I stopped standing for it like 3 months ago..

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I stand just to avoid being bitched at and the argument but I don't say it. It sounds like the whole class is being brainwashed.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I can sit cause my first period teacher is the one who told us that we were basically being brainwashed.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

You lucky bastard, you.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Jelly?

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I ain't even mad

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Haha very nice.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Is your teacher a history/social studies teacher? Just wondering. History teachers always seem to be the ones who are against the government and stuff.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

He is a history teacher actually.lol And yeah...he thinks the U.S is a hypocrital piece of shit.. But he never flat out says this of course... Only implies.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

KNEW IT!

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Haha yeah

by Anonymous 12 years ago

If he thinks it is that shitty your teacher should move.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

none of us say it. nobody cares. but yeah blindly pledging your allegiance to the government is creepy

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Have some pride in your country people, we don't live in George Orwell's 1984. We all have a pretty sweet life in this country and the government is not out to get us. It's less pledging yourself to the government and more respecting those who protect you. You aren't brainwashed for saying the pledge of allegiance.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

The government pretty much is out to get us. To protect their interests and keep us out of the way.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

How, explain to me how they are doing that.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

i like how there's no response

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I was hoping to see his odd views. Lol

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Maybe if people actually took advantage of our popular sovereignty, that wouldn't happen.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I say it's brainwashing because we start saying the pledge when we're barely old enough to read it. We say it every day like robots and no one even thinks about what it means. It's just mindless repetition.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I don't know if it is brainwashing. When we say it at that age, we don't even understand it or care about what we're saying. The doctrine is not being put into our heads. I said it for eight years, but I'm not brainwashed. If I was, I would think that there is liberty and justice for ALL which is not true. I still agree with the post because it said nothing about brainwashing, just about blindly swearing our allegiance, which we did do because we were so young. In ms and hs, we didn't say the pledge at all. At least it's not federal law. It can't be because there is nothing in the Constitution about saying the pledge.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I'm not saying that it's literal brainwashing, it's similar in that we're mindlessly repeating something that says good things about our country.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Yeah,then, I agree with you there.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

For those of you who haven't read it, the people in George Orwell's 1984 also blindly swear their allegiance to the government everyday. The whole idea of chanting slogans is pretty Orwellian in nature.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Thank you for the synopsis

by Anonymous 12 years ago

You're not "blindly" swearing allegiance to the government unless you have NO IDEA what the government is doing or what their policies are on anything. Which would make you pretty stupid. If you are an average citizen, you at least know general policies (such as freedom of speech and whatnot) and generally approve of them (otherwise you would leave) so you're not "blindly" pledging to anything.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Even preschoolers are taught the pledge, do you expect them to be knowledgeable on what their government is doing? Most of them are saying words that they might not even know the full meaning of.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I thought the word was "invisible" (instead of "indivisible") for years.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I think it's mind-numbing but harmless. If anyone were to think about going against the government in any sort of way, they wouldn't be stopped in their tracks by the thought, "Oh, I can't, I pledged allegiance to the flag." They make us say it so much that hardly anyone cares anymore.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Despite the numerous issues in the US, it's still one of the best countries to live in because of all the rights and opportunities it grants people... I mean, for all this freedom the least you can do is promise that you'll honour the country and stand by it. That is basically what the pledge is for, not so much blindly swearing.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Thank you

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Implying it matters. Just fucking go through with it if you have to, it doesn't mean a thing.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

You're not blindly swearing allegiance to the government. You're swearing allegiance, ideally with a knowledge of what you're actually saying, to your country. As several people have pointed out, we have a pretty nice deal here. You're simply saying that you're loyal to the country. You don't have to like the president, or the government, or any of that. You're supposed to be patriotic. I think it's sad how much we've lost basic patriotism.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Exactly!!!!!!!!!!!!11

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I agree that we have it pretty good here, but it's wrong that we're told to mindlessly recite it from the time we learn to talk. Let people know what it means beofre you make them pledge their allegence to it. What's going on is like taking a blind man and telling him to sign something without telling him what it says

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I think the meaning was explained to my class in school when we were young. My situation may be unique, though.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

But why would you swear allegiance to a country? People shouldn't be loyal to their countries. Countries are just chunks of land people drew imaginary lines around. People should be loyal to their ideals- like representative government or freedom, not governments or places. If a country is doing awful things, you shouldn't just be loyal to it; you should stand up and fight against it if you have to.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

