# Do you stand during the Pledge of Allegiance? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 19, 2015, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-stand-during-the-pledge-of-allegiance/735165 "2015-10-19T19:54:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Doyle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doyle/32/439_2.png) [@Doyle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doyle)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-stand-during-the-pledge-of-allegiance/735165/1 "2015-10-19T19:54:26Z")
Inspired by this thread #19:[20 of the Weirdest Things About America.. What's the Straight Dope? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=772192) 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? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-stand-during-the-pledge-of-allegiance/735165/2 "2015-10-19T20:03:42Z")
I stand but won’t say it. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-stand-during-the-pledge-of-allegiance/735165/3 "2015-10-19T20:06:38Z")
I say all but the god part. ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-stand-during-the-pledge-of-allegiance/735165/4 "2015-10-19T20:06:44Z")
I stand and recite all of it except for the “under God” part. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-stand-during-the-pledge-of-allegiance/735165/5 "2015-10-19T20:10:18Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-stand-during-the-pledge-of-allegiance/735165/6 "2015-10-19T20:11:23Z")
I haven’t been in the presence of the pledge of allegiance since high school. Is it common for adults to be around someone reciting this? ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-stand-during-the-pledge-of-allegiance/735165/7 "2015-10-19T20:11:41Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > 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 cannot even recall the last time it was said in my presence. I’m guessing I’d stand, but I might be perplexed. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-stand-during-the-pledge-of-allegiance/735165/8 "2015-10-19T20:13:01Z")
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) ---
**Author:** ![Doyle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doyle/32/439_2.png) [@Doyle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doyle)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-stand-during-the-pledge-of-allegiance/735165/9 "2015-10-19T20:15:47Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > I haven’t been in the presence of the pledge of allegiance since high school. Is it common for adults to be around someone reciting this? I was mostly addressing parents with kids in school. If not for school, I’d never hear it. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-stand-during-the-pledge-of-allegiance/735165/10 "2015-10-19T20:17:28Z")
I stand but don’t say it. 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. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-stand-during-the-pledge-of-allegiance/735165/11 "2015-10-19T20:19:50Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-stand-during-the-pledge-of-allegiance/735165/12 "2015-10-19T20:25:13Z")
I start off reciting “I led the pigeons to the flag…” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-stand-during-the-pledge-of-allegiance/735165/13 "2015-10-19T20:27:50Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-stand-during-the-pledge-of-allegiance/735165/14 "2015-10-19T20:28:43Z")
I say it every day. Everyone stands, and does a sort of half-mumbled chant. If I’m feeling particularly revolutionary, I’ll leave out “under God”. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-stand-during-the-pledge-of-allegiance/735165/15 "2015-10-19T20:44:23Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-stand-during-the-pledge-of-allegiance/735165/16 "2015-10-19T20:50:01Z")
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. Creepy. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-stand-during-the-pledge-of-allegiance/735165/17 "2015-10-19T20:51:03Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > I haven’t been in the presence of the pledge of allegiance since high school. Is it common for adults to be around someone reciting this? 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. ---
**Author:** ![SUZ\_MAC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e8cbc/32.png) [@SUZ\_MAC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SUZ_MAC)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-stand-during-the-pledge-of-allegiance/735165/18 "2015-10-19T20:52:55Z")
Yes, always . ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-stand-during-the-pledge-of-allegiance/735165/19 "2015-10-19T20:57:32Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-stand-during-the-pledge-of-allegiance/735165/20 "2015-10-19T21:09:29Z")
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. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-stand-during-the-pledge-of-allegiance/735165.md?page=2)