Prodigy, product of propaganda, or....? 10 yr old refuses to say Pledge of Allegiance

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by epchick

The kid should be punished for telling the teacher to "jump off a bridge." Sorry Dad, we won't even go into students rights, but in the non-school world, I don't think the first amendment would cover that.

Exactly. The Constitution protects people against the GOVERNMENT... Not against their teacher giving them detention.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Kevin

Meh.. so?

This is on CNN?

Exactly.

Originally Posted by ree-Xi

A 10-year old boy refuses to state the Pledge of Allegiance until "gays and lesbians" have the same liberties as heterosexuals.

The kid told the teacher she could "jump off a bridge". Dad says the kid quoted his first amendment right. He also said that kids at school call him a "gaywad".

So what do you think - smart, empathetic kid, a product of what he hears in the news, or taking on parental views?

There's no way the kid came up with this on his own. He's parroting mom and dad, who should be making him very sorry he ever spoke to a teacher that way. If you're going to take a stand like this, at least do it without mouthing off at the teacher.

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

The Constitution protects people against the GOVERNMENT... Not against their teacher giving them detention.

Assuming this is a public school, it's operated by the government and the teacher acts on behalf of the government.

The First Amendment still isn't going to help him, though.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Assuming this is a public school, it's operated by the government and the teacher acts on behalf of the government.

The First Amendment still isn't going to help him, though.

True. But again, this isn't to protect people from their teachers punishing them for being an idiot. It's to protect the kid from being arrested for "speaking against the government" as a whole (in refusing to say the pledge of allegiance).

Either way, the whole thing is stupid.

[ree-Xi]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Exactly.

There's no way the kid came up with this on his own. He's parroting mom and dad, who should be making him very sorry he ever spoke to a teacher that way. If you're going to take a stand like this, at least do it without mouthing off at the teacher.

Assuming this is a public school, it's operated by the government and the teacher acts on behalf of the government.

The First Amendment still isn't going to help him, though.

That's what I thought. I don't have kids, but I thought that 10 was a bit young to understand sexual politics (if that is a correct "new" usage of the term).

As for telling the teacher off, the dad seemed amused by it. He seems so enthused about his "gifted" child that he fails to teach the kid basic respect.

[deepimpact2]

Originally Posted by ree-Xi

As for telling the teacher off, the dad seemed amused by it. He seems so enthused about his "gifted" child that he fails to teach the kid basic respect.

There are far too many parents like this.
He may have really come up with that on his own. Even so, I agree with Kevin. This was on CNN?
But them I'm one of those people who does not find it amusing when kids "say the darndest things." He should be punished for talking to the teacher like that.

On another note, I refuse to say the Pledge, and support his decision in that regard. I just don't support kids talking back to their teachers. I can't even imagine what I would have done had one of my students said something to me like that. But they knew better.