Now on ScienceBlogs: Oh, no! School wi-fi is making our kids sick! (2012 edition)

ScienceBlogs Book Club: Inside the Outbreaks

Greg Laden's Blog

Evolution, Life Sciences, Science Education, Human Evolution, and Stuff

Hornbill170.jpg Looking for stuff about birds?

Darwing_Face.jpg Learn more about Charles Darwin and his work.

Lion_mane170.jpg Lean more about lions

Congo_sidebar.jpg An archaeological expedition to the Congo


The Skeptical Search Engine


Nature Blog Network
Climate Defense Fund


The contents of Greg Laden's Blog are copyrighted by Greg Laden.

Recent Comments

Search

Profile


Click on "About" for the big picture, and "Archives" for the details.


Recent Posts

Blogroll

If you don't see yourself on my blogroll, just drop me a line and let me know. I'll add you.*
*Assuming that I'm on your blogroll, of course!

Archives

« No More UN Aid to Burma | Main | Should the official city seal include the Christian Cross? New Internet Poll »

Pledge of Allegiance Suspension: Maybe homeschooling is the better choice in Yahooland, Minnesota

Posted on: May 9, 2008 5:46 PM, by Greg Laden

Dilworth Minnesota is not far from Fargo. On Thursday, three eighth graders in this small town have been suspended from school because they sat down during the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.

School rules at Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton Junior High requires that students stand during the pledge, but does not require that they recite it. The school's principle is hiding behind the usual "this is a privacy issue" smoke screen and is not commenting on this disciplinary action.

The students committed this act of sitting down while Principle Houglum was observing the class. She told them to report to the office, where they then served what is called "in-school suspension."

The students were apparently openly berated for being disrespectful to the troops in Iraq.

The next day (this morning) another student, Bishop Edens, was suspended for the same reason, but was, according to reports, "quickly invited back once his principal learned that [this] rule might be unconstitutional."

Bummer. Your first and probably only chance to get suspended for political reasons, and the school administration goes soft on you... oh well.

At least one of the Thursday Three failed to stand during the pledge because she did not hear it on the intercom.

The story is reported here and here.

Share on Facebook
Share on StumbleUpon
Share on Facebook
Find more posts in: Education & CareersPolitics

TrackBacks

TrackBack URL for this entry: http://scienceblogs.com/mt/pings/71504

Comments

1

Here's how we should handle the Pledge (and the moment of silence):

http://logicalextremes.blogspot.com/2008/04/moment-of-silence-for-pledge-of.html

Posted by: Logical Extremes | May 9, 2008 6:18 PM

2

This isn't even a complicated situation. Sigh. The amazing lack of understanding about what this country stands for in the context of the pledge is breathtaking.

Incidentally, "taht students and during the pledge" should probably read "that students stand during the pledge."

Posted by: Joshua Zelinsky | May 9, 2008 8:00 PM

3
Fourteen-year-old Bishop Edens says the principal told the students it was disrespectful to sit during the pledge, especially with American troops fighting in Iraq.
Because it is so disrespectful to exercise your freedoms while our brave men and women in uniform are abroad fighting for our freedoms.

Posted by: Virgil Samms | May 9, 2008 8:15 PM

4

At least it was Minnesota and not North Dakota...

Posted by: Cherish | May 9, 2008 10:18 PM

5

For those who want to have their say in online polls:

http://www.startribune.com/polls/18800959.html

Posted by: Stephanie Z | May 10, 2008 8:47 AM

Post a Comment

(Email is required for authentication purposes only. On some blogs, comments are moderated for spam, so your comment may not appear immediately.)





ScienceBlogs

Search ScienceBlogs:

Go to:

Advertisement
Follow ScienceBlogs on Twitter

© 2006-2011 ScienceBlogs LLC. ScienceBlogs is a registered trademark of ScienceBlogs LLC. All rights reserved.