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I just remembered something weird about my youth. During the Gulf War I had to say the pledge of allegiance every morning and sing "I'm proud to be an American."
http://www.anysonglyrics.com/lyrics/...n-american.htm
...yeah. Just curious if anyone had to do something bizarre like this.
When I went to highschool in NY, we pledged allegiance every morning. This was before 9-11.
It is the song that strikes me as odd, really.
We did the pledge of allegiance in high school, but I always abstained. Not because I don't love the country, I just thought it was dumb to make a bunch of teenagers recite a pledge they probably didn't understand.
I only had to do the pledge of allegiance in Elementary and Middle school. They quit making us do it once 9th grade rolled around (this was in '96).
I'm pretty sure most of the time I just mumbled along to the rhythm of the class and didn't think anything of it.
We did the pledge every day thoughout school. In elementary school they would play the Star Spangled Banner every Monday, but it never got odder than that. I used to do it just, well, whatever--but then as I got older I just sort of stood there and maybe mumbled like T.. Timber? (When did that happen?). I don't really have anything against saying it every morning, I suppose it's pretty silly, but it isn't exactly harmful.
Proud to be An American is a hilarious song. They played the shit out of it after September 11th, but never every morning. I would shoot myself if I had to listen to that song every morning.
The pledge is coffee for little kids.
About a month ago.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr-K
Yeah. I'm pretty sure we did it in high school during morning announcements, but "pretty sure" is as certain as I can be since we did that shit on auto-pilot since kindergarten or something. I could tell you a lot more about what prayers were recited because I actually had to learn those, with that being my first catholic school experience and all.
Oh, yeah, one thing we had was a minute long "moment of silence," where you could do whatever religious shit that you wanted. That, I thought, was bullshit.
... Huh.Quote:
Originally Posted by Timber
I went to a satanic school, so instead of the pledge we sacrificed a goat every morning. I think it was hardest on the cafeteria ladies when they started running out of recipes for goat parts.
I got suspended for 3 days for refusing to say the pledge in 8th or 9th grade. Oddly, they never fucked with me about it again after that.
I've always thought the idea of being "proud to be an American" (or any other given nationality/race/orientation/etc) is rather odd. You didn't do anything to cause it, so how is it something to take pride in?
EDIT: unless you're foreign-born and made it through the whole naturalization process... THAT I can see being a reasonable source of pride, because it is something you were actively involved in and that took some modicum of effort (like learning all the civics shit that half the natural-born citizens have only a passing familiarity with).
It's more of you being proud of your heritage and culture rather than accomplishing becoming an American.
There is some crappy stuff about America, politically, culturally and whatever. But America has Monster trucks, bourbon, barbeque, baseball, and it just being a really generally pretty and diverse place with nice weather. And I guess, I'm actually fairly proud to be a part of that. I'm not going to put a red, white, and blue ribbon on my car or even say the pledge of allegiance, but it's just taking pride in who you are.
1) Passively you stay in the country, agree with the community and system if not the current policies, and not rebel.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Gas
2) Ancestral pride, at some point someone who's blood is in you fought their ass off to get here, then worked their ass off to stay.
EDIT: What K said.
EDIT Part II: especially the bourbon, barbeque and baseball part
It's about saying fries instead of chips when you're in England because you're proud of who you are.
I was told the other day that I say Nike wrong. They say "Neyek" rather thank "Neye-key". I told them "Fuck you."
Good man.
I was a Jehovah's Witness when I was elementary school aged so I left the room every morning for the pledge and didn't participate in holiday pageants/shows or any assignments that were holiday themed, like "What Do You Want For Christmas?" essays, construction paper turkeys or whatever. That was tough on a kid aged 5 to 10.
Schools I went to didn't do the Pledge of Allegiance after elementary though.
Tell them Nike is an American company, so it's not pronounced gay.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr-K
I bet you got the shit beat out of you, just sayin....Quote:
Originally Posted by Scourge
Never. I had a normal social life at school.Quote:
Originally Posted by Biff-chan
Someone needs to post the old-school Hulk Hogan theme song, circa 1991.
<3
I used to listen to that when I jogged. It rocked.
That's what I put in my IPOD when I have to take a monster shit, it really gets you ready to deliver the goods.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr-K
It pretty much guarentees that you will conquer whatever problem. By giving it the big boot to the face followed up by a massive leg drop.
Oh for sure, for sure, if you have a milky discharge it's okay if you have real American playing, you'll get through the triple wipe with a smile.
Did you know? "Under God" was not part of the original pledge of allegiance. It was added into the pledge in the 1950's during the communism scare era.
What does that have to do with Hulk Hogan? Jesus.....
