Used to be required now it's just "Highly encouraged" which often involves teachers using various forms of manipulation if you sit it out.

Yes, it’s true! Most of us started our school day by standing to face the flag. We then placed our right hands over our hearts and recited the pledge of allegiance. In high school, a friend of mine was suspended for refusing to stand and recite the pledge during a pep rally.

Yup. Spent a couple of years in an American high school back in the mid 80s and it's still ingrained in my brain. "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." Crazy people.

AFAIK, It's been a few decades since I was in public school but I can confirm it continued until 2005, when my Nephew graduated.

When I was a child I attended a Bible-study. Every day, we had to pledge allegiance to not only the American flag, but to the Christian flag as well. These were kids as young as 5-6 years old.

I mean...China does this, so

I do it occasionally, usually so I can very flagrantly leave out the part with ‘under God.’

We don’t have to say it at my schol, just stand and look at a flag while someone says it over the loudspeaker

yep! every morning.

It does! It's to indoctrinate us from a young age. It's...bad.

In my district, it was entirely optional. Some teachers would be a bit passive-aggressive, but by high school almost nobody said it.

I had to do it my entire school career (graduated high school a decade ago lol) but I said watermelon over and over again (under my breath, of course) instead of the pledge. I was such a rebel lol

This isn't normal?

I thought this was common. Is it not?

We’re not forced to, at least in my school system. So most kids just sit during it.

Unfortunately

In my district, only in elementary schools, and it's optional, but I've heard of schools in other states punishing children for not reciting the pledge.

Yes. Yes it is. And it is extremely disrupting.

When I was teaching, I sat it out to my students that they have a choice to do it or not.

It used to

I said it every day for years but like most of the c**p they taught I forgot it.

This absolutely happens and has for many generations of the students in grade school would say the pledge of allegiance every morning. I don't see why you find it so disturbing.

at my school we all have to stand but we dont have to speak or put our hands over our hearts, and most teachers won't say anything if you don't stand.

Yep. But some kids are straight up refusing. It's allowed that students can "opt out" but its not advertised that this is possible. My daughter was in 10th grade before she knew she could sit it out. And yes, Murica is a dystopian nightmare these days

This might happen in some schools but certainly not all of them.

Don’t recall doing it in highschool (late 90s early 2000s). Definitely not in college. It began as a requirement when free public education became a thing inthe US with the argument being that free education would make good citizens.

From first until fifth grade, every morning we did exactly that…

When I got to middle school people started realizing how weird it is and almost no one did it for the rest of grade school

Its less common now. I'm 29, and while I was growing up, it was a VERY common occurrence.

It’s…not fun

Yep. Every morning for your first class, usually either at 8:00 or when school starts, you pledge allegiance to the flag. If you don’t, the teachers usually reprimand you and tell you off for disrespecting your country. It’s all stupid.

Yep.

yes.....

At my school it’s optional and said only at the beginning of the week. But yup it exists

Yes, since Kindergarten. This is really a thing.

Yeah, and I HATE IT

Yes, but we aren’t forced to do it

Not anymore, sadly

We in Germany had a different variant some time ago, the hand went up in the air instead of towards the heart....

You can refuse to. I didn't care for how strange it seemed to me so I just stood when everyone else said it. I *was* the school scapegoat, though. No clue how it would affect you if you had a social life there, or anything.

You have the right to refuse it.

You just fake it. Like the last chair clarinet player in school band. It was done in elementary schools (grades 1 - 6). Kids don't care. Was anyone thinking about loyalty to their country in 3rd grade. I wanted to be a ninja or rock star in any country.

Yes, we have the right to refuse. Most students don’t even participate in it, it’s just some teachers.