Idiots.

[RakuraiTenjin]

Not standing up is an affirmation of what the flag really stands for. Soldiers are out fighting and dying not to force people to be patriotic in some stupid mindless flag worship mantra bullshit, but to be free to say "What the shit, I'm sitting down, I'm talking to so-and-so, you all can patrioticize youselves up the wazoo for all I care, it's a free country, and I'm sitting down.

I remember having to do the flag bullshit pledge shit during 9th grade, but towards the end of highschool nobody really cared. There were always the prize idiots whose idea of freedom was to force everybody to recite the pledge. (Seriously, if you can't see the problem with that you've got a bit of problem) I remember some dumbass substitute teacher who bitched me out because I didn't say the pledge in english, because I was so ****ing bored of it. I politely informed her that she was a dumbass and my refusal to partake in nationalistic bullshit was far more patriotic than forcing students to do something under the guise of patriotism.

In summary, the pledge makes me sick, it's stupid, meaningless and UN-patriotic.

You don't have to, and anyone who'd force you is stupid.

But you can't say it's unpatriotic for those who are saying it with the full meaning of what the words say and mean.

 

[FictiousWill]

No, Yeah you're definately right - if you say the pledge and mean it, on your own time, then yeah it's very patriotic and I respect any and all that see it that way.

Unfortunately, I've seen maybe ... one, two people ever who do - everybody else I've ever encountered just say because they believe they have to, and it's their duty to force everybody else to as well, an attitude that is contrary to everything the pledge stands for.

And there was a definite forcefulness to say the pledge when I was in school, in all three of my highschools. Anybody who didn't say it was ridiculed as being unpatriotic by students and teachers alike. That just made me loathe it even more, and I never said it at all the last two/three years of school.

 

[Dr. Freeman]

National pride? I don't know about you, but I'm certainly not proud of my country (Britain) at all.

I think I'd only be proud of my country if I lived in Canada or France or Japan or something. You know, cool countries.

wow...i feel bad for u guys in the UK then.
i mean, if i thought the lack of showing national pride was pathetic here, i could only imagine whats going on in the UK :|

anyway im not saying everyone should go out and sing the national anthem or wave the flag...but damn...just have some more respect for the country u live in...and u know, celebrating, last i checked never hurt anyone.

 

[Ol'Master]

The only National Anthem I respect is of the Radiohead variety.

 

[Lucid]

Whenever I did the pledge, I felt like I was in 1940s Germany...for some reason.
I stopped doing it in 6th grade... I felt dumb singing the national anthem, or reciting the pledge.
Doesn't mean I'm any less patriotic to my country.

 

[Kangy]

The thing is, people in the UK would be pretty patriotic if Hitler was banging on our door and such. Right now, there's no such thing, and this War on Terror really doesn't get many people stirred up.

 

[Sprafa]

British people, like Portuguese, don't really like their Governments (the State itself), but would give a hell of a fight for their nextdoor neighbours. You don't have to be proud about imaginary lines or pieces of painted cloth in a patternized way. You have to be proud of the people you live with. The Government changes every 4 years anyway.

 

[Sulkdodds]

anyway im not saying everyone should go out and sing the national anthem or wave the flag...but damn...just have some more respect for the country u live in...and u know, celebrating, last i checked never hurt anyone.

We have stuff like 'National Give Eachother Presents Day'. :E

The thing is, people in the UK would be pretty patriotic if Hitler was banging on our door and such.

Yup.

See, the thing is, Dr Freeman, English patriotism is weird. It's kind of like...

This country may be horrible and wet and rainy and full of chavs...but it's OURS! YERRR!

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

British people, like Portuguese, don't really like their Governments (the State itself), but would give a hell of a fight for their nextdoor neighbours. You don't have to be proud about imaginary lines or pieces of painted cloth in a patternized way. You have to be proud of the people you live with. The Government changes every 4 years anyway.

Patriotism isn't about the leaders it's about national unity as a people. So it is essentially what you said.

When I say I pledge allegiance, to flag of the United States of America, and to the republic, for which it stands one nation, under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all the parts that I emphasized are the most important. National unity as a people wih our culture and to the constitution, not the state.

 

[dream431ca]

hmm...yeah i do find that even us Canadians don't show enough national pride.
as much as i hate to admit it, Canada Day almost felt like "just another day" because alot of places were surprisingly open today for business.

also i just didn't notice enough events and stuff going around the GTA (Greater Toronto Area for those wondering what GTA means) involving Canada Day celebrations.
anyway i hope this changes :|

You should have seen Edmonton. Every car Downtown had a Canada Day flag on it (some were huge), Tons of People were waring Canada day hats, shirts Caps, you name it. I was impressed this year.

 

[kirovman]

British people, like Portuguese, don't really like their Governments (the State itself), but would give a hell of a fight for their nextdoor neighbours. You don't have to be proud about imaginary lines or pieces of painted cloth in a patternized way. You have to be proud of the people you live with. The Government changes every 4 years anyway.

Sprafa is teh win^^^

 

[theotherguy]

Here in texas, they force us to say both the national and the state pledge to both flags standing up with our hands over our hearts. If we sit down, we are usually forced to stand up by the teachers, and if we continue to sit we usually get a detention (in some classes)

however, I try to cheat the system by cutting out certain parts of the pledge and completly ignoring the stupid texas pledge. (seriously, Texas is not an fing country anymore!)

 

[SimonomiS]

We have stuff like 'National Give Eachother Presents Day'. :E



Yup.

See, the thing is, Dr Freeman, English patriotism is weird. It's kind of like...

This country may be horrible and wet and rainy and full of chavs...but it's OURS! YERRR!

I think its more;

At least we're not France!

 

[pomegranate]

The day I pledge national pride or allegience is the day that I actually that my country has an admirable history, society, government or culture. Unfortunately I don't think we really have any of this. There are some nice people and there are some remarkable people in our history, but most people I've met are selfish, narrow-minded, apathetic sheep.

 

[dfc05]

Here in texas, they force us to say both the national and the state pledge to both flags standing up with our hands over our hearts. If we sit down, we are usually forced to stand up by the teachers, and if we continue to sit we usually get a detention (in some classes)

however, I try to cheat the system by cutting out certain parts of the pledge and completly ignoring the stupid texas pledge. (seriously, Texas is not an fing country anymore!)

I never liked the Texas pledge, but luckily for me, I didn't have a first period class after it was implemented and never even learned it. When I did have to be at school early, I just didn't say it. Half the people around me didn't say it. Nobody cared. I don't even know why they started this whole "Texas pledge" thing. Did the Texas pledge already exist before? Or did someone randomly make it up a few years ago because they had nothing better to do with their time? Who knows...

As for the US pledge, I'll usually stand up and say that one, although again, I usually wasn't even at school that early in the morning. The last time we said it at school, we were waiting in the hall for testing and didn't have a flag to pledge to, so some of us said it and the rest of the people just stood around. I don't think people at my school ever forced anyone to say it.

 

[Dr. Freeman]

You should have seen Edmonton. Every car Downtown had a Canada Day flag on it (some were huge), Tons of People were waring Canada day hats, shirts Caps, you name it. I was impressed this year.

wow.
every time i hear something about western Canada, (Edmonton specifically ) it always seems to impress me...seriously, u guys in Edmonton truly are the darlings of Canada.

i just wish we here in eastern Canada were even half as proud as u guys are over there.