to the teacher, then to the next one, then what about the one that tells him something completely wrong, or the one that holds him after class and touches him, but the teacher says its ok.

challenging authority is the backbone of our nation.

where would we be if our founding fathers would've bent over and taken it some more? sipping tea and eating crumpets.

he is a true patriot. that is someone who stands up against the hypocrisy they see in the government. if he does believe that gay people are being oppressed then the phrase "liberty and justice for all" does not apply as far as he sees.

Originally posted by HotSauce
He is ten, He doesn't know anything about injustice.

“In the lunchroom and in the hallway, they've been making comments and doing pranks, and calling me gay,” he said. “It's always the same people, walking up and calling me a gaywad.”

OK that makes him a rebel. A freethinker. Even an individual.

But here's the online dictionary definition of patriot:

One who loves, supports, and defends one's country.

And that pretty much agrees with every definition I've ever heard- even by the patriots who told me to stand and put my hand over my heart when saying the pledge.

reply to post by jitter


He specifically quoted the pledge and the line "with liberty and justice for all". He is exercising his rights to protest what he sees as an injustice. I support this.

Since you quoted the dictionary, I will paste the second definition.

2. a person who regards himself or herself as a defender, esp. of individual rights, against presumed interference by the federal government.

I stand by my use of the word patriot.

reply to post by desert


Oh no! , Some kid called another kid a "gaywad" at school. Oh, the injustice of it all. Cmon, this kid needs grow some thicker skin. If he had a problem with getting called a gaywad maybe he should have met the kid out back and settled their differences.

When I was a kid and you got called queer or gaywad or something you went out back, had a little fight, and were usually best friends the next week. Boys need to be allowed to be boys and we need to stop trying to pussify them.

See the problems we get. Now you got this geek kid protesting when he should have just been allowed to fight it out.

[edit on 17-11-2009 by HotSauce]

reply to post by Seiko


OK.
My webster's doesn't have a second definition, I just looked.
But it's an old edition from 1940.

I'm just saying it's funny how the definition changes with the times. I can remember when we voiced disagreement with the Viet Nam war, marijuana laws or pretty much anything else that was going on, no one called us patriots.

Especially the self described "patriots."

reply to post by HotSauce


you should really read the article before you start commenting.

its not because he was being called a gaywad.

in fact, that is a result of him taking his stand.

and, if you take the time to read it, it seems like the kid pretty much shakes it off as kids being kids. not some geek being "pussyfied"

and what's more manly then taking a stand for what you believe.