Just another kid from Arkansas -- or not?

**d.mcc** · November-17-09, 11:21 PM

Originally Posted by Sstashmoo

He has issues with certain laws? I really mean they, this kid is just telegraphing his parents anti American sentiment. Some things he doesn't understand or agree with? Is that any reason to make a mockery of our flag and pledge? No it isn't.

Anti-American Sentiment? Issues with certain laws? Mockery of of flag and pledge?

You have gone off the rails here.

“I pledge allegiance to my flag and the republic for which it stands: one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all.”

That is the ORIGINAL from 1892. Now, let me take a minute here to point out something, "one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all". If this particular citizen feels that there is INDEED a lack of liberty and justice for all, than by all means, under his first amendment rights he has the duty unto himself to protest. Have to love Christian Socialists!

**Diehard** · November-17-09, 11:49 PM

Originally Posted by Sstashmoo

He has issues with certain laws? I really mean they, this kid is just telegraphing his parents anti American sentiment. Some things he doesn't understand or agree with? Is that any reason to make a mockery of our flag and pledge? No it isn't.

Refusing to stand up and pledge his unconditional faithfulness to a nation that he sees as flawed is hardly mockery of our flag or "anti-American sentiment." It shows that he's thinking. He's too young to vote; what else does he have?
Pretending that America is perfect, and there's no room for improvement, and anyone with a contrary thought should "love it or leave it" - well, that to me is un-American. We have freedom of speech - or in this case, freedom to stay silent - and we should use it wisely when it's called for.
I sincerely hope this kid grows up to be a problem solver and does what he can to make our country better.

**Sstashmoo** · November-17-09, 11:58 PM

Adj.1.indivisible - impossible of undergoing division; "an indivisible union of states"; "one nation indivisible"

**Diehard** · November-18-09, 12:08 AM

Originally Posted by gibran

I respect a person who puts his or her life on the line for "All of US"...it sure beats the hell of running into a burning building and saving only those who look like you...

Hats off to you, my friend.

**Diehard** · November-18-09, 12:22 AM

Originally Posted by Sstashmoo

Adj.1.indivisible - impossible of undergoing division; "an indivisible union of states"; "one nation indivisible"

We have dictionaries, but thank you.
Um... where were you during the 2008 presidential campaign? Ever watch Rush Limbaugh? Did you follow the health care town halls? Ever seen the Tea Parties?
The crazy part is you seem to be accusing a 10-year-old boy of being divisive when you have the likes of Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck - much more powerful figures - playing "point the finger" and "invent a conspiracy" to win shallow political points.
The day when politicians quit playing divide-and-conquer and actually get together to fix things is the day when all Americans will proudly stand and recite the pledge. Until then, we've got work to do.

**Sstashmoo** · November-18-09, 12:50 AM

People that disagree?? Sure there are. There all kinds of interests and viewpoints, but all of them love their country. They don't piss on our flag at the first disappointment with a law they don't agree with. It's amazing I'm the only one that gets this. That's how it usually is. oh well haha.

This kid is being raised in a home with absence of loyalty to anyone or anything other than themselves. These are the exact same psychological characteristics of people that barricade themselves in their home.

**Diehard** · November-18-09, 01:20 AM

Oh please. "Pissing on our flag?" Is this kid or his family taking a flag outside onto the sidewalk, pissing on it and putting the video on Youtube? No, he's exercising his right to not salute it. It's akin to exercising your right not to go to church, not to love the current president, or not to take the Fourth of July off work to get drunk and blow stuff up, like all those patriotic real Americans. It's passive dissent. How could you have a problem with that?
You're not "the only one who gets this." You're the one who thinks that kids should be forced to pledge unconditional loyalty to a piece of cloth. You're the one who thinks that choosing to be born in America means you have to agree with every single law and policy that the current crop of politicians have foisted upon us. You're the one who apparently thinks that all the wars fought in America's name were only for the benefit of heterosexual REAL Americans who don't dare speak up when something's wrong.
This family and this kid are actually thinking - the horror! - and deciding to express their disapproval of the way this country treats some of its citizens. They're using the First Amendment the way it was intended. If you have a problem with that, then who's the real American?

**Sstashmoo** · November-18-09, 09:31 AM

I think what????????? You have no idea what you're saying.

Again, it is amazing I'm the only one that gets this.

