vaztarak
January 1st, 2010, 03:04 AM
I'm a teenager - what's new? - at high school - cliche much? So anyways, our capitalist Christmas break is almost over, but I have an issue I thought I should post on this forum.
About two months ago, two major events occurred in my school related life.
First, I wanted to experience a, if you call it this, militaristic-sort-of-training that my school offered - Junior ROTC, Marine Core JRTOC, whatever you wanna call it. This course is generally in a classroom and we are taught leadership skills as well as discipline and general American military related things. I switched out of a math course (because I already have enough math credits to graduate) into this one.
Second, the teacher of the French-language class I am in did something I see rather unconstitutional.
(Now, up until this year, I refused to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance because I saw it as anti-freedom and more towards nationalism or even fascism at that. I generally have an outlook on Marxism, pure democracy, and even Anarchy. Standing and pledging, making an oath to a nation, is ridiculous. First off, its as bad as the Nazi's enforcing the Zieg Heils along with pledging their life for the Fatherland. Second off, I'm a natural-born-citizen, and I'm given the right to choose to stand or not, let alone the fact that I'm born here is good enough. I'm giving an oath to a cloth that is a mere symbol. So showing respect for a change, because this country does in fact give me freedom and rights, I began to stand.)
Prior to this year as well, my previous French-language teacher had addressed the class for not standing, and basically stated that everyone needs to stand. My french teacher this year did the same thing. Both of them reasoned that we need to stand out of respect because soldiers are fighting for our freedom in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Middle East. She also reasoned that these kids a few years older than us are dying for our country.
First off, I believe the woman contradicted herself completely. She reasoned that we must stand for voluntary soldiers, who through their own will, decided to fight in a war against what we have deemed as terrorism. They are also establishing democracy and giving these oppressed people who do not have choices or any rights to choose, these said rights they lack.
So from that day forth, I refused to stand altogether. I found that she was committing a practical crime at that. So this lasted for a few weeks until I was one day, before all classes, my instructor in ROTC wanted to speak with me. I at the time had earned my way up from a Private to a Sergeant, and showed my dedicated to the program. He said that my French teacher wanted me to stand for the Pledge, and he told me that I cannot sit, that I do in fact in school have to stand, just not pledge or repeat the verses.
Next day, I have her class. She pulls me outside her classroom and says she wants to have a word with me. I ask her if its about my lack of pledging, and she says yes, in which I told her the instructor already addressed and corrected me. So that class, I stood for the pledge. What else was I going to do, get suspended? Who knows, but I submitted and stood.
So this day I talk to a few friends about it, and they tell me to go see some sort of professional and see if, you know, this is even legal for these teachers to be doing that. I go to my History teacher who I'm quite friendly with and he goes online for me and finds out that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled around 1940 that students do not have to stand or pledge to the flag while in school, whatsoever.
Him being my first period on certain days, he knows I do not have a problem with standing, because I stand in his class. So I stood in this other class as well until we got out on vacation, which was two days total of standing for the damned pledge.
So I come here asking, what should I do? Should I fight for my rights? I'd like opinions and anything that can be said, said.
P.S. Happy New Years - I want to make the best out of this one.
About two months ago, two major events occurred in my school related life.
First, I wanted to experience a, if you call it this, militaristic-sort-of-training that my school offered - Junior ROTC, Marine Core JRTOC, whatever you wanna call it. This course is generally in a classroom and we are taught leadership skills as well as discipline and general American military related things. I switched out of a math course (because I already have enough math credits to graduate) into this one.
Second, the teacher of the French-language class I am in did something I see rather unconstitutional.
(Now, up until this year, I refused to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance because I saw it as anti-freedom and more towards nationalism or even fascism at that. I generally have an outlook on Marxism, pure democracy, and even Anarchy. Standing and pledging, making an oath to a nation, is ridiculous. First off, its as bad as the Nazi's enforcing the Zieg Heils along with pledging their life for the Fatherland. Second off, I'm a natural-born-citizen, and I'm given the right to choose to stand or not, let alone the fact that I'm born here is good enough. I'm giving an oath to a cloth that is a mere symbol. So showing respect for a change, because this country does in fact give me freedom and rights, I began to stand.)
Prior to this year as well, my previous French-language teacher had addressed the class for not standing, and basically stated that everyone needs to stand. My french teacher this year did the same thing. Both of them reasoned that we need to stand out of respect because soldiers are fighting for our freedom in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Middle East. She also reasoned that these kids a few years older than us are dying for our country.
First off, I believe the woman contradicted herself completely. She reasoned that we must stand for voluntary soldiers, who through their own will, decided to fight in a war against what we have deemed as terrorism. They are also establishing democracy and giving these oppressed people who do not have choices or any rights to choose, these said rights they lack.
So from that day forth, I refused to stand altogether. I found that she was committing a practical crime at that. So this lasted for a few weeks until I was one day, before all classes, my instructor in ROTC wanted to speak with me. I at the time had earned my way up from a Private to a Sergeant, and showed my dedicated to the program. He said that my French teacher wanted me to stand for the Pledge, and he told me that I cannot sit, that I do in fact in school have to stand, just not pledge or repeat the verses.
Next day, I have her class. She pulls me outside her classroom and says she wants to have a word with me. I ask her if its about my lack of pledging, and she says yes, in which I told her the instructor already addressed and corrected me. So that class, I stood for the pledge. What else was I going to do, get suspended? Who knows, but I submitted and stood.
So this day I talk to a few friends about it, and they tell me to go see some sort of professional and see if, you know, this is even legal for these teachers to be doing that. I go to my History teacher who I'm quite friendly with and he goes online for me and finds out that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled around 1940 that students do not have to stand or pledge to the flag while in school, whatsoever.
Him being my first period on certain days, he knows I do not have a problem with standing, because I stand in his class. So I stood in this other class as well until we got out on vacation, which was two days total of standing for the damned pledge.
So I come here asking, what should I do? Should I fight for my rights? I'd like opinions and anything that can be said, said.
P.S. Happy New Years - I want to make the best out of this one.