Eleven Year Old Arrested For Refusing To Say Pledge of Allegiance

[Maria D]

So you are upset that things can’t and will never be completely ideal and have a problem with “freedom and justice for all” in the pledge slanting hypocrisy?

So iis it ok for people like Jussie Smollett to create the spectacle of the social injustice by hiring thugs to exaggerate the “tentacles?”

Have you ever thought some people’s hatred of the law enforcement to be prejudice towards the honorable occupation not so different in mentality from injust racism?

Our kids should be raised to be grateful for at least 10 things each and every day to be more positive contributors and patriots. Don’t skew the facts to chance them to grow up to be angry entitled punks, disrupt society, and be defiant to any authority because that’ll never end well before they really learn to think for themselves.

I don’t know about you but I appreciate this great nation!
My turn to bow out. Have a great discussion.

I don't know where you come from, but in the country of which I burst with pride to be a citizen, veterans fought and sacrificed for freedom from the kind of coercion you are supporting. It's called the United States of America; please google it so that you can educate yourself on what it stands for. Your words are highly disrespectful of our veterans and current military of this country. Freedom and justice for all is exactly what they are fighting for. They're not sacrificing so that their fellow citizens can be treated like North Korean dissidents. (Perhaps that's where you bot from?)

An open letter from American military veterans in support of Colin Kaepernick

What the Smollett fraud incident has to do with an 11 year old kid being bullied by an adult substitute teacher is anyone's guess.

 

[cocotate]

You’re either illogical or misunderstood what was written. Since I received alert emails for this auto watched thread I’m going to leave one more reply.

It’s the kid, the athletes, and others who are disrespectful of this nation, claiming the anthem, the pledge, and even the flag being representative of racism. Just wow. They’re pitching the made up hypocrisy which I find utterly ridiculous.

Diversion? How ironic because I was responding to the very issues brought up.

Unwatvching this thread now.
Be grateful, be loyal to our USA, and try to be positive. It’ll do more good, spiritually and physically.
Have a great day.

 

[telephone89]

Could you post the exact reference to where you found your quotes? Especially the part about “you mean Africa” and “you’re our teacher....”
I couldn’t find it anywhere. Thanks.

I literally posted the link in my post. The quotes were from the written statements of the involved parties.

eta - apologies, that link didnt include that part. Many other news sources are reporting this, its from the kids lawyer re-telling his story.

"Ford (lawyer) said the student indicated that he was not participating in the pledge because he felt that the American flag represented unfair and discriminatory treatment of Black people.
"At that point, it is our position that this young man was well within his legal rights," he said.
"The substitute teacher then says, 'If you don't like it here, go back to where you came from.' And he said 'Do you mean Africa?' And she says, 'Yes,'" Ford said. "The young man then says, 'You are our teacher you should not be talking to students this way.'" At that point, Ford said, the teacher called security to the classroom."
https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/18/us/florida-pledge-of-allegiance-altercation-arrest/index.html

 

[ksinger]

I rolled my eyes upon seeing Kelly Services too. I didn't even realize that temp agency was still around - it was called Kelly Girl when I got jobs through them during school breaks. Back then I was hired out for things like inventory counting, data entry, typing & answering phones - never substitute teaching!

My own district has a hard time getting subs. They had to increase the daily pay rate this year because it was no longer meeting minimum wage. The requirement is at least two years of college credits. Why bother when you can make the same amount being a Walmart greeter? I subbed middle school years ago and received no training at all. Like your husband, I agree that middle school is the worst. Anyone who can teach that age group well has my respect & admiration. Congrats to your husband on retirement! I've got another 8 years, hope I can make it.

Ha! I let him read your reply and he snorted out loud in agreement at the "had to increase the daily pay rate because...". It's pretty dismal around here too. But then do look up the stats on Oklahoma - I'm pretty sure we are DFL on quite a few educational measures right now. It's very very depressing.

And I had to laugh. He did not "retire". He had 6? 7? years left himself. No, he simply gnawed off a limb and QUIT, after the first week of the school year. He just couldn't stay. The job was beginning to literally kill him by seriously impacting his health, not to mention making him miserable beyond measure. That last 2 years they had gone to a "continuous learning calendar", touted as this great thing, but really meaning just the same amount of days, but longer breaks and shorter periods of school being in, which meant darn near year round school, but remember, no more actual time. And while the breaks were longer and the perfect length to really maximize how much the kids forgot each time, the summer was much shorter, and never long enough to decompress from the last round.

The exodus from teaching in this state is staggering. I hope you can stick it out too Maria. Surely you're vested at least by now? (I'm not assuming all states are the same of course) My guy was, and that's why he could leave, even though he isn't drawing his retirement just yet.

