Support NeoGAF

[Rubezh]

From our friend Mr. Jefferson:

All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights

By standing up, this kid is being more respectful and more patriotic than any other kid who recites the allegiance like a zombie.

The idea that he or others should somehow "leave the country" for being disrespectful is completely ridiculous.

 

[Keylime]

From our friend Mr. Jefferson:

By standing up, this kid is being more respectful and more patriotic than any other kid who recites the allegiance like a zombie.

The idea that he or others should somehow "leave the country" for being disrespectful is completely ridiculous.

In America, actual patriotism and expressed patriotism are inversely proportional.

 

[LocoMrPollock]

Pretty sad that this kid is smarter than the majority of the US.

 

[j-wood]

From our friend Mr. Jefferson:


By standing up, this kid is being more respectful and more patriotic than any other kid who recites the allegiance like a zombie.

The idea that he or others should somehow "leave the country" for being disrespectful is completely ridiculous.

You do make a good point there

 

[J Tourettes]

In too many countries to list, actual patriotism and expressed patriotism are inversely proportional.

Fixed.

 

[Dead Man]

Fixed.

Indeed.

 

[Frank the Great]

Meh. Nationalism is inherently irrational. Can't fucking stand it.

 

[btkadams]

In Canada we stand up for the Anthem but that's it. Pledging to the allegiance? The hell?

um.... im from calgary. and in elementary school we definitely said something like this after singing the anthem:

"i salute the flag, the emblem of my country. to her i pledge my love and loyalty."

is that not pledging allegiance?

 

[Stridone]

Read my last post. If you don't want to say it, fine. At least stand and respect it.

Why the fuck do you have to respect bullshit?

 

[Rayme]

From our friend Mr. Jefferson:

All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights

By standing up, this kid is being more respectful and more patriotic than any other kid who recites the allegiance like a zombie.

The idea that he or others should somehow "leave the country" for being disrespectful is completely ridiculous.

This!

God, a thousand times this.

Here's another article (sorry if it's been linked already).

At the end of our interview, I ask young Will a question that might be a civics test nightmare for your average 10-year-old. Will's answer, though, is good enough — simple enough, true enough — to give me a little rush of goose pimples. What does being an American mean?

“Freedom of speech,” Will says, without even stopping to think. “The freedom to disagree. That's what I think pretty much being an American represents.”

 

[Dead Man]

This!

God, a thousand times this.

Here's another article (sorry if it's been linked already).

If that was spontaneous on the kids part, good on him.

 

[Anerythristic]

This thread is great. Really entertaining. :lol Keep up the good work.

Oh and one word. Rome.

 

[Naked Snake]

For those thinking his dad is gay, I personally doubt it. I was thinking maybe a gay uncle/aunt or close family friend who encouraged him to do it.

 

[140.85]

Aw. He thinks he's so clever.

 

[Treo360]

Some schools in Texas pledge allegiance to the Flag of Texas.

 

[Mercury Fred]

This thread is great. Really entertaining. :lol Keep up the good work.

Oh and one word. Rome.

Wow.

Yes, allowing gay people full equality under the law will certainly lead to a Rome-style collapse of the United States :lol

Do the world a favor and never reproduce.

 

[Dead Man]

Aw. He thinks he's so clever.

Awww, so do you.

 

[bengraven]

Pledging allegiance is indoctrination.

 

[Dali]

From our friend Mr. Jefferson:


By standing up, this kid is being more respectful and more patriotic than any other kid who recites the allegiance like a zombie.

The idea that he or others should somehow "leave the country" for being disrespectful is completely ridiculous.

...but Jefferson had slaves. When you think about it, the real patriots are the hypocrites following in the footsteps of our forefathers. This kid is a terrorist.

 

[yankeeforever2]

Must be a slow news day.

 

[Zoramon089]

Bah, when will people understand, the best way to stand "against" the pledge is to keep saying it. For most people, it had no meaning because we simply said it everyday. By refusing to pledge, he's acknowledging that it has significance to him...

 

[RiskyChris]

Bah, when will people understand, the best way to stand "against" the pledge is to keep saying it. For most people, it had no meaning because we simply said it everyday. By refusing to pledge, he's acknowledging that it has significance to him...

Oh no, he's acknowledging he's not a robot.

