when you were in school?

[bpicinc]

That’s a parent problem. Thanks for trying to teach.

This!

[lakebouef5]

My grandkids are in Catholic private school, where there is discipline. I went to see our granddaughter receive an award for top student of the school for the 1st term. A prayer started the proceedings. All pupils stood. Not all had to repeat the prayer, if they were of another faith or no faith....but they had to show respect. Same with the pledge. They sang the school song after the proceedings...I never saw one student not singing. While walking around talking to administrators and teachers, I noted any student who came up to talk to one, say Mr or Miss/Mrs to them, without exception. They take in a lot of poor kids, and these kids do not ever want to go back to their public schools. I told our sons and daughter, if they needed help keeping them.there, we would help.

[ksubasser24]

I agree our school systems are in shambles. The school boards have become political and don't serve their purpose other than there own personal agenda. Here locally we passed a school bond to build two new elementary schools to replace 2 existing that were past remodeling. The school bond was for 20 years and would raise 32.4 million dollars. The sitting school superintendent had enough foresight to save 10 million in capitol expenditures over 8 years to serve as a down payment for the new schools. That made the budget for the two schools a combined 42.4 million. The board added a bunch of unnecessary stuff to the buildings and the budget for both schools has reached 64 million.

The school board just recently pushed the superintendent into resignation and approved the budget of 64 million for both schools. Where is the extra 20 million going to come from. The statement given was that it would come from the capital expenditure budget over the next 20 years basically leaving nothing for the other schools in town. At school board meeting the only answeres they will give to the resignation and approval of the new schools is that they are not prepared to answer this question at this time. I have a list of things and documents and will be speaking at the next board meeting. One of my questions to each member is if they are prepared to resign since they are not doing their jobs representing public interest when the whole community is in a uproar.

[BalsaBee]

I wouldn't have said this 15 years ago but as a teacher I would never send my kids to a public school. Academics for the most part is outstanding. Discipline though is basically nonexistent.

[ColdSVT]

As long as your flag is flown properly at night...Lit and flown at correct staff (mast) they are OK to do so.

Thats right...and yes it is a mast lol...i was a sailor lol

[Sylvanboat]

Because the government got involved...

AND unions. In Chicago mayor runoff election next week, a union employee is running. If he wins, in negotiations between the city and union, the union will control both sides. The union controls the schools.

[mjkoutdoors]

So we want and have freedom, but at 7:30 stand and recite this verse.

Whats the difference between respecting the flag and being told what to do? I have a couple guys at work that are hard core patriots, but they don’t take down their flags at night or when it rains. I don’t understand the all or nothing of it. Seems a little not freedom like to me.

fwiw I agree with the OP that it’s all too much. I personally think it should be a choice, but if you make the choice not to then you should be quiet and respectful to those who choose to.

We are talking about kids in school, not adults. You teach a kid to do something good by making him do it and telling him why he should do it. That's how the kid learns respect for something.
Conversely, you wouldn't give a kid the freedom to play in a busy street for the sake of having freedom instead of coercion. You make the kid stay out of the street and tell him why.
Those that grow up having no respect for the pledge, flag, country, etc were given too much of this freedom to make disrespectful decisions when they were kids.

[sheffism]

So we want and have freedom, but at 7:30 stand and recite this verse.

Whats the difference between respecting the flag and being told what to do? I have a couple guys at work that are hard core patriots, but they don’t take down their flags at night or when it rains. I don’t understand the all or nothing of it. Seems a little not freedom like to me.

fwiw I agree with the OP that it’s all too much. I personally think it should be a choice, but if you make the choice not to then you should be quiet and respectful to those who choose to.

Not real sure I (we) were ever told to recite the pledge. Everybody just did it, just seemed like the right thing to do....upbringing? BTW graduated HS in 1980, Kindergarten was 1966-Naha, Okinawa.

[PsuHntr]

So we want and have freedom, but at 7:30 stand and recite this verse.

