It’s so wild to me that the US still has this fascist ahh ritual. Nobody told them that the godless Soviet Union fell already?
Literal brainwashing. It could be in a distopian movie
1984 speedrun
you are allowed to say ass
It’s ok the pledge was written by a communist, but a home grown American communist
Ohhhhh nooooo it’s always the “everything bad in America is because of communism” gag
What no this is more of a “American communism is a longstanding tradition and it’s foolishness to brush us off as purely a capitalistic nation.”
Ok now I get it, apologies
ahh
Shut the fuck up
Rude, but sometimes harsh discipline is necessary
Lol child indoctrination
I bet that kid even gets dragged to church on Sundays
“just say the words” really sums up the problem.
Same vibes as ‘because I said so’
If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein.
[…]
Those who begin coercive elimination of dissent soon find themselves exterminating dissenters. Compulsory unification of opinion achieves only the unanimity of the graveyard.
Justice Robert H. Jackson, West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette
While it’s true that this ritual is commonly practiced in the US, it is also true that everyone has the protected right to not participate, which has been upheld in court (Frazier v. Alexandre).
Personally, I feel that choosing to exercise your civil rights is a highly patriotic act.
One of my favorite truisms: One thing the flag stands for is you don’t have to stand for the flag.
A certain part of your population seems to have forgotten that.
Most people are actually pretty stupid when you think about it. Myself included.
Well stop thinking about it.
This is a great line, very succinct.
Right except most kids and teachers don’t know about that so the kid still gets forced to do it
Even if they knew - the hurdle is too high for a kid to go through. And even if they did - they’ll probably face retribution from the school for dragging them to court.
Yeah i didn’t partake starting when as a teenager I saw Germans on thr internet expressing concern about it. Nobody said anything it was my right as an American not to pledge my allegiance to America.
I was 8 when I moved to the US. It was bizarre. Obviously, as an outsider, I felt I had to fit in. I never questioned it. I didn’t understand it. I just said the words.
I guess at some point you understand the words (I left the US before then), but by that point it’s probably become a habit. It’s still the thing that everyone else in the class does. And you still want to fit in.
Never mind understanding the politics of the US that you have the right to not do something that is habitual and seems completely normal.
That we make children say this shit reveals how demented we are.
It’s so creepy that we still do this
I grew up in the States but never was a citizen. In second grade after a while of this silly ceremony I asked the teacher if I really had to participate, because it didn’t really apply to me. And the teacher was totally cool with it!
It was even wierder afterwards, being the only one sitting and watching everyone.
