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I'm going to start standing for the pledge
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Evasion Offline
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Post: #1
I'm going to start standing for the pledge

Part coercion, part choice.

I never stand for the flag. Haven't in 2 years. I went so far as to write essays to teachers explaining why I don't stand. Well, recently a teacher noticed that I haven't been standing and scolded me. This is one of those teachers who you can't talk to. Since I didn't require the class, I figured I'd just switch out. Got me thinking though. Does sitting down really bring me any comfort? Any sense of freedom from their authority? None that I've noticed.

So I started thinking.

What if I started standing? What if I re-wrote an essay about finding my patriotism, and my passion for my country? Nothing too over the top, just enough to give her the message.

I think of it this way, in time, I can fly under the radar. By sitting down I'm instantly a target, put on a list if you will.....if I look like everyone else, they will have no idea. So if I start distributing anti-school material in secret, they'll skip right past me because I'm wearing a disguise. Next time I steal something of value to them, I'll look like a regular student, maybe a bit of a slacker, but certainly not a pissed off anti-authoritarian.

I see it this way, I give up something small, but I can reclaim that small act of conformity by creating greater acts of revenge within the school and passing by with deception.

Thoughts?

“When an individual is protesting society's refusal to acknowledge his dignity as a human being, his very act of protest confers dignity on him.”
04-15-2008 09:35 AM
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Darthmat Offline
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Post: #2
Re: I'm going to start standing for the pledge

That's a very smart but dangerous game- you have to make sure you don't lose who you are.

I highly suggest Mobb Deep's albums The Infamous and Hell on Earth, if you have not listened to it yet.
04-15-2008 09:40 AM
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youvebeenthunderstruck Offline
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Post: #3
Re: I'm going to start standing for the pledge

Stay seated if you want to. By law, you're not required to stand for the pledge.

<lordpie> Life sucks so much right now. It seems I'm spending all of it doing math.
<Rosti_LFC> You are "Math Boy"
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04-15-2008 09:41 AM
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Evasion Offline
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Post: #4
Re: I'm going to start standing for the pledge

darthmat Wrote:That's a very smart but dangerous game- you have to make sure you don't lose who you are.

I have no trouble lying to figures of authority, I do it all the time. Trust me, this won't be hard at all. I don't like to label myself as an anarchist, but you can pretty much consider me as one. I'm so passionate in my ideals that theres no way I'll lose myself. I go to school and act (part of the time) and come home and plot.

youvebeenthunderstruck Wrote:Stay seated if you want to. By law, you're not required to stand for the pledge.

I know that. I've played that card in all of my essays. Who knows, maybe I'll start sitting down again in the future. But I think I'm going to see how this works for now.

“When an individual is protesting society's refusal to acknowledge his dignity as a human being, his very act of protest confers dignity on him.”
04-15-2008 09:47 AM
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youvebeenthunderstruck Offline
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Post: #5
Re: I'm going to start standing for the pledge

I'm saying that if you're marked as a 'target', you can get the ACLU on their ass.

<lordpie> Life sucks so much right now. It seems I'm spending all of it doing math.
<Rosti_LFC> You are "Math Boy"
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<Rosti_LFC> Unable to integrate with society. Only with functions of x
04-15-2008 09:49 AM
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SoulRiser Offline
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Post: #6
Re: I'm going to start standing for the pledge

IMO, this idea sounds a lot more fun than having constant debates about sitting. It's kinda like being undercover... Evil

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04-15-2008 09:54 AM
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Evasion Offline
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Post: #7
Re: I'm going to start standing for the pledge

youvebeenthunderstruck Wrote:I'm saying that if you're marked as a 'target', you can get the ACLU on their ass.


I'm not necessarily a 'target' for them, what I'm saying is by doing this I'm more likely to slip under the radar. If someone distributes anti-school/government material....chances are the only person who sits down during the pledge of allegiance will be the first to be looked at. Even more so myself, because I wrote essays that are not necessarily anti-authority, but pretty damn close to it. If I happen to do that, I'd make sure I change my writing style a bit, or just print out someone else's essays or articles. I've never been caught, but I have a history of being accused of stealing. I've done it quite a few times, and I guess its kind of good that I stopped when I did, cause I was getting more confident and I was planning on going around to all my classes with a screwdriver and seeing how many pencil sharpeners I could steal. That was my flaw, I told people what I was doing, of course, they told. But they had no proof. This time I'm not going to tell anyone.

SoulRiser Wrote:IMO, this idea sounds a lot more fun than having constant debates about sitting. It's kinda like being undercover... Evil

Thats kind of how I look at it, being undercover. Biggrin

“When an individual is protesting society's refusal to acknowledge his dignity as a human being, his very act of protest confers dignity on him.”
04-15-2008 12:35 PM
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liq3 Offline
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Post: #8
Re: I'm going to start standing for the pledge

Nice idea. Here's an idea...Does your school have a central email system? If so, email the newsletters to everyone, preferably with something like gmail. This will make it super hard for the teachers to figure out who's doing it. Don't forget to email yourself Wink

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04-15-2008 06:45 PM
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akdonn Offline
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Post: #9
Re: I'm going to start standing for the pledge

Evasion:

Yaaaahn. Mostly this sounds like a kid trying to find him/her self.