Whats the difference between respecting the flag and being told what to do? I have a couple guys at work that are hard core patriots, but they don’t take down their flags at night or when it rains. I don’t understand the all or nothing of it. Seems a little not freedom like to me.

fwiw I agree with the OP that it’s all too much. I personally think it should be a choice, but if you make the choice not to then you should be quiet and respectful to those who choose to.

Forced patriotism is Nationalism

I have a long list of issues with schools and our government but people not standing to recite the pledge is far on the bottom

[Jaredn]

Kids can be dumb. I give them a pass.

What is sad to me is being on a military base at 5PM and watching people run for buildings so they don’t have to pay 2 minutes of respect to our flag And country.

[n2ratfishin]

What if they dont have parents?

Then whoever is in charge of raising them.

[Tfall]

Kids can be dumb. I give them a pass.

What is sad to me is being on a military base at 5PM and watching people run for buildings so they don’t have to pay 2 minutes of respect to our flag And country.

That used to boil my blood back when I served. I’m sure it’s more prevalent today with the way our military is going…

[Shuck Grass]

How much if this decay of society/schools are directly related to this big melting pot finally becoming full. When I was a kid, most people, at least the ones in my area held the same beliefs. When you have some many people pulling in different directions, it’s easier for crazy to rise to the top.

[dean c]

1998 - 70% believed patriotism was very important

2023 - 38% believe the same

POLL: Americans Abandon Core Values -- Patriotism, Religion, Hard Work Less Important (cf.org)


Is it any wonder we are where we are

Saw that this morning…Sad.

[gaston13]

I am a teacher, now 18 years. I am 47 years old and what I witness daily, specifically from 7:30 to 7:31 AM is the saddest part of my day Monday - Friday. That is the time we say the pledge and out of 30 students in my homeroom, 2, only 2 stand, the rest are asleep, trying to talk over it, or on their computers. The worst part, I can't tell them to stand, I can and do tell them to be quiet but it defeatts the purpose if I am telling them to be quiet and not saying the pledge.. Ladies and Gents, I am telling you all, the public school system is rotten to the core and has been rotting for over 2 decades now. When I was in school this would not fly

Call in the media to visit and broadcast to the nation on television at 6:30 PM. Have that miserable looking teachers union leader standing in the video. It will never happen but wouldn't it be interesting to see.

[Bill2e]

That is sad.

you can’t tell them to stand. You can’t tell them to be quit. Just sad.

[Jdub176]

My wife is a middle school math teacher at one of our public schools. The stories I have heard over the last 19 years would blow your mind if you weren't already a teacher. I pray everyday that she comes home. In my day if I mouthed/disrespected a teacher the way these kids do I would have been picking myself off the ground. Now nothing happens to the kids. Also used to be the parents were on the teachers side, now the parents are worse then the kids as far as cursing/disrespecting the teachers. It's horrible.

[gaston13]

The united Brotherhood of Carpenters local here sponsors a spot on the morning news from a different classroom saying the Pledge of Allegiance. Alive and well here..if I’d have disrespected the flag at school when young and my dad found out, I’d have paid dearly..

Well now, it can happen.

[99R93S]

Okay I don’t have room to quote all the times I’ve been quoted to reply.

I asked and one guy has his flag lit, one doesn’t. So I guess that makes one okay and one not?

Mjkoutdoors I agree about teaching kids respect, but they can be respectful and not do something at the same time. I don’t think playing in the street is a good comparison.

This is not the topic I would plant my flag on either, I was just giving my thoughts. I have opinions about patriotism and religion but I don’t express those here out of respect to the majority of the board. And there is no point in having an argument over it. I thought my comments here were fair and respectful.

I went to grade school starting in 1978 as a reference and said the pledge every single day. No hippy parents or anything like that. I just think a little differently now.

[99R93S]

Agreed, I respect our flag etc, but our freedom allows people to not do so. If you want people to be forced to stand and respect the flag, there are plenty of countries that will force you to do so. Respect other people's freedom to show their feelings and you can show yours. Too many people only want people to have the freedoms they agree with and if you have opposing viewpoints then you don't deserve your freedom.

Perfectly said. Thank you