Complaint about the pledge of allegiance to Board of Education

[BenLew]

Hello!

I am planning on submitting a formal written complaint about the phrase "under God" in the pledge to the board of education for my county. Just wondering if you guys had any ideas about how i should write it or things i should include.

I already started a petition against the pledge, and wrote an article in my school paper. You can read the article on the petition website at http://www.gopetition.com/petition/39119.html. It already includes a lot of my ideas for this complaint. Also please sign if you want!

I was looking at the official procedures and regulations for my school district. The specific rule I am complaining about is:

H. Patriotic Exercise
1. The principal will assure that:
a) Appropriate opening exercises, including the salute and pledge to the
flag, are conducted

which contradicts:

I. Freedom of Religion
1. School personnel will assure that:
a) School-sponsored religious exercises are not conducted
b) Religious beliefs or particular religious beliefs are not advocated in
school-sponsored activities such as commencements or other such
assemblies
c) No school-sponsored activity or course is religious in nature

and:

This school district prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, gender, including sexual harassment, religion, age, marital status, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, physical characteristics, or disability.

Should I call this a discrimination complaint? Any ideas on what I should write or include or just the format would be very much appreciated! Thanks!

[HeyItsZeus]

I never recite the pledge at school. I refuse to. My homeroom teacher complains about it but I stay true to my ideals.

I refuse to pledge my allegiance to any corrupt organization! And Fuck God!

[Nitsuj]

I kind of mumble the pledge, but I always put my hand behind my back and don't say the "Under God" part.

Anyway, I support what you're going for. It'll probably be pretty tough to do something though, particularly if the majority of the board is religious. Those people refuse to respond to that kind of logic.

[Minimalist]

Contact the ACLU. They probably have a template to fill in.

[leo-rcc]

I never understood this pledge thing. Is this mandatory in US schools, and if so, why?

[Minimalist]

Some shithead ( Republican, of course) amended the pledge to include the words "under god" in 1954 in order to demonstrate that he was a superstitious twit. It is not mandatory.

[downbeatplumb]

But why a pledge anyway?
We dont have anything similar in england.
It smacks of a crude sort of mind control.
Like constantly shouting 'we're number one' all the time.
Easily influenced people will believe it.

[BenLew]

I never understood this pledge thing. Is this mandatory in US schools, and if so, why?

In my school district at least, public schools are required to hold a reciting of the pledge every morning. Students are not required to participate. But almost all do and most teachers will at least make you stand if not say it.

[Minimalist]

But why a pledge anyway?

Americans love stupid symbolism.

[Thor]

Looking back on it now, I realize that when I was in grade school and reciting the pledge every morning I had no idea what the words meant. I didn't know what a "republic" is, or what "indivisible" means. By the time I was old enough to comprehend the words, I was simply doing the pledge by rote. And why am I pledging allegiance to a flag? When I joined the military I took an oath to support and defend the Constitution, not the flag.

Also, I can only imagine what people of African extraction were thinking when they recited "with liberty and justice for all" during the days of segregation. If I was around back then I think I would have added the words "white people" to the end of the pledge whenever I had to recite it.