It's patriotism. I'm incredibly proud of my country. Also, I do think we should be aware of the benefits of living in certain places. I have a great life and I owe a lot of that to being privileged enough to live where I do. People have fought and died to protect what I have here, and I'm grateful. Furthermore, swearing allegiance isn't saying you have to agree with everything your government says or does. It is saying you won't commit treason and sell all of our government secrets to terrorists. I think people tend to drastically misinterpret what the Pledge of Allegiance is really about.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I stopped standing after I went to a philosophy club meeting and learned some stuff about it. My reasons for not standing are the following: 1.I am an Atheist 2.I really don't have MUCH pride. I mean, it isn't bad but my school system sucks (my states problem, but still) and everyone is too busy arguing over details to get anything done in the government. My friend and I joke about moving to France after she turns 18. 3.The Pledge was started as a way to sell more Flags. I feel weird chanting a marketing campaign. 4.I have problems with people not even knowing what they're saying. I don't like that kids have to mindlessly repeat it in school, I think it's wrong. I think that they should learn what the pledge is and why you should say it before they learn to repeat it every day. So, I'm just protesting a little bit.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Saying the pledge of allegiance is not a pledge to our government, it is a pledge of loyalty to our country. It is pledge that you will stand with our country even if that is not what our government is doing. It is also a sign of respect for those who have put their lives on the line so that we may be able to enjoy the privileged lives we have. The only reason you have the right to refuse to say the pledge is because many men and women have died to protect your right to do so. The least you could do is say it to show respect.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

"They fought for your right, so don't use it!!"

by Anonymous 12 years ago

not saying the pledge is protected by the 1st amendment, which our troops have died to protect. that doesn't mean you shouldn't say it to show respect. those who have given up so much for you have earned the right to be respected, even if you don't have to respect them you still should. when you turn 18 you legally don't have to obey your parents anymore, but that doesn't mean you tell your mom to fuck off when she tells you to take out the trash.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

you say that, yet you are a liberal? who like big government... Also, no one's forcing you, if you don't want to say it, don't. But be ready to deal with the crap people like me are going to give you for being a prick.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Excuse me? Where did you get the idea that I was a liberal, or that I like big government? Also, how am I being a prick? Explain, darling.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I have read a lot of your posts and you seem like a liberal, who are in favor of a large central government with more power than individual states. I apologize, calling you a prick was low, but I was upset because you complain about something that first of all, you don't even have to do (you could be saying "I hate America, I hate America, I hate America" during the entire thing if you wanted to) secondly, it is not a "swearing of allegiance", it is pledge (swearing would imply that breaking your allegiance would result in criminal charges), and thirdly, so many people have fought and died for "liberty and justice for all", and for you to complain that you're asked to spend 20 seconds of your day saying the pledge and honoring their sacrifice is, in my opinion, disrespectful and selfish. Again, I apologize for the name-calling.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

In favor of a large central government? HA. HA. HA. I'm an anarcho-libertarian, my dear, just go read my about me. I don't approve of government at all. Also there is a difference between complaining and questioning something we're expected by society to do, so get your facts straight. Apology accepted.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I could replace every time I said complain with question and the same point would be made.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Australians like myself often marvel at the level of patriotism Americans have. To us, it seems a little excessive. I'm not trying to offend anyone, it's just the whole Pledge of Allegiance thing and how the miltary is heroised is a very foreign concept to most of us.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

There was an // I Hate Chris // episode where Chris wants to be class president, and part of his platform is "Why do do we have to say the Pledge of Allegiance every day? I mean, it's a pledge! What, do they not trust us?"

by Anonymous 12 years ago

What's stupid is that they make you say the pledge every single day. You don't need to renew your marriage vows every single day, so why should you have to renew your allegiance to America everyday? You only really need to say the pledge of allegiance once.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Saying the pledge reminds me of church. Everybody says the same thing in the same monotone voice. If you really believe in something at least put a little enthusiasm in it.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I hate it when people bitch about standing! First, I find most of the people who say this to be liberals and, if you love your damn Obama so much, why won't you stand for him? He is for more government, but you won't stand for the pledge because its too controlling? I really don't like Obama, but I will stand for the pledge every day. Because it is still for America, and I would not want to live anywhere else. If you think America is such a hard life, why don't ya go ahead to North Korea or China and see how you like that? Too extreme? Why don't you try socialist Sweden? Four months paternity leave sounds nice, but, gasp, they're running out of people to actually work and get things done now. Just ugh. So you little above it all, 'non-conformist' (who is obviously not as original as they think since most of the nation has jumped on this disrespectful bandwagon) kids can go run your mouth somewhere else if you are really that ashamed of the country that is giving you so much. Unless this country becomes truly horrible, I will always be standing for the pledge.

by Anonymous 11 years ago