Posted on 05/08/2014 1:32:56 PM PDT by Oliviaforever
NEEDVILLE, Texas -- Mason Michalec says he loves his country but just not the government. “I’m really tired of our government taking advantage of us,” said Michalec. “I don’t agree with the NSA spying on us. And I don’t agree with any of those Internet laws.” That's why he's taken a pledge of sorts to not say the Pledge of Allegiance with classmates.
(Excerpt) Read more at khou.com ...
I am only surprised it wasn’t the Mexican pledge of allegiance
I stand with this boy not to stand. :)
-PJ
Maybe he could just substitute saying United States Constitution for United States of America?
His reason for not standing for the Pledge is more justifiable than the illegal alien and anti war students doing the same thing.
If the boy would actually make an effort to learn about the “Pledge of Allegiance”, he would understand it is not in support of the government but of the country.
People should be reciting the Pledge proudly in full understanding that it is a warning to our out of control government that we are loyal to the Republic, not the government.
He refused to stand for the wrong reasons. He needs Re-education camp.
He can refuse because of a) military-industrial complex, b) Koch brothers buying elections or c) Republican treatment of minorities
I support him, although if it were my son I would advise him to pick his battles.
Pledging allegiance to the Republic does not include today’s government. It no longer functions as a Republic should.
Me too, also,
Kid apparently does not realize that he would be pledging allegiance to the Flag, not to the government. THAT says more for the school system than it does for the kid. Kid may be ignorant, but probably not stupid. School system on the other hand has a teaching problem, which may be terminal for this country.
“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
We are not pledging allegiance to the current president or administration when we recite The Pledge. Frankly, things being as they are, I’m surprised it is even recited in schools any more.
One pledges allegiance to the Flag & Country! ...under God!
As much as I consider the Jehovah’s Witnesses a cult, they still have their right to express their religious beliefs unobtrusively, and their own adherents are forbidden to recite the Pledge, for their own conscience sake.
If they have that right, then this boy certainly should be able to abstain as well.
There may be a point when all us conservatives are so disgusted with what this country has become, we’ll join him.
Yes, I thought there had been court cases on this subject decades ago. And I thought there was an established principle that you cannot be compelled to recite the Pledge in school.
So, I’m not sure why this is news, or if that school punished him in violation of established legal precedent???
It is a pledge to the FLAG, not the gooberment
It was formulated by a socialist cleric.
This has been considered unconstitutional since 1943.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Virginia_State_Board_of_Education_vs._Barnette
When I was in 4th grade I swore off the Pledge, I didn’t (and still don’t) like the fact that the target is the flag first, arguably the least important part of the whole country, also the most malleable and most easily abused (almost everybody waves the flag around in their cause). But I didn’t make a big deal out of it, I would stand and not talk, wasn’t interested in an argument, just didn’t want to be allied to a flag.
You pledge your allegience to the flag and the Republic, not the current administration. If a person doesn't want to say the pledge, thats their perogative. And in my book, any such person is advised to get stuffed and take a flying leap at him/herself.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.