General Discussion
Off-Topic Discussion » 3 Junior High Students Suspended For Not Standing During Pledge
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Par-Salian 5/09/08 2:58:09 PM
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Novice Member
Joined: 4/15/08
Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege. |
From Star Tribune (www.startribune.com/politics/national/18800444.html)
"My son wasn't being defiant against America," said Kim Dahl, mother of one of the students, Brandt, who attends Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton Junior High School in western Minnesota. Brandt told the Forum newspaper in Fargo that Thursday's one-day in-school suspension, "was kind of dumb because I didn't do anything wrong. It should be the people's choice." Kim Dahl said the "punishment didn't fit the crime. If they wanted to know why he didn't stand, they should've made him write a paper." She said her son has been declining to stand all school year, offered no reason for sitting and was not obligated explain his actions. The school's handbook says all students are required to stand but are not obligated to recite the pledge. The same is true for all four schools in the district, a school official said. "These three [students] didn't, and they got caught," said Mel Olson, the district's community education director. He said he backs the punishment, "being a veteran and a United States of America citizen, absolutely." Olson served in the Marines in Japan during the Vietnam War. The head of the Minnesota American Civil Liberties Union said that the school's actions against the students are unconstitutional, and his office informed the district of that today in a strongly worded letter. "The school can't do that; that's illegal," said Chuck Samuelson, the civil liberties group's executive director. "Wow." Samuelson said that numerous U.S. Supreme Court rulings dating to the 1940s say in "well-settled constitutional law" that "students who refuse to participate in the pledge cannot be punished for refusing to participate." |
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paulscott 5/09/08 3:13:47 PM
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Elite Member
Joined: 12/04/05
why do humans build, because it isn''t there |
my first bet is jehovah witness*, if it was a 'I hate bush' they would've said so. *some parents consider it worshipping a 'false idol' and tell there kids to do not do the pledge. PS don't bother to flame it you'll only look like an idiot and insult a few handfulls of my aunts, uncles, and cousins. |
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| Always and never are two words you should always remember never to use. |
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Par-Salian 5/09/08 3:19:46 PM
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Novice Member
Joined: 4/15/08
Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege. |
I was curious to hear people's reactions (which is exactly why I posted this article). I personally feel that if you are attending classes provided by the United States Department of Education (ultimately), you should not have a problem reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. If you feel that you cannot pledge your allegiance to this country then you shouldn't be here, enjoying the government provided services. |
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TookyG 5/09/08 3:32:58 PM
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Warhammer Online Correspondent
Joined: 4/19/04
"...you mean three philippino women." |
Disrespecting the very country that gave you the right not to stand if you don't want to. What a surprise. They shouldn't have been suspended but I should be allowed to punch them and their parents square in the jaw. |
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BaronJuJu 5/09/08 3:36:18 PM
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Elite Member
Joined: 2/27/04
"Just because it happens to you doesn''t make it interesting" |
Kim Dahl said the "punishment didn't fit the crime. If they wanted to know why he didn't stand, they should've made him write a paper." BS. If the school would have done that then she still would have whined about it to the ACLU and still would have had this story written about how unfair her little Johnny was treated. But, knowing how sue happy we are in the US, the kids will sue and win, the school will pay out some outraegous amount of money to those "poor kids". All because 3 schmucks wanted a little attention and got a one day in-school suspension for it. |
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Vampir 5/09/08 4:01:17 PM
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Novice Member
Joined: 11/01/04
"If we could live without passions,maybe we would know some kind of peace, but we would be hollow" |
Free Speech aside i think its kind of retarded. Because the country is paying for your school and for you to be there and the least you can do is stand for about a minute a day. Unless your in a wheelchair of course. Thats just my moral side of it, not legal. |
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98% of the teenage population does or has tried smoking pot. If you''re one of the 2% who hasn''t, copy & paste this in your signature. |
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Techleo 5/09/08 4:14:55 PM
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Advanced Member
Joined: 7/25/03
Is it over yet... |
Due to the wording of the reason the kids gave to why they didnt stand I highly doubt they were Jw's Paul. Generally speaking a JW will stand to respect the assembly of people and simply wont pledge due to there beliefs. If there pushed to do a pledge or the standing is implicit in breaking there beliefs in a specific case due to questions posed then they may not. For the most part they will stand in respect though. What these kids did though was worded in such a manner that it seemed just to be for making a point to be noticed. I could be wrong on that account though. As for the person who said theyd punch them.. Id wait and try to figure out why they didnt. Theyre could be some good reasons. Albeit unlikely. |
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pyrofreak 5/09/08 5:03:45 PM
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Advanced Member
Joined: 7/01/04
Everything is better with explosions. |
Though I do not agree with their actions, I will gladly fight to the death to defend their right to perform them.
I hold no ill will toward them, it's their choice to be patriotic or not. Saying that it's their right but you should be allowed to punch them in the face is pretty hypocritical to be honest. |
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xxvicexx 5/09/08 5:25:33 PM
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Novice Member
Joined: 6/12/07 |
Good. |
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goneglockin 5/09/08 5:59:56 PM
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