Current Events > Did they really "force" you to say the Pledge of Allegiance in school?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I don't remember anyone who refused so it's hard to say. There was undoubtedly social pressure.

Shouldnt be forced but definitely encouraged.

I said it every day in elementary school, but only because I didn't know any better.

We had to say it from kindergarten all the way through high school, and in first grade we also had to follow it up by singing the first verse of America (My Country, 'Tis of Thee) for some reason. I think they allowed students to choose not to participate for religious reasons and the like, but I don't remember anyone doing so in my classes.

We said it, but I dont think anyone got in trouble if they didnt say it. But most didnt care

Not really forced. Some kids didn't stand for the pledge and didn't get in trouble but it will upset the other kids.

SSMajinVegeta2 posted...

Shouldnt be forced but definitely encouraged.

Why? It's a ridiculous propaganda virtue signal that was meant to ward off Communist boogeymen during the Cold War.

Having kids chant nationalistic fealty oaths to the government that they don't understand is absurd

I dont remember

As far as I recall it was not required, but I did have one teacher give me detention when I just didn't want to do it one morning. Probably could have raised a stink over that.

As I was raised a Jehovahs Witness and was forced to NOT say it, I can confirm you are not forced to say it in school.

After someone in my class couldn't early on(for religous reasons I think?), anyone could sit out really early on. However, it still played ever morning. No one stood through it after like 4th or 5th grade

No we were not forced to say it. And I've heard tales of teachers having a not so very nice chat with irate parents who reminded them that it was not required.

@DarkBuster22904 because people should appreciate where they live. Pretty simple request. Its not a chant. Its a declaration

I eventually stopped saying it in highschool and no one cared

MC_BatCommander posted...

I eventually stopped saying it in highschool and no one cared

Same here.

SSMajinVegeta2 posted...

@DarkBuster22904 because people should appreciate where they live. Pretty simple request. Its not a chant. Its a declaration

It is recited in slow unison with all the solemnity and regularity of a prayer, complete with invoking the Christian god.

It's a fealty chant. It goes well beyond "appreciating where you live." It is children swearing undying devotion to the US government. The "Pledge of Allegiance," not the "Show of Appreciation."

The only other country I can think of where they do shit like this is North Korea.

IronChef_Kirby posted...

We did the pledge in elementary school but I dont remember being explicitly told we had to; it seemed like I just did it because everyone else was doing it and I was afraid to stand out.

From middle school onward, there was no pledge in school.

This tbh

They tried but could never really enforce it.

I will post this with the caveat that I went to Catholic school from K though 8th grade...

My school had a "3 strikes" rule where if you got talked to by a teacher 3 times in a day, you would get lunch detention the following day, along with a phone call home to your parents.

One of the first ways at the start of the day you could get a strike was if you didn't stand and recite the Pledge.

So yes. I was.

Forced isn't exactly the word. Some kids kinda just did it at the beginning of class, some didn't. Also it stopped in like 5th grade.

Iirc, not past the 6th grade.

mustachedmystic posted...

Iirc, not past the 6th grade.

I got homeschooled after that. Christ me if you looked at the folder you'd swear you were being in a boarded military school. So many 8th hours and detention. Never realized the highest in power was a total bigot.

I went to a Catholic school in the Deep South. We said the pledge, we prayed, we sang, and we went to church as one of our classes.

Saying the pledge is nothing to get upset over.

Im a bit older than most and i just remember it was routine for us. Everyone got up and did it. This protesting thing must have started with millenials.