WDPT? Family sues school over The Pledge of Allegiance

fancynewbeesly · April 2014

This is happening in our state.

I briefly skimmed the article, but it states that a family is suing a school district and superintendent for the words "Under God" being stated in the Pledge of Allegiance. They think the words should be removed.

https://www.app.com/article/20140421/NJNEWS15/304210050/Matawan-Aberdeen-pledge-allegiance

What is your take on it?

fancynewbeesly · April 2014

I'm Jewish and take no issue with the words either. I just have too many conflicting opinions about it.

missyishere · April 2014

I don't know about going as far as a law suit against the school, because it's not the school who wrote it; however, the Pledge itself is weird to me. I find it odd to have children pledge to their country. Is that an UO?

fancynewbeesly · April 2014

From what I read it seems like they aren't mandating it being said. However, kids feel awkward and out of place NOT saying it. So that makes them uncomfortable. (Again, I just skimmed the article)

The school district pretty much said take it up to the state. It is out of our responsibility. The state mandates the Pledge of Allegiance being said, so we are just following the state's orders.

Monkeybabe · April 2014

Estwd2 said:

I see no reason to mandate the pledge in school. I would also prefer to see the words "under god" removed when it is said. Not all Americans believe in god, so the original wording is antiquated and exclusive. I don't like holding onto practices solely for the sake of tradition.

According to wikipedia, under god isn't even in the original pledge. That part was added in the 50s.

missyishere · April 2014

SweetTurnip said:
Even if it's "required" to have students say it, they can't make individual students do it. Also agree with everyone about the rest.

True, but can you imagine what their peers would say if they're removed to the class to recite something everyone else is? Your kid will then have to explain why, and that would create an uncomfortable situation for said child.

littlestjerry · April 2014

pobrecita said:

I hate those words in the pledge. And on money. And on statues at state capitols.

I'm with you.

I will say, a girl in my middle school didn't do the pledge. She would sit there while we all stood and none of us gave it more than a passing thought. I think it was for religious reasons, but it's not like people berated her about it or anything, so that's why I don't even know for sure why she did this.

In high school, we did the pledge and the Star Spangled Banner. COME ON. It's 8 am, I want to be sitting/nodding off, not having a patriotism party.

Smootchy · April 2014

pobrecita said:

Estwd2 said:
I see no reason to mandate the pledge in school. I would also prefer to see the words "under god" removed when it is said. Not all Americans believe in god, so the original wording is antiquated and exclusive. I don't like holding onto practices solely for the sake of tradition.
It's not even the original wording!

What are you talking about?!

::google::

Holy shit. Well, I'll be....

NotSharknado · April 2014

Ds(13) approached me not too long ago and simply told me he doesn't believe in god. Of course I told him it's okay to believe or not but you should respect other's beliefs.

Now, I have enough sense to tell my child to be respectful to others, but the school doesn't? This doesn't fly with me. Doing the pledge everyday goes against what I'm teaching my child. I don't appreciate it.

I don't know if suing is appropriate, but something needs to be done.

NotSharknado · April 2014

LovelyRitaMeterMaid said:
I am going to be honest.....I don't give a shit if it says "under god" in it.

I said it my whole life and it made no difference to me. I hate both sides of this debate. The opposing side seems to believe that saying "under god" every morning will infect their child with religion. Which is about as logical as saying video games make kids shoot their classmates. No. Raise your child the way you want. Parents are the prominent influence on kids. Stop wasting your time with that BS and raise your kid how you think is right.

The side that supports "under god" really seems to believe that keeping "god in schools" will hopefully turn people and get them on their side. Like that shit being on the wall is really gonna make a difference or EVER HAS.

Both sides are dumb here.

But as a child it is burned into your brain to listen and be respectful at school. Making them do the pledge is hypocritical.

As a child I never put any stock in it but as an adult all I can think is D'fuq?

NotSharknado · April 2014

Andplusalso, just because you don't know what you're saying as a child doesn't make it any less wrong.

littlestjerry · April 2014

I don't feel like either "under God" being in the pledge or making kids stand for the pledge are huge deals, just kind of....stupid? Blind faith in anything (religion, country, whatever) is just silly to me.

Xath · April 2014

People up in arms about "under God" in the pledge at the same time Russia is re-annexing parts of the USSR?

It's the Communist threat! Run for your lives!!!

TheOtherJacobsons · April 2014

When I was in elementary school, I refused to say the words. They made me stand anyway. I was raised Christian, but it was the under God part that bothered me. It was actually quite terrifying to stand there. No one bothered me about it, but the teacher. I was happy when they got rid of the pledge.

I am also glad so many people beat me to it on the timeline of when the wording changed. Some people may not even have parents that remember a time when it wasn't part of the pledge. That is a scary thought.

Chichigo · April 2014

I taught in Catholic schools for over ten years, between kindergarten and third grade. We had to pray several timea a day, and rules regarding the pledge of allegiance varied from year to year.

I always allowed my students to choose to participate. I did my best to explain the meaning of the words, breaking it down to age appropriate language. Anyone who chose not to participate was allowed to sit or stand quietly- they couldn't distract others who chose to participate.

Sometimes this was a problem. I had one principal that would walk around to see if the kids were participating. I had to make the kids stand quietly at that point.

FWIW, I always stood quietly during the pledge. I think it's stupid. Working in a religious school, I would prefer to pray for the president and Congress than pledge allegiance to a flag.

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