Science Forums 2

[Freddy]

Originally Posted by cslagle

From grades k-12 children and young adults are required (forced) to swear allegience to the U.S. (there are penalties for noncompliance)

Where do you live? I have a student handbook for an Elementry School in Bradenton, Florida that informs all parents that children who do not wish to participate in the Pledge, are not required to do so. From my own memory in grade school, there were children of various religious backgrounds who did not pledge, and they were never punished for it.
I teach preschool children, and we do say The Pledge every morning to the flag out of grattitude for the good in our country. If one of my children did not wish to paritcipate they would never be forced. This could be a problem in only some schools in America, and should be corrected.

From Wikipedia: This case corrected the problem.
"West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, 319 U.S. 624 (1943) was a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States that held that the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution protected students from being forced to salute the American flag and say the Pledge of Allegiance in school."