08-18-2016, 04:32 AM
davester wrote:
Although this is a hoax, I feel quite strongly that there should be a ban on the compulsory pledge of allegiance in schools. Such a pledge is a fixture of totalitarian societies, not free ones. I say this as an immigrant who was forced to say this pledge (and chastised for complaining) when I first arrived in the US (and was not an american citizen at the time).
Well, that's only because your genetic programming and nurturing didn't predispose you to authoritarianism. Authoritarians love this shit. Education...indoctrination... what's the difference.
The Supreme Court has ruled that no one can be compelled to say the pledge. As dense as the Court can be sometimes, even they saw the obvious contradiction in forcing someone to pledge allegiance to a symbol of freedom of choice (liberty and justice for all). Teachers usually don't clearly inform the students that they have the option not to say the pledge and some teachers ignore the Supreme Court ruling. But probably the biggest stinger is the social/peer pressure to conform to what feels like an important and even sacred (under god) thing. Combine peer pressure and teacher expectations of compliance and it feels really oppressive - just what authoritarians love.