Just a heads up, this is not about religious controversy in the Pledge. Anyway...
In America (the question applies for any nation, but I'm using America as an example) saying the Pledge of Allegiance is not required. At my first hour class in high school, I am the only person who regularly stands up and recites the pledge of allegiance. My school is mostly Latino (appx. 50% Latino, 40% White, 10% other) and I often feel that a lot of the Mexican kids don't feel obligated to say the Pledge. Don't get me wrong, I'm not racist, I have a lot of good Mexican/Latino friends, I'm talking about the intimidating kids who smoke pot behind the school, are loud and disrespectful in class, constantly talk in Spanish, and stare at people and laugh...and I swear that every time I stand up they are laughing at me...for saying that I respect my country enough to stand up and say so! I know that there are people that would say the Pledge, but are too intimidated to stand, because they feel the same way as I do.
Another thing that kind of got me: my aunt is a teacher at another school. She has one student in her class who doesn't say the pledge. For a while, my aunt kind of let it slide, but then she asked this girl why she didn't feel the need to say the pledge and she responded "I wasn't born here". I overheard my aunt say this at a family get together and was a little shocked that this was a big deal to her.
Also why would you respect a country that is not your "home" country.
I don't think too many other countries would like it very much if I went over and spit on their flag and cursed the souls of their dead. "HEY GERMANY! YOU SUCK! I DON'T KNOW WHY I LIVE HERE, BUT YOU SUCK! LOLOLOL!!!!!11!!" (as an example)
You should respect the soil your feet are planted on, no matter where it is. If you don't have the decency to do that, you don't deserve to be in that country and should promptly leave. Whether it's America, Germany, Mexico, or wherever else, you should respect that country. Do you have to say the pledge? No, but stand for it and at least have a good reason not to say it. Simply "I'm not from here" is possibly the worst reason one can come up with, and if somebody said that's why they don't respect my homeland, I would promptly remove several teeth from their faces.
you should respect the soil your feet are planted in
I'm only in america cause I don't have a choice, im 14. Do i like my freedoms, yes. Do i like the rest of the country, no! as soon as I turn 18 im getting out of this respected hellhole.
That hasn't been replied to in over a month :P (that's cheating lol) [quote]it should be said at the begging and end of a school year, not everyday. Also why would you respect a country that is not your "home" country.
If you go to another country for an extended period of time (even if you don't permanently live there), you should respect people's culture and try to explore their ways of life and honor their traditions. These kids live here, attend the high school, and are most likely citizens; at this point, I would expect them to treat America like their home country even if they weren't born here (it's okay to still have loyalty to the country you were born in, but when you move somewhere new, that country takes priority).
You should respect the soil your feet are planted on, no matter where it is. If you don't have the decency to do that, you don't deserve to be in that country and should promptly leave. Whether it's America, Germany, Mexico, or wherever else, you should respect that country. Do you have to say the pledge? No, but stand for it and at least have a good reason not to say it. Simply "I'm not from here" is possibly the worst reason one can come up with, and if somebody said that's why they don't respect my homeland, I would promptly remove several teeth from their faces.
That is EXACTLY what I mean, very nice explanation.
I'm only in america cause I don't have a choice, im 14. Do i like my freedoms, yes. Do i like the rest of the country, no! as soon as I turn 18 im getting out of this respected hellhole.
is america the only country that does that? we didnt do it not in israel or germany. i see no reason to actually do it. im sure people can respect their own country in their heart without feeling they have to show by saying that every morning.
orion i can see what you mean and yes i believe you have to show some respect since you actually live there. but i understand those who just dont. they just like me dont think that living or being born in a certain country is that important. i dont think that something that has no emotional value and isnt a living being should be respected that much. and there is a very big difference between respecting, not respecting and dis-respecting.
when i studied in germany they had to say some kind of prayer of something every monday (i think it was monday) morning and do that cross sign. i stood up and was quiet to repect the people who did that and i can tell you that i dont respect christianity. i dont dis-respect christianity either. i do respect the people who believe in that though.
"I wasn't born here" would suffice if she wasn't an American citizen....it is a valid excuse if she was living there for a temporary period due to circumstances like her family being posted there for a job, because the pledge states that one is promising allegiance to the nation. Of course if she is an American citizen, even if she wasn't born there, then the reason is a bit underwhelming.