 

[Dancing Fire]

I do think it’s completely disrespectful and ungrateful to our veterans and all those who have sacrificed their lives for the freedom of this nation. It seems everything is racism nowadays. National anthem, the flag, pledge allegiance, and what next? Tax and religions? Come on people.

The far left will always play the race card. I'd give you credit for going against the grain here. You better wear a bulletproof vest.

 

[Maria D]

You’re either illogical or misunderstood what was written. Since I received alert emails for this auto watched thread I’m going to leave one more reply.

It’s the kid, the athletes, and others who are disrespectful of this nation, claiming the anthem, the pledge, and even the flag being representative of racism. Just wow. They’re pitching the made up hypocrisy which I find utterly ridiculous.

Diversion? How ironic because I was responding to the very issues brought up.

Unwatvching this thread now.
Be grateful, be loyal to our USA, and try to be positive. It’ll do more good, spiritually and physically.
Have a great day.

Here's another alert for you to read then. It is not the kid & athletes who are disrespectful of the United States of America, it is people who don't understand what this nation stands for. Kids and athletes are not claiming anything that prevents anyone else from exercising their rights. YOU are one of those that are doing this. If you are in fact a US citizen, then all I can say is: for shame.

If a child doesn't wish to partake in the pledge ritual, the Constitution of the United States of America gives him the right to abstain from doing so. The claims for not doing so do not matter and are in fact no one else's business. I have the opportunity to say the pledge each day and I choose not to. It has nothing to do with racism, justice or liberty in my case. I do not have to explain why to anyone because I am lucky enough to be a citizen of the great United States of America. Maybe where you are from people can be forced to be grateful, or march in parades, or sing anthems, but not here in the United States.

I don't need to try to be positive, I AM positive. You are the one who has a problem with rights granted by the Constitution.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Police brutality against minorities is far greater than against whites.

There is racial injustice in this country.

Not against Asians. I guess white cops love Asians.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Talk about hypocrisy. Why is it that these liberals fail to blame the specific person responsible for a misdeed? Don’t blame the color, the race, the whole occupation, and definitely not the entire nation. Using the race card repeatedly is a cheap cop out.

Because that's all they have left.

 

[Calliecake]

Looks like we have a troll.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Looks like we have a troll.

Why you say that? ...Anyone who does not agree with the left wing agenda is a troll?

 

[Dancing Fire]

So iis it ok for people like Jussie Smollett to create the spectacle of the social injustice by hiring thugs to exaggerate the “tentacles?”

Must you ask such a difficult Q? .
FYI... 88% of the members here are radical left wingers.

 

[Maria D]

Ha! I let him read your reply and he snorted out loud in agreement at the "had to increase the daily pay rate because...". It's pretty dismal around here too. But then do look up the stats on Oklahoma - I'm pretty sure we are DFL on quite a few educational measures right now. It's very very depressing.

And I had to laugh. He did not "retire". He had 6? 7? years left himself. No, he simply gnawed off a limb and QUIT, after the first week of the school year. He just couldn't stay. The job was beginning to literally kill him by seriously impacting his health, not to mention making him miserable beyond measure. That last 2 years they had gone to a "continuous learning calendar", touted as this great thing, but really meaning just the same amount of days, but longer breaks and shorter periods of school being in, which meant darn near year round school, but remember, no more actual time. And while the breaks were longer and the perfect length to really maximize how much the kids forgot each time, the summer was much shorter, and never long enough to decompress from the last round.

The exodus from teaching in this state is staggering. I hope you can stick it out too Maria. Surely you're vested at least by now? (I'm not assuming all states are the same of course) My guy was, and that's why he could leave, even though he isn't drawing his retirement just yet.

Yikes, "continuous learning calendar" sounds like hell!

For me, it's having to do more each year while at the same time getting older that is becoming draining. First it was more class time (they cut down our prep periods) so that class sizes could be smaller. We all knew that eventually they'd bring classes back to original size so they could lay off teachers. And now they've increased to above the original size instead of hiring those teachers back. But of course there's always room in the budget to pay for more central office directors and outside consultants. These people get paid the big bucks to "guide" our work towards local & state initiatives. Guiding basically means telling teachers to figure it out for themselves and submit plans for approval - they call this "teacher voice." In Maine we spent YEARS building plans to comply to the State's mandate for proficiency based diplomas until the whole thing imploded and the law was repealed.

I didn't start teaching in public school until my mid-forties so I would really like to stick it out as long possible to maximize my pension. My husband retired last year and isn't eligible for Medicare yet. We do have to pay to have him on my insurance - but it's a lot less than it would be without a group plan.

