JW child refusing to recite Pledge of Allegiance. 1940's again?

[Bro.David Drake DeLaurento]

According to the AP, a Brownsville, Pennsylvania school district changed its mind about punishing an unnamed middle-school student who had been scolded and given detention for refusing to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

Only after the ACLU filed a lawsuit on the girls' behalf, did the Brownsville school officials decide that it would not discipline students who refuse to stand during the Pledge of Allegiance. 

Ironically, it was another Pennsylvania school district (Minersville) that took action against a student who refused to say the Pledge of Allegiance in 1940 that led to the final decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in 1943 to conclude that it was within a child's First Amendment rights to decline saying the Pledge of Allegiance.  In the Minersville case, the question arose when a student who was a Jehovah's Witness refused to say the Pledge of Allegiance because his religion forbade saluting an earthly emblem as being "unfaithfulness to God." 

 While several school districts were taken to court over a religious students' refusal to say the Pledge of Allegiance, it wasn't until 1943 that the case was finally resolved.  And it is because of that U.S. Supreme Court Decision on June 14, 1943 (on Flag Day), the court handed down the West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette.

In the Brownsville, PA case, the girl in question felt disillusioned with the way things are going in the U.S. today.  Because of the 1943 decision, she has every right to choose not to join in on saying the Pledge of Allegiance.  

Perhaps the U.S. Supreme Court was reflecting on the many stories of children being forced to pray to God for candy and being given nothing then forced to pray to Stalin for candy in Russian classrooms and receiving it that weighed on the original 1943 decision. 

[DonnaR]

In the Brownsville, PA case, the girl in question felt disillusioned with the way things are going in the U.S. today.  Because of the 1943 decision, she has every right to choose not to join in on saying the Pledge of Allegiance.  

It looks like the girl isn't a JW. But I have heard of other kids in school refusing to say the pledge as a way of showing they don't agree with the government or the way things are going.

Donna

[Hallett 82]

It looks like the girl isn't a JW. But I have heard of other kids in school refusing to say the pledge as a way of showing they don't agree with the government or the way things are going.

Donna

We might see a lot more of this type of protest. In Australia right now there is much political turmoil for many reasons but people are coming to the conclusion that politicians don't run the country, big banks & business do.

Banks use the interest rates as a gear lever to boost profits (Reserve Bank drops official cash rate to get people spending but banks don't pass on the drop and it goes into their CEO bonus instead) oil companies grab every cent we save in any way and add it to their bottom line and Mega mining companies (we have a mining boom now) are so hot that we have a very damaging 2 speed economy = Rich get richer and poor go down plug-hole.

People can all see the folly, no bad scheme is hidden any more and political fumbling and ineptitude is right before our (& every bodies) eyes. There are riots and protests in country after country, they are coming to all our towns soon. Jeremiah made an observation ' man dominatess man to his injury ' and it is so true.

[Bro.David Drake DeLaurento]

Wow... I stand corrected....thanks for the update.

[rbrown1205]

The tragedy here is that because people associate not saluting the flag with Jehovah's Witnesses, by this non-Witness refusing because of political dissatisfaction , people will think that we are the ones making some kind of political protest. People (and children, and their parents) have the right to do what they want, but what makes our form of worship pure and undefiled is to (among other things) keep without spot from the world. We don't want to play this game, we are abstaining, we have a better kingdom to support. But people who don't like us have yet another reason to persecute us, although we have nothing to do with this particular situation.

[onzomanie]

ifeel proud of these young brothers and sisters they arewell taught may jehovah bless them

[tucker]

At my former congregation a 5 year old young brother was very proud of the F on his report card. The class was civics and the F was for refusing to salute the flag.