Were you ever reprimanded for not standing for the pledge? (Or other national equivalent)

Better worded question than the last since I don't think many teachers would be hat stupid to force you to and risk losing their jobs or get in trouble. But that depends on the time and place.

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firefall · 61-69, M

Never. But then, I've never encountered the idea of pledging public allegiance to a piece of cloth except in the USA, and I still marvel at the stupidity & evil* of it. But then Americans seem to be [i]really [/i]into performative ritual empty of meaning.

*Evil? yes, because it's enforcing conformity and groupthink on children, at a time when you should be trying to encourage creativity and independance of thought. The result is a society that is stultified, stratified and worships authority far too much

Cease · 26-30

@firefall I never saw meaning in doing it or rebellion in not doing it.
But from the time I remember, the teacher seemed appalled at me so I panicked and stood when she told me to a 2nd time. I wasn't one to question authority. I just thought: I stay silent, I didn't hold my hand over my heart, so why stand? But not standing at all was "too far". Never understood people getting so personally offended about it; especially without knowing your intent for not doing so.

I don't like to think in a "good-evil" dichotomy But I can see how it's disingenuous when most people do know the half of it. I like many things about this country: how this country came to be under great, secular minds against many odds; and that a government was made malleable for new ideals that the Founding Fathers didn't hold and beyond their time; the conglomeration of different cultures, etc. But I'm aware of Native American genocide, being voluntarily part of the French-Indian War and owing our due, Founding Fathers less then ideal faults and values, Civil War hypocrisy etc. (all of which is glazed over often. I learned about Wounded Knee from a videogame. I only ever had one history teacher bring any of that up and he was a student teacher). But for many, that flag is like a hero that you just ignore the flaw of.