I am still enjoying teaching and I have truly wonderful students. My new mindset is to stop trying to fight the system, do the best I can without sacrificing my own health (I WILL sleep at least 6.5 hours a night!) and find moments of joy where I can in the years I have left.

 

[Maria D]

Looks like we have a troll.

Awww, DF made a new friend!

 

[Calliecake]

Why you say that? ...Anyone who does not agree with the left wing agenda is a troll?

Look at the number of posts @Dancing Fire. Who goes on an internet site, posts 7 times and is looking for an argument ....a troll.

 

[Maria D]

It’s crystal that shrewd people give up trifling political quarrels here seeing the untenable responses. Can’t logic with the unhinged.

“Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.”

 

[Dancing Fire]

Awww, DF made a new friend!

I have 0 friends on PS. just enemies.

 

[Dancing Fire]

I don’t know about you but I appreciate this great nation!
My turn to bow out. Have a great discussion.

 

[ksinger]

Yikes, "continuous learning calendar" sounds like hell!

For me, it's having to do more each year while at the same time getting older that is becoming draining. First it was more class time (they cut down our prep periods) so that class sizes could be smaller. We all knew that eventually they'd bring classes back to original size so they could lay off teachers. And now they've increased to above the original size instead of hiring those teachers back. But of course there's always room in the budget to pay for more central office directors and outside consultants. These people get paid the big bucks to "guide" our work towards local & state initiatives. Guiding basically means telling teachers to figure it out for themselves and submit plans for approval - they call this "teacher voice." In Maine we spent YEARS building plans to comply to the State's mandate for proficiency based diplomas until the whole thing imploded and the law was repealed.

I didn't start teaching in public school until my mid-forties so I would really like to stick it out as long possible to maximize my pension. My husband retired last year and isn't eligible for Medicare yet. We do have to pay to have him on my insurance - but it's a lot less than it would be without a group plan.

I am still enjoying teaching and I have truly wonderful students. My new mindset is to stop trying to fight the system, do the best I can without sacrificing my own health (I WILL sleep at least 6.5 hours a night!) and find moments of joy where I can in the years I have left.

Yes, to all of that. What you describe is only a variation of what is going on here. It's going on all over the country, and we're seeing it with the teacher-strike-o-the-month. Those may eventually work in some states, but I can tell you, in mine, it's at best a tiny win of a battle in a losing war.

Public education is in serious trouble all over the country. Much like we're giving up on the "great experiment" in democracy, we're giving up on what was once the pride of America, our public education.

 

[AGBF]

Yes, to all of that. What you describe is only a variation of what is going on here. It's going on all over the country, and we're seeing it with the teacher-strike-o-the-month. Those may eventually work in some states, but I can tell you, in mine, it's at best a tiny win of a battle in a losing war.

Public education is in serious trouble all over the country. Much like we're giving up on the "great experiment" in democracy, we're giving up on what was once the pride of America, our public education.

I hear you. I have to say that some people are still fighting the good fight. My brother and sister-in-law are among those people. My sister-in-law is a teacher who is not yet old enough to retire teaching first grade in a town in Connecticut. She has been doing it for eons. Her late father was once Superintendent of Schools for that entire district. She is a very dedicated teacher to whom all the "problem" children are given. The school district is not wealthy and is racially mixed. My brother's children attended school there and came out with a wonderful attitude about racial equality. After my brother retired from HUD (Housing and Urban Development) a year ago he ran for the Board of Education in his town. He has now been on it for several months, as the vice chairman, dedicating a huge amount of time to it. He also still does one volunteer activity that he has been doing for several years. He goes one morning a week to shake hands with high school students coming to school in the morning. The current Superintendent of Schools set up this program. Many children, especially males who come from single parent households, do not have male role models. The Superintendent wanted to have men from the community come to the high school to shake hands and chat with the students to show that they cared.

The town does not always support the schools. The town as a whole has to vote on the school budget and it is not large. (The school budget in the town where I live is much bigger. My town is much wealthier and not racially diverse.) There are some really dedicated people working in my brother's town, though. And I know there are dedicated people in education everywhere, just like the teachers who post her. And like the teacher your husband was when he was actively teaching, ksinger. It just takes a village.

My niece (the one pursuing a Ph.D now) got tired of dealing with teaching public school Spanish to people who didn't want to learn. She had a passion for Spanish. So she decided to teach college students Spanish. She has done that for several years as she studied for her degree. Colleges need teachers, too. She has found a good niche. Not everyone was meant to teach public school. But I am glad that not everyone has given up on public school teaching yet. And although I am not naming you, I know who many of the public school teachers on Pricescope are and I salute you!