They don't agree with a law or absence of a right [[that the majority of Americans dont want, and remember this is a democracy)well fuck the United States, screw them and their flag is their answer. In their warped interpretation, "Liberty for all" means, liberty for everyone and every issue they feel is proper. These people in the article are some class A assbags. That kid should be taken away from his idiot psycho parents and put in foster care.

**d.mcc** · November-18-09, 10:04 AM

Originally Posted by Sstashmoo

I think what????????? You have no idea what you're saying.

Again, it is amazing I'm the only one that gets this.

They don't agree with a law or absence of a right [[that the majority of Americans dont want, and remember this is a democracy)well fuck the United States, screw them and their flag is their answer. In their warped interpretation, "Liberty for all" means, liberty for everyone and every issue they feel is proper. These people in the article are some class A assbags. That kid should be taken away from his idiot psycho parents and put in foster care.

You probably thought MLK was pissing on the flag with his passive resistance... He probably should have just sucked it up and been loyal to a country that afforded him the same liberties and freedoms that the white man..... I mean, I am sure African Americans who fought and died for our country were treated with the same respect and dignity that the white Americans got when returning home from combat! er....

**Sstashmoo** · November-18-09, 10:25 AM

Quote: "You probably thought MLK was pissing on the flag with his passive resistance..."

He contested civil rights issues and rightly so. I never recall Doctor King turning his back on his country, a country he loved and fought to make better. He understood it was people and their policies that needed to change, not a flaw in the republic itself, with rights that allowed him to even fight at all. That's the point all of you are missing. Contesting an issue and opting out is like divorcing your wife because she forgot to put an apple in your lunch.

**d.mcc** · November-18-09, 10:30 AM

I am choosing to discontinue arguing with you on this

**Sstashmoo** · November-18-09, 10:33 AM

LOL ....ok

**elganned** · November-18-09, 11:02 AM

Sstashmoo, when did not standing to recite a pledge turn into pissing on the flag, turning one's back on America, and all the other reprehensible things you think this kid is guilty of?

You are the only one who "gets it", at least in the sense that you are the only one who sees it in this queer, twisted way.

If the pledge doesn't represent the truth as one understands it, one is perfectly within one's rights not to say it. Taking that as evidence that one therefore must hate this country is far, far out in left field. That's like saying I hate Christmas and God and Christianity because I don't want to sing Silent Night. Get a little perspective, willya?

If I don't think that the phrase "liberty and justice for all" is a true statement because it isn't true for some, then the pledge is, in my view, flawed and shouldn't be said. It is a complete non sequitur to extend that beyond the simple facts.

Would you be less upset if he recited the pledge but just left that part out? Would that make you feel better?

**Diehard** · November-18-09, 12:26 PM

Originally Posted by Sstashmoo

Quote: "You probably thought MLK was pissing on the flag with his passive resistance..."

He contested civil rights issues and rightly so. I never recall Doctor King turning his back on his country, a country he loved and fought to make better. He understood it was people and their policies that needed to change, not a flaw in the republic itself, with rights that allowed him to even fight at all. That's the point all of you are missing. Contesting an issue and opting out is like divorcing your wife because she forgot to put an apple in your lunch.

Geez, you'd think this kid was Timothy McVeigh the way you're railing on him.
Again, all he's doing is sitting down quietly - much like that "disrespectful assbag" Rosa Parks once did. The majority of Americans didn't want her in the front of the bus, and remember this is a democracy.

**Sstashmoo** · November-18-09, 12:42 PM

The country can't be every-thing to every-one. Take it or leave it.

**elganned** · November-18-09, 12:46 PM

The Bill of Rights, Sstashmoo. Take it or leave it.

**Sstashmoo** · November-18-09, 03:08 PM

Oh I do take the Bill of Rights, and there are things I don't agree with . But all this talk about "bravery" is just bullshit. I'm not trying to say what he is doing is illegal, nowhere have I said that. He has no excuse to disrespect his country because he disagrees that a few laws that he and his family sees fit to be passed, and haven't. Bravery? No disrespectful, confused and ungrateful.

**elganned** · November-18-09, 03:24 PM

And therein is where we differ.

I do not consider not saying the pledge of allegiance to be disrespecting the country.
I doubt very much if he's confused; he seems to know exactly what he's doing and why. No confusion evident there.
As for ungrateful...I can't speak to his gratitude or lack thereof, and neither can you. However, I would submit that he's enormously grateful that he lives in a country that allows him to express his opinion without being locked up, shot, or taken away from his parents and placed in a re-education camp...which, apparently, you would like to do.