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

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.

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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."

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.

By Virgil Samms (not verified) on 09 May 2008 #permalink