On another board, I had an exchange with a person who refused to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance at her children’s school during assemblies. Now, she lives in the deep South and in another thread she wonders why other mothers never include her in their activities.
I (another southerner) think the POA is rather silly, but I’m not about to not at least stand.
Questions:
Do you stand?
Is it kind of skipped over in your part of the country?
Is it common for people not to stand where you live?
It’s been a good 15 years since the pledge has ever been recited in my presence. When I was in high school, I stood for it and recited everything but “under God”, and I’d still do so today.
I haven’t been in a situation where it comes up in the last few decades, at least. I honestly don’t know what I’d do. I hope I would just walk out, and never return. But I suppose it depends on what I was attending. I don’t see myself sitting if everyone else is standing. I even stand in Church when everyone else does, just to be nice I guess. (I’m only in church for weddings, funerals, and baptisms)
I’m a substitute teacher right now, and it’s a bit awkward occasionally encouraging the kids to stand but not saying it myself. I sometimes catch myself mouthing along with them. Legally, they don’t have to do anything, including stand, but I have to instruct them to anyway. Older kids can understand the difference between being required and being invited, but you have to be more directive with little kids, especially when they’re not objecting to saying it, they’re just not paying enough attention to know what to do.
I’d skip the whole thing, but the kids are expecting it, since it’s what they usually do, and I’m hoping to be hired full-time.
I would stand and do the hand over the heart thing, but not sure I would say it. Not out of any sense of rebellion or indignation or anything, I would just feel . . .silly. Certainly I would try to be as inconspicuous as possible.
No. I will stand quietly for the National Anthem, out of respect for all who died in its name, but will not recite the pledge. That said, I haven’t been in a situation where the option came up since I was in grade school.
Like others here, I haven’t been in a situation where the POA was recited in a long time. High school, maybe? My kids are not in school yet, but I imagine I’ll encounter it when they are. When that happens, I suppose I’ll stand and probably say it. At sporting events, I stand for the National Anthem, even though I think it’s silly to play it before a game. I don’t usually sing it. When I’m at an event where prayers are offered, I stand or bow my head even though I don’t share the faith of those around me. I find all these things silly on some level, but I go along to be inconspicuous and inoffensive.
I’ll stand, as I do for the national anthem (and remove my hat, because usually I’m at a ball game) but I won’t say/sing it or put my hand over my heart.
I went to a Blue Knights meeting a while ago for work. The Blue Knights is a group of retired and still-working motorcycle cops. Anyway, as the meeting was starting, they put up a picture of a flag on a laptop (!) and they all stood and recited the Pledge.
It was a little awkward, but as I was the guest at their meeting, I definitely stood along with them.
I work in the labor movement, and a lot of local unions have it in their bylaws that all meetings start with the pledge. So when in Rome, because to not do so would create unnecessary drama. But it feels like the most ridiculous thing ever when I do it. Luckily the president I work for feels the same as I do, and he never actually starts meetings with the pledge.
A professional development group I was in for a couple of decades held monthly dinner meetings with a “business announcement” part up front. I would mouth the words and skip the god part or mutter something else.
