Pledge of Allegiance

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Lol child indoctrination

I bet that kid even gets dragged to church on Sundays

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Lol, the US seems tame by comparison.

I remember in China in like first or second grade, we had a whole ceremony in the school yard where they put on the little red scarf thingy on the kids (Google it: "Little Red Scarf China" and see what I meant), after singing the natioal anthem and watching the kids do the the whole flag raising ritual. Idk what the f was even happening at the time, but restrospectively, that felt like joining the Jonestown Cult.

(While that "little red scarf" ceremony was a one time thing, the flag raising ceremony was more frequent. I don't remember exact how frequent, but I'm gonna guess like maybe every monday. Cuz I remember sneaking out before they had us go to the school yard, and I just kinda just chill at some "vantage point" where I can see the kids in the school yard, while I just chilled, outside of the sun. I mean, I probably just didn't feel like being in the school yard and being in the sun, cuz its feels like being cooked alive in the heat.)

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It's so creepy that we still do this

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So tame tho. See my other comment...

We had not only national anthems, but a whole-ass flag raising ceremony weekly. And there's even a "Little Red Scarf" ceremony once a year.

When I first came to the US, I just thought the pledge was a normal thing. But according to some Europeans on the internet, its apparantly just... not a thing in their country?

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"just say the words" really sums up the problem.

NaibofTabr

If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein.

[...]

Those who begin coercive elimination of dissent soon find themselves exterminating dissenters. Compulsory unification of opinion achieves only the unanimity of the graveyard.

Justice Robert H. Jackson, West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette

While it's true that this ritual is commonly practiced in the US, it is also true that everyone has the protected right to not participate, which has been upheld in court (Frazier v. Alexandre).

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That we make children say this shit reveals how demented we are.

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Not only is not a thing, but the rest of the world views it as distinctly odd. Performative patriotism looks a bit creepy from the outside. I guess you have to be born into it, but we all know that family who does something and remains unaware just how it looks?

kersploosh

One of my favorite truisms: One thing the flag stands for is you don't have to stand for the flag.

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That uh, does seem more tame than the US.

The pledge was every single morning, in my experience AFTER the national anthem and a moment of silence. We had to stand for the whole thing. (And in Texas, also have to do a Texas pledge)

Then if course we had our insanely biased teaching of history, minimizing our genocide and slavery. Forcing us to learn about important founders to a degree that they become sort of semi-god figures.

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A certain part of your population seems to have forgotten that.

Lem Jukes

Most people are actually pretty stupid when you think about it. Myself included.

Lem Jukes

Same vibes as ‘because I said so’

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Literal brainwashing. It could be in a distopian movie

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It's completely not a thing in any country I've visited except America. You guys are the gold ribbon looniest.

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That's very strange. In the schools I've been to it was just the pledge, and you don't have to stand. They aren't legally allowed to force you to stand or say it, but some schools do anyway.

datendefekt

I grew up in the States but never was a citizen. In second grade after a while of this silly ceremony I asked the teacher if I really had to participate, because it didn't really apply to me.
And the teacher was totally cool with it!

It was even wierder afterwards, being the only one sitting and watching everyone.

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That's the nicest thing I've agreed with being said about my country in over a month. Thank you, kind stranger!

DreamButt

Right except most kids and teachers don't know about that so the kid still gets forced to do it