Community Corner

Readers React: Should Students Have to Say the Pledge of Allegiance?

Readers respond to whether or not students should be required to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in schools.

To close out the weekend, Patch asked readers whether students should have to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. 

Classrooms in public schools are required to offer the pledge or the National Anthem daily, but students are not required to actually stand up and recite it.

Southwest Minneapolis Patch readers responded to Patch's question. Here's what they had to say:

Mike B.You can bet the unfortunate children who have liberals or Democrats are being told not to say "under God" in the Pledge. No surprise there. The liberal parents would love to indoctrinate their kids further, by forcing their children to say "under the STATE" instead of "under God."

Jesse
Well, Mike Whateveryourlastnameiswhyareyousoafraid, my children are among the unfortunate with liberal parents, and I believe that kids should indeed recite the Pledge in school. Mine will remain silent during the "under God" portion, but it is a good lesson in civics for any generation, I believe.

Lindsay
Actually, schools are required to recite the Pledge of Allegiance at least once a week. However, anybody may opt out.

Mike B.Jesse Lyken's comment is indeed unfortunate. Those children are being forced to abandon their belief in God by parents who are either athiests or agnostics, which is an example of horrible parenting. They will grow up not knowing the difference between good or bad. Another example why the children of liberals are at much greater risk of behavioral and criminal problems later in life.

Jesse
Yes, as the courageous Mike B. (who needs a last name anyway?) pointed out, my comment was indeed "unfortunate". How Mike even knew that my kids believed in God and that I "forced them to abandon their belief" is beyond me. As a result of my horrible parenting, they probably will end up as career criminals as Mike points out. I especially fear for the one who recently graduated from Northwestern with an engineering degree (those "thinking" types are indeed the most dangerous!). Mea Culpa. Oh, by the by. I worked with juvenile delinquents for 24 years. The most recent survey taken of the parents of incarcerated juveniles showed 74.2% of the parents self-reported themselves to regularly attend religious services. 74.2%.

Leah
Actually, Mike B, as a person who believes in god, if you were doing it right, you would not bow to a false idol (this being the flag) and worship it as such. You should only bow down to god. Some religions do not say the "flag of allegiance" due to that belief. Religion and the state do not mix and do not have any right being intertwined.

David
Is this really worth arguing about? The schools are upholding the tradition and students are allowed to opt out if they choose. Although Jesse's views are not consistent with my own, I think that it is a very respectful compromise. His children can express their beliefs and they are not interfering with anyone else's right to do so. There is no need to rewrite the laws and the traditions of this country, because of a word and it is not our place (and especially not the government's) to tell people how to raise their children.


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