• Ephera@lemmy.ml
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      6 months ago

      I’m German and learned about this via a friend from the US. When they mentioned it, I thought their teacher was a lunatic. Then they told me that this is normal course of action. Just what in the absolute fuck.

      • Glowstick@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        It depends on where and when in the US. In areas that are Democratic (the more liberal party) it doesn’t really happen much anymore, but in areas that are Republican (the more conservative party) it still happens at the start of every single school day.

        And the custom of doing this was started by a salesman trying to sell flags and magazine subscriptions. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Bellamy#Pledge_of_Allegiance

        • JusticeForPorygon@lemmy.world
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          6 months ago

          It’s state law where I live IIRC. They force you to say it, because of legal precedent, but the school can apparently get in trouble with the state if they don’t say it at the start of the day.

          It was always funny when we’d all stand up and only the teachers and maybe three students would say it.

          • errer@lemmy.world
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            6 months ago

            I mean that’s just an unfortunate coincidence given it predated the rise of naziism.

            • Ephera@lemmy.ml
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              6 months ago

              Oh yeah, it definitely is in that sense. The point is that patriotism is hard to discern from facism. That they happened to use the same symbol here is just a good illustration of that. Ultimately, the Hitler Salute also started out as a symbol of patriotism before it all turned to genocide.

        • bionicjoey@lemmy.ca
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          6 months ago

          An anachronism because there aren’t still powerful forces in America trying to witch hunt people with left-leaning ideas?

          • lugal@lemmy.world
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            6 months ago

            C’mon, don’t be ridiculous! If the US was so anti left, Sanders would never make it to become president! We don’t want to live in the timeline where the Republicans won the 2016 election because the Democrats didn’t dare to send Sanders because he’s too far left.

    • NegativeInf@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      In high school like 15 years ago we not only had the regular pledge, we had to pledge to the Texas state flag. Which you hold out your hand like you are holding something?

      “Honor the Texas flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and indivisible.”

      It’s all hot garbage and unquestioning nationalism. The good bit was, only one teacher ever gave me flack for sitting out the pledge with my little emo ass. And that was my ultra conservative AP US Government teacher. And he was just a nut ball. But when I framed it as my freedom he chilled.

      He was still wrong about flat taxes not being regressive!

      • acosmichippo@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        but how can you pledge allegiance to two separate entities?

        scenario A: if texas ever attempted secession then you’d have to break one of your pledges.

        scenario B: Texas always remains loyal to the US, which makes the texas pledge superfluous. you pledged allegiance to the US which includes texas.

        • NegativeInf@lemmy.world
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          6 months ago

          It’s to incept the idea of secession into little kids head’s. Paint Texas as self sufficient and not dependent at all. Then make em want to leave.

          I hate this state, but if all the liberals leave, it will only get worse for the next set of young people born here.