 

[SmokyDave]

but gays already have more rights than normal people

How did this comment slip under the radar?

User name suggests prior traumatic incident, User may have deeply buried issues.

 

[bengraven]

Oh no, he's acknowledging he's not a robot.

And that America is not a socialist theocracy.

 

[KHarvey16]

We should also change the pledge back to its original form.

 

[mckmas8808]

Absolutely.

That being said, this kid is either the next Socrates or he's being brainwashed. What 10-year old says "I eventually, very solemnly, with a little bit of malice in my voice...."

Dad might be on the down-low.

Brainwashed or taught something? Or couldn't he just be a smart kid?

 

[Dead Man]

How did this comment slip under the radar?

User name suggests prior traumatic incident, User may have deeply buried issues.

:lol

 

[zoku88]

There was actually a supreme court case so that they cannot actually be legally required to say the Pledge...

 

[mckmas8808]

Bah, when will people understand, the best way to stand "against" the pledge is to keep saying it. For most people, it had no meaning because we simply said it everyday. By refusing to pledge, he's acknowledging that it has significance to him...

Nope not really. He's acknowledging that he doesn't have to say the pledge. That's it.

 

[Leunam]

Some schools in Texas pledge allegiance to the Flag of Texas.

The schools I went to certainly did.

 

[BattleMonkey]

Kid needs a tazing

 

[iapetus]

How did this comment slip under the radar?

User name suggests prior traumatic incident, User may have deeply buried issues.

Takes some time to work out whether it's a sarcastic joke, a joke character, or just an asshat.

 

[peppermints]

When I was in high school, not only did we have to say the pledge everyday, we also had to stand after it for a 'moment of silence' to honor those fighting overseas.

I'm all for honoring our soldiers, and now that I can look back on it without the perspective of an angsty teen, it was pretty ridiculous. The pledge I had grown up with and had just accepted, it was routine. But the moment of silence didn't start until I was a sophomore (the principal when I was a freshman retired). It just lost its meaning and significance when you do it for 180 days a year.

 

[DevelopmentArrested]

Kid needs a tazing

And you need a vasectomy.

 

[methos75]

Good for him, the fact that we have "separation of church and state" yet, we have to do the pledge with god in there and all over our money. It's just too funny.

Separation of church and state as used in the US simply means that the Government will not make on church the established State Church nor will it impact how others worship, the way God is used on money and in the Pledge is legally ok because God could signify any known deity and in theory does not point to one certain one, thought of course we all know it means the Christian god. Its simply a matter of wording.

 

[PflargBlarg]

I was being fairly facetious in my first post, but the general idea is still there. I think we can all agree that the US has a strong sense of nationalism which in certain cases turns into overboard patriotism. The fact that there are some people that flip out if you handle the flag the wrong way is kinda crazy.

This kind of thinking leads to people seriously saying stuff like 'america is the greatest nation on earth' and 'america, fuck yeah!'. Arguably the US is the 'greatest nation', whatever that means, but the mindset does lend itself to some considerable arrogance which is what has given the US its declining international reputation.

So to get on topic here, the pledge of allegiance does represent blind nationalism, and if you want to go further, forced nationalism. Of course, to a lot of people it probably doesn't mean anything, but it is still worth pointing out what it represents.

 

[BattleMonkey]

And you need a vasectomy.

Another one?

 

[Lebron]

I know at our school you had to bring in a letter from your parents in order to get out of saying the pledge everyday.


As for that kid, he seems, awkward. But whatever, stand up for what you believe.

 

[Zeppu]

Okay, so the country which has the pledge of whatnot which says that there's equal justice for all or whatever is going down hard on a kid who doesn't want to recite the pledge.

Am I the only one who sees some mild hypocrisy in that?

But then again, I never got the US with their immense patriotism for the flag and silver dollars and all that shit.

Here, the flag is a flag, the anthem is the anthem but we don't sue the government for having a street light go off and they don't arrest us for not giving a shit about the anthem.

And don't get me wrong, I love my country, and my country is fucked up as hell, but I've never had anyone force me to pledge anything unless I'm in court or boy scouts or something...

 

[btkadams]

but gays already have more rights than normal people

i love your username, but you are going to have to elaborate on your comment. how do they have more rights?

