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Orange County, FL district: parental permission req'd to kneel during national anthem

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excelsiorlef

Member
Florida’s Orange County Public Schools announced this week that their students must have parental permission if they want to kneel during the national anthem at football games.

The move comes after students in at least one school district in the state reportedly knelt in solidarity with 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s protest against social injustice in America.

District officials told WSBTV that they were following state law regarding the pledge of allegiance, a strict and controversial statute that requires unadulterated participation in patriotic gestures.

The statute reads, in part:

Each district school board may adopt rules to require, in all of the schools of the district, programs of a patriotic nature to encourage greater respect for the government of the United States and its national anthem and flag ... When the national anthem is played, students and all civilians shall stand at attention, men removing the headdress, except when such headdress is worn for religious purposes ... Upon written request by his or her parent, the student must be excused from reciting the [pledge of allegiance], including standing and placing the right hand over his or her heart. When the pledge is given, unexcused students must show full respect to the flag by standing at attention

Other school districts are punishing students who don’t follow state law. In Collier County, one principal is telling students that they’ll be sent home if they don’t stand during the anthem during sporting events, WFLA reports.

“You will stand and you will stay quiet,” Lely High School Principal Ryan Nemeth announced. “If you don’t, you are going to be sent home and you’re not going to have a refund of your ticket price.”
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry...g-national-anthem_us_57dc4832e4b0071a6e0765b3

A Collier County principal who ordered students last week to stand during the national anthem violated U.S. Supreme Court rulings on free speech, First Amendment lawyers said Thursday.

“You will show absolutely no disrespect. You will stand. You will stay quiet. If you don’t, you’re going to be sent home and you’re not going to have a refund of your ticket price,” Lely High School Principal Ryan Nemeth said during a televised announcement to the school Friday. “It’s not only important that you show yourself some respect, but how about those athletes that are out there on the court or the field, or how about the folks who are singing or playing the national anthem.

“Let me say that one more time and be crystal clear: When that anthem is being played, you are to stand and you are to be quiet. What you do during that time is your own business. If you want to sing a song in your head, if you want to meditate, I really don’t care. What I do care is that you stand and stay quiet,” Nemeth said.

While Nemeth may have good intentions, his order is a violation of the Supreme Court's ruling in West Virginia State Board of Education vs. Barnette, a 1943 case involving Jehovah’s Witnesses, whose religion forbids worshiping or pledging allegiance to symbols. The court held in that ruling that government officials, which include public school employees, cannot demand participation in patriotic activities.
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http://www.naplesnews.com/story/new...udents-stand-during-national-anthem/90426840/
 
M

Magwik

Banned
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A

Abstrusity

Member
I was spanked and suspended for refusing to stand in middle school. It's...unsurprising that there's still something on the books for it .
 
X

xRaizen

Member
It was like this for me for as long as I could remember. I've lived in FL my whole life, and specifically remember that you needed a note from your parents if you didn't want to stand up and recite the pledge.

Every year there would be at least a couple in my morning class that turned in the note.

I don't see a problem with this. You can opt out if it bothers you so much.
 
T

Tonedeff

Member
Fucking Kaepernick man. So simple a gesture causing all this drama. Almost genius really. I continue to applaud him and all who follow him so fuck Florida and this anti-free speech nonsense
 
S

Savitar

Member
Land of the home of the brave and free..........when you do shit we say and watch out for people with guns, especially if your black.
 
E

excelsiorlef

Member
xRaizen said:
It was like this for me for as long as I could remember. I've lived in FL my whole life, and specifically remember that you needed a note from your parents if you didn't want to stand up and recite the pledge.

Every year there would be at least a couple in my morning class that turned in the note.

I don't see a problem with this. You can opt out if it bothers you so much.
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You shouldn't need parental permission to opt out of forced nationalism
 
S

SmackDaddy

Member
xRaizen said:
It was like this for me for as long as I could remember. I've lived in FL my whole life, and specifically remember that you needed a note from your parents if you didn't want to stand up and recite the pledge.

Every year there would be at least a couple in my morning class that turned in the note.

I don't see a problem with this. You can opt out if it bothers you so much.
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It's facism lite dog. If you don't see a problem with that then your patriotism is a little misguided
 
A

Aaronology

Member
I was raised a Witness, and I've never pledged allegiance to the flag. I didn't know there was an actual court ruling forbidding officials from demanding otherwise, though. Interesting.

In any case this school is doing more to disrespect the freedom the flag and the pledge represent than the students choosing to kneel.
 
W

weekev

Banned
Even without all the Kap stuff going on, this would make me take a knee in protest. Then when I got sent home, Id sue the shit out of them for breaching my constitutional rights.
 
Y

Yaboosh

Super Sleuth
USC-fan said:
Who would have thought Colin Kaepernick would be one of the greatest civil right hero of his generation.
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The funny thing is it has almost nothing to do with him specifically.

It has everything to do with all these idiots Streisanding his protest.

Kaep does a silent, peaceful protest. And because of the state of the country, it becomes what could be the most effective protest performed in decades.

It has all sorts of effects. It opens up discussion, it shows off a whole lot of people being complete morons, it encourages others to copy it because of the shitstorm.
 
P

PInk Tape

Banned
Why not try and understand why people are protesting the national anthem?

Instead of, you know, forcing the children of your schools into little nationalistic robots that aren't able to express themselves freely.
 
T

Tall4Life

Member
Schools have the right to limit free speech, but I think this is not protected based on that SC case where political protest of students was protected
 
L

Leunam

Member
Wow, fuck all of that.

I'd love to hear the 'both sides are wrong' argument here. How does this not look absolutely fucked up to everyone involved?
 
H

HTupolev

Member
xRaizen said:
It was like this for me for as long as I could remember. I've lived in FL my whole life, and specifically remember that you needed a note from your parents if you didn't want to stand up and recite the pledge.

Every year there would be at least a couple in my morning class that turned in the note.

I don't see a problem with this. You can opt out if it bothers you so much.
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Having to apply for first amendment rights is a totally reasonable policy?
 
H

HP_Wuvcraft

Banned
Acorn said:
Forcing people to stand during the anthem is rather unamerican, no?
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Yup. The problem, though, is that these people see protesting inequality as a new thing. A fad.

It all feeds back into 'Slavery was a long time ago, racism is no longer a thing'.
 
Link

Link

The Autumn Wind
"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross."
 
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