i stand but i don’t face the flag nor do i recite

I approve

You’re officially invited to my Heck The Rules Club^TM that I just made just now

The band kids at my school had first block in a seperate building. That building generally turned the intercom down, or off. Once the principal came in and watched our class, as he do, ya know. He was upset that we didn’t do the pledge. So the next day we had to stand and do the pledge. The only person who participated was the teacher. We sat silently. It was a group decision that wasn’t discussed before hand. He said ok. Later that week a petition was delivered to the principal about the pledge and how none of the kids wanted to do that. He doubled down, and told the teacher to send any kid not participating to the office. The following Monday when his policy of sending the kids to the office was in effect the entire band class was matched down to the office.

With our interments.

The principal tried to lecture us and the trumpet players were not having it. The drum major ran us through every song right there in the office.

After that the pledge was optional.

(Quietly, but with a lot of feeling) holy s h I t

Friendly reminder that unionizing works, even if there’s not an official union in place

also friendly reminder that it’s illegal to require everyone to recite the pledge of allegiance. anyone is allowed to sit, to stand and say nothing, or to not say the entire thing. lots of people i know do not say “under god” due to their religious beliefs, and lots of other people don’t say the pledge at all. enforcing the pledge of allegiance is illegal. it can be encouraged, and i know some schools require you to like fill out a form stating why you don’t want to participate, but punishing those who don’t say it is not allowed.

you can look up the supreme court decision in the case of West Virginia Board of Education v. Barnette to learn more about it.