Pledge of Allegiance in Schools

quote:

Originally posted by Schnauzer:
just wondering what everybody's thought are on this subject.

Just a little background info on why I am asking these questions..my niece came home from school the other day and said that her science teacher doesn't believe in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and it was upsetting her. (before someone asks, I will not reveal the school)

1. Should it be recited in schools?
2. Can a Teacher lead it?
3. If the Teacher is not reciting it, should they make a their feeling known to the kids?

Is your niece's science teacher her only teacher? Does she participate in a recitation of the Pledge in a different class? Did the Science Teacher respond to a question of why the student's did not recite the Pledge in Science Class? Was the question asked in the context of "under God?"

The reason the question comes up is this 2006 statute passed and signed into law in North Carolina http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/Sessions/2005/Bills/Senate/HTML/S700v5.html
It requires the display of the US and North Carolina Flags and daily recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.

This statement is from http://www.usflag.org dated February 10, 2005

quote:

It was not until 1942 that Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance. One year later, in June 1943, the Supreme Court ruled that school children could not be forced to recite it. In fact,today only half of our fifty states have laws that encourage the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in the classroom!

I do find that Walker County Schools require students to say the Pledge at the beginning of each day, and a Federal Suit was dismissed challenging punishment for refusing to say the pledge. http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=3047
But, that does not answer the question of your Niece and the Science Teacher.

My Personal feelings...are irrelevant. I don't say the pledge, I did say it for five or six years, I know the words, I just don't say it, and have not said it on any regular basis for over fifty years.

If someone comes round my house each day and insists that I recite it, I will probably sue them for all they, or the group that sent them is worth.

I can't believe they still do that! I think that if the students want to do it, they can go out and do it around the pole or something.

Since they turned the Pledge into a prayer in the 1950's, it should not be recited in school.

DF

quote:

Originally posted by DeepFat:
Since they turned the Pledge into a prayer in the 1950's, it should not be recited in school.

DF

We can thank the Knights of Columbus for "under God" which ruined the pledge. Sometimes people can't leave well enough alone.

Anyone who doesn't want to recite the Pledge of Allegiance does not have too. That is their constitutional right, but I would ask you to think about the men and women who have fought, died and are still fighting and dying today for those rights. It upsets me to see how people are inconsiderate of this great nation.

quote:

Originally posted by auburnfanz:
Anyone who doesn't want to recite the Pledge of Allegiance does not have too. That is their constitutional right, but I would ask you to think about the men and women who have fought, died and are still fighting and dying today for those rights. It upsets me to see how people are inconsiderate of this great nation.

If you were correct I would have no problem with the status quo. But you are not. Read this article: http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=3047

I think that the Pledge should be taught in Civics class. It should be required that children memorize it, but other than a civics class, I don't see any reason it should be recited day in and day out .
I don't know what has happened down thru the years, but it seems to me young people don't know much about our government, which tells me Civics is not taught like it was when I was in school.