Self: "What happens when I refuse to stand up for the pledge? Can I get some attention from someone in authority?

Later: "No fun anymore, they don't care. Maybe I won't sit for the pledge anymore, I'll do something else to piss 'em off, something more insidious and sneaky. By standing for the pledge they won't think I'm doing something else stupid."

Gosh, how clever and original.

Sounds like you are trying to figure out what you want to be when you grow up; a criminal or a cop?
04-15-2008 07:26 PM
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liq3 Offline
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Post: #10
Re: I'm going to start standing for the pledge

Is it just me, or is akdonn tying to stop everyone from bagging school and doing stuff against school? Oh I know it's one of those...

"Most of the harm in the world is done by good people, and not by accident, lapse, or omission. It is the result of their deliberate actions, long persevered in, which they hold to be motivated by high ideals toward virtuous ends." – Isabel Paterson

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04-15-2008 07:31 PM
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akdonn Offline
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Post: #11
Re: I'm going to start standing for the pledge

Oh my, a conspiracy theory! Little ol' me is "tying to stop everyone from bagging school and doing stuff against school."

You're giving me a little bit too much credit there, genius.
04-15-2008 07:38 PM
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liq3 Offline
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Re: I'm going to start standing for the pledge

Hehe yeh, my other theory is you just want to prove everyone wrong.

Epic win book.
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04-15-2008 07:46 PM
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AWOL Offline
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Post: #13
Re: I'm going to start standing for the pledge

I for one, can say this works very well. I go to a christian school and was hounded every day for some bit of trouble someone else did. I started singing the songs bowing my head in respect when praying and getting up to receive my Effort in Christian Dev. Award (I'm smart!) I did this gradually and they noticed, but only slightly, and they haven't bugged me since. I am now spreading social discort throughout the school.

Also,just to get it off my chest, i'm experiencing incredible curiosity in what being gay is like. Embarrassed Well thats that off mah chest. Srry for off topic btw.

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04-15-2008 08:42 PM
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Evasion Offline
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Post: #14
Re: I'm going to start standing for the pledge


Yaaaahn. Mostly this sounds like a kid trying to find him/her self.

Self: "What happens when I refuse to stand up for the pledge? Can I get some attention from someone in authority?


Attention? What are you talking about? The reason I stopped standing for the pledge wasn't even because I was against all forms of formal authority. Its because its an unnecessary act even if you ARE patriotic. If you're a patriot, fine, you love your country. Theres no reason to stand up like a robot and say it everyday. Heck, that takes the passion out of it because you stop thinking about it and you are just repeating the same thing every day.

I have a good idea of who I am. Its been pretty difficult finding myself when everyone in my life is trying to tell me who I am. Parents, teachers, church figures...
Reminded me of som,ething that happened, we had career day yesterday, people came to talk about jobs. I was at a mortician just because I figured it would be interesting, and she was talking about religion and said, "Well, I'll leave that aspect up to your parents and religious figures to decide." what? We don't get a say in what we believe?

Later: "No fun anymore, they don't care. Maybe I won't sit for the pledge anymore, I'll do something else to piss 'em off, something more insidious and sneaky. By standing for the pledge they won't think I'm doing something else stupid."

It never WAS fun. All I had was shit for two years because I was the only one to sit down for the flag. Instead I'm trying something different, it will have a much better impact than some 'kid' sitting down during the pledge of allegiance.

Sounds like you are trying to figure out what you want to be when you grow up; a criminal or a cop?

Where did 'cop' come from? I think I get where you're coming from, in that case you mean....undercover criminal? Biggrin

“When an individual is protesting society's refusal to acknowledge his dignity as a human being, his very act of protest confers dignity on him.”
04-15-2008 08:46 PM
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Coma Girl Offline
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Post: #15
Re: I'm going to start standing for the pledge

hmm, its good to see youve planned it out, i think its a great idea.

"People often compete to be considered right rather than collaborating to find the real answer."-Will.

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04-17-2008 09:29 PM
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thoughtmaker Offline
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Post: #16
Re: I'm going to start standing for the pledge

Sounds like you are trying to figure out what you want to be when you grow up; a criminal or a cop?

what's the difference? Rolleyes
04-18-2008 02:59 AM
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Milk2Go Offline
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Post: #17
Re: I'm going to start standing for the pledge

In my opinion, the people who don't stand up for the pledge are the most patriotic; they're expressing their American right to not stand up for the pledge.
04-18-2008 09:05 AM
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youvebeenthunderstruck Offline
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Post: #18
Re: I'm going to start standing for the pledge

BobManPerson Wrote:In my opinion, the people who don't stand up for the pledge are the most patriotic; they're expressing their American right to not stand up for the pledge.

Thumbsup

<lordpie> Life sucks so much right now. It seems I'm spending all of it doing math.
<Rosti_LFC> You are "Math Boy"
<Rosti_LFC> Doer of math
<Rosti_LFC> Unable to integrate with society. Only with functions of x
04-18-2008 09:06 AM
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Thotwater Offline
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Post: #19
Re: I'm going to start standing for the pledge

You could try standing without placing your hand over your heart and reciting the Pledge. That's what I do and no one has bothered me about it so far. It's less noticeable than sitting down, anyway.

"Speak softly, for always ones are listening."
04-18-2008 09:52 AM
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