Does your school still say the Pledge of Allegiance? I've seen posts around facebook lately along the lines of "bring the pledge back into school" or "Do you remember when?" with pictures of kids facing the flag. And it got me to wondering how many schools still did this, if it was a regional thing, private/public thing, ect.
We are a public school and still have the pledge broadcast every morning at the start of the day. Every kid (and staff) stand, face the flag and recite together. Obviously from my name, you can gather I'm in the midwest.
I can hear the students in class reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, the Pledge to the Christian Flag, and the Pledge to the Bible each morning in homeroom...at least in kindergarten classrooms. And they definitely say these 3 pledges as a school on Wednesday mornings in chapel.
I can hear the students in class reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, the Pledge to the Christian Flag, and the Pledge to the Bible each morning in homeroom...at least in kindergarten classrooms. And they definitely say these 3 pledges as a school on Wednesday mornings in chapel.
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
I think you may be reading a bit too much in that. We don't shame anyone into reciting. The attitude after the vet spoke is one you may have felt if you have ever visited the USS Arizona Monument or a concentration camp, a deep appreciation for what they went through. The decision comes from within each student, not external manipulation. I don't believe the Pledge is something that should be compulsory.
I have a great appreciation for what the military has done, particularly in WWII; people of my faith overseas were sent to concentration camps because they refused to sign an oath of allegiance to Hitler and renounce their faith. We (my family) went to the Holocaust museum in Washington DC.
Even though we'd known about what happened in the camps, it was a sobering experience to be there. We were fortunate to have a guide who was of the same faith as us, and he'd been in one of the camps. It meant a lot to hear about it from someone who actually lived through it.
My point was that it's possible to have respect without reciting the Pledge.
I have a great appreciation for what the military has done, particularly in WWII; people of my faith overseas were sent to concentration camps because they refused tossing an oath of allegiance to Hitler and renounce their faith. We (my family) went to the Holocaust museum in Washington DC.
Even though we'd known about what happened in the camps, it was a sobering experience to be there. We were fortunate to have a guide who was of the same faith as us, and he'd been in one of the camps. It meant a lot to hear about it from someone who actually lived through it.
My point was that it's possible to have respect without reciting the Pledge.
Trust me, I have had reservations reciting the pledge lately. Not sure I would die for my country, really only a handful of things would I do that.
Specializes in School Nurse. Having conversations with littles..
Speaking of the Holocaust. My dad was one of the great generation of proud WWII Veterans. He, by far, was one of the proudest Americans I will ever know. When he talked about the war and told stories, he always talked about his comrades / the guys in his unit of Engineers. (some of my favorite family times is when we went to their reunions. His unit had them every year from the time they came home from the war, until they got too old to be able to attend. (that was just a few years ago).
He talked about the happy stories and the love for his "brothers". But, once in a great while, he would go deeper. He would mention that he helped liberate some of the concentration camps, the horror, and smells, and things beyond belief.
I am thankful to be a proud American as well. I have been to hundreds of sporting and other events when the National Anthem has been played/sung. I rarely get through it without shedding tears...and if kids sing it...well, I am teary-eyed before they get through the first few words.
I went to the Holocaust museum recently. Sobering. We are taught this in school, but it is very graphic to see it at the museum.
The kids not from this country that were on the trip had a particularly hard time with the museum. They are not taught about the Holocaust in every country, and this was their first experience with it.
SnowyJ, RN
844 Posts
And a number of foreign students.