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diff --git a/content/entry/the-pledge-of-allegiance.md b/content/entry/the-pledge-of-allegiance.md index 94bfd17..fd9b30e 100644 --- a/content/entry/the-pledge-of-allegiance.md +++ b/content/entry/the-pledge-of-allegiance.md @@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ title: "The Pledge of Allegiance" date: 2020-12-07T00:00:00 draft: false -makerefs: false --- # The Pledge Many foreigners would be surprised to find out that we have something in the US called the Pledge of Allegiance. It's recited in public schools across the whole country every day with students standing facing the flag hand over heart. It goes like this: @@ -12,7 +11,7 @@ Many foreigners would be surprised to find out that we have something in the US To foreigners, the idea of all students standing up every morning chanting this probably sounds creepy. But since Americans are indoctrinated into chanting it starting in primary school, it goes unquestioned. Most American students don't ever think about what the words mean. It's just a ritual. I don't agree with it, but I'm just giving rationale for why students go along with it. # Legality -American students aren't legally required to stand for the Pledge. In West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette[1], the Supreme Court ruled that students can't be compelled to stand for or recite the Pledge as that would constitute compulsory speech, violating the First Amendment to the Constitution. Also students can't be required to justify themselves for not standing. So it is well within your rights not to stand as an American student. +American students aren't legally required to stand for the Pledge. In [West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette](https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/319/624/case.html), the Supreme Court ruled that students can't be compelled to stand for or recite the Pledge as that would constitute compulsory speech, violating the First Amendment to the Constitution. Also students can't be required to justify themselves for not standing. So it is well within your rights not to stand as an American student. You might still be socially expected to stand depending on where you live. It's likely that most other students stand, so you'll feel uncomfortable the first few times if you choose to sit it out. With time it does get easier to stay sitting though. It's only a few seconds of resisting peer pressure anyway. |