 

[methos75]

I was being fairly facetious in my first post, but the general idea is still there. I think we can all agree that the US has a strong sense of nationalism which in certain cases turns into overboard patriotism. The fact that there are some people that flip out if you handle the flag the wrong way is kinda crazy.

This kind of thinking leads to people seriously saying stuff like 'america is the greatest nation on earth' and 'america, fuck yeah!'. Arguably the US is the 'greatest nation', whatever that means, but the mindset does lend itself to some considerable arrogance which is what has given the US its declining international reputation.

So to get on topic here, the pledge of allegiance does represent blind nationalism, and if you want to go further, forced nationalism. Of course, to a lot of people it probably doesn't mean anything, but it is still worth pointing out what it represents.

This goes back to my original comment, I was talking strictly of the US, but any country. I don't see why anyone where ever they may live, would not respect the flag of their country and show a little alliance too it. This is the country of your birth and the one that takes care of you, I am not asking that you die for it, just that you honor those who died to give you a home that the flag represents. As too other countries hating how Patriot some in the US are, really bite them, I have been to Europe and many of them are no different. Hell go watch any major soccer match in Europe, all they are is a nationalistic venture.

 

[Kurtofan]

i love your username, but you are going to have to elaborate on your comment. how do they have more rights?

What do you want to elaborate on a joke post?

 

[SmokyDave]

I still can't believe that the pledge was invented purely to sell flags and nationalism to US schools but that is Wikis take on the matter and I can't find any dissenting views.

i love your username, but you are going to have to elaborate on your comment. how do they have more rights?

Can he not elaborate more on the 'normal' part?

Takes some time to work out whether it's a sarcastic joke, a joke character, or just an asshat.

Sarcastic asshat joke character?

 

[besada]

This is the country of your birth and the one that takes care of you, I am not asking that you die for it, just that you honor those who died to give you a home that the flag represents.

Except the country doesn't take care of a good number of its citizens, and in return, they don't feel the need to praise the emblem of a country that constantly falls short of its own ideals.

If you want to praise the flag and pledge your allegiance, that's fine and good, but no one ought to be forced to fake patriotism.

 

[methos75]

Except the country doesn't take care of a good number of its citizens, and in return, they don't feel the need to praise the emblem of a country that constantly falls short of its own ideals.

If you want to praise the flag and pledge your allegiance, that's fine and good, but no one ought to be forced to fake patriotism.

Here is my thing, you know the US still takes care of its Gay populace more than many others do, you can still be killed legally in many nations for being gay, and the country as an whole has seen the errors of its way and is starting to change things. Why would you not be proud that you live in a country not rooted in the past, and willing to change to accommodate everyone, even if it is a slow process?

 

[Replicant]

How did this comment slip under the radar?

User name suggests prior traumatic incident, User may have deeply buried issues.

:lol :lol :lol

Well, I doubt anyone dragged him to the bath house so he probably was curious.

 

[MrPing1000]

So Americans resite a plege of allegiance in school?

That is fucked up.

 

[silverbullet1080]

um.... im from calgary. and in elementary school we definitely said something like this after singing the anthem:

"i salute the flag, the emblem of my country. to her i pledge my love and loyalty."

is that not pledging allegiance?

I'm from Toronto, and we never had to do that. We never even had to sing the anthem.

 

[SmokyDave]

Here is my thing, you know the US still takes care of its Gay populace more than many others do, you can still be killed legally in many nations for being gay, and the country as an whole has seen the errors of its way and is starting to change things. Why would you not be proud that you live in a country not rooted in the past, and willing to change to accommodate everyone, even if it is a slow process?

I may be wrong but I get the feeling that America doesn't look after it's citizens living below the poverty line very well. I'm from the UK so I accept I only see it from the outside but that's how it appears.

 

[Davidion]

Here is my thing, you know the US still takes care of its Gay populace more than many others do, you can still be killed legally in many nations for being gay, and the country as an whole has seen the errors of its way and is starting to change things. Why would you not be proud that you live in a country not rooted in the past, and willing to change to accommodate everyone, even if it is a slow process?

You are absolutely right, and let me state for starters that there ought to be considerable recognition for this fact that many liberals won't vocally express.

But now let me ask you something: without someone with the mentality of this kid, who would be around to bring about these changes you speak of?