I think a new revision changing it to "One Nation Under Hulk Hogan" is now due.
I went to a private christian school.
every morning we would face the american flag in the left corner of the room and say the pledge of allegiance, then face the christian flag in the right corner and say a pledge to that as well.
we also prayed before every class. We quickly keyed into the fact that if enough of us asked prayer requests and told how god answered our prayers, we could blow through half the period without having to do any actual school work.
it was great.
I went to a Catholic School just for sports, we just farted all the time.Quote:
Originally Posted by Some Stupid Japanese Name
We had to in elementry, jr. high and high school. Only difference was in elementry when I was still in a private school we actually dedicated some history lessons to why we say it, what each line meant, and the importance of the pledge.
Fuck public schools and their PC, half-assery teaching of everything under the sun.
I wonder how much it sucks to be Mexican or Spanish for example, and being forced to comply with this pledge of allegiance, it's kinda like a non-violent surrendar imo.
You are so right.
We give them food, housing, and health care, they shouldn't have to put up with this pledge of allegiance crap.
OMG! now buttcheeks has hacked Biff's account.Quote:
Originally Posted by Biff-chan
LOLOLOLOLLL!1!
I'm ok with that. If they have a problem with it they can go home.Quote:
Originally Posted by Biff-chan
YOU CAN GEEAATTT OUTTT
http://media.southparkstudios.com/me...1_image_13.jpg
Maybe it makes me an ass, but I think a person can at least tip their hat to a thing that is giving them free stuff.
Don't get me wrong IP, I am all for it to. I just wonder if you went to Russia and were forced to say their national anthem or get kicked out of class, how you would handle it.
The only one in the world allowed to say an anthem is William Shatner.Quote:
Originally Posted by Biff-chan
I think I'll convince NY to spend 20k to get Will Shatner to kick off our yearly goals meeting next year with the Nation Anthem, his rendition would be amazing filled with pauses for poise and eye rolls!
I doubt he works that cheap.
I bet he does
$100 bet?
I want to be roomates with william shatner.
Sure, you book him for your next birthday party and tell me how much it is.
http://www.allamericanspeakers.com/s...m-Shatner/2184
I'll pm you my paypal info.
Yes. Who do we start writing letters to?Quote:
Originally Posted by Biff-chan
I'm going to make my office say it every day.
I mean, if it is adopted, the pure fear of a Hogan legdrop would subdue North Korea for 15 years.
I'll donate a gift but no way the Government's paying him nearly as much as a college, trust me. He may even do it for free.Quote:
Originally Posted by Some Stupid Japanese Name
WTF does college have to do with it?
In elementary school we all learned the Proud to be a Murican song in fucking sign language for a school assembly. I was eight years old, and managed to figure out how to flash the middle finger at the audience four times.
We had to say the pledge in my schools from elementary school all the way up until 12th grade. I stopped saying it in 3rd grade and got sent to the principals office a lot. I was always able to argue my point well enough that I would just get sent back to class. In 5th grade I stopped standing up when the pledge was being said. I got detentions and almost a suspension over that, but still refused to do it and eventually the teachers gave up. Because they were tired of being out-debated by a snotty kid imo.
You are like fucking Che man, fucking Che dog, Che.
Nah. I was just a snotty fucking kid.
Well in my memoirs you're going down as a slick Che Guevarra type character who can play the Ramones like nobodies business. Later you'll turn gay and end up with Peewee Herman, but that's way down the line
I can't get much gayer than I am right now have you seen my pants? but I still like girls.
These are MY memoirs, you can make yourself Donnie Osmond in yours for all I care man.
That is what a national anthem should do, IMO.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr-K
Song needs to be a Rock Band download.
The pledge is nationalistic horseshit, just in the same way that this odious song is. I feel particularly resentful toward the song though, because during the Gulf War we had daily assemblies where we sang it and did all other manner of 'loyalty' exercises.
Growing up back in rural Texas, I remember having to sing the pledge. There was a six foot wooden statue of Washington, and afterwards, we'd have to get in line and each kiss his cod piece.
I wouldn't have a problem with it. I've gone to events celebrating other cultures and have no problem saying it with them.Quote:
Originally Posted by Biff-chan
Where did you live at the time? My friends from bama don't know what I'm talking about when I say I was pretty much forced to sing that stupid song.Quote:
Originally Posted by g0zen
At my elementary school in Cali the whole student body would gather around the flag in the morning and say it everyday before going into class. I thought it was kind of cool.
Throughout middle school and high school it was pretty inconsistent until my senior year when they had us do it every morning.
We never had to sing any songs though, I doubt half the people would know the words.
Tallahassee, Florida.Quote:
Originally Posted by buttcheeks
That song made me proud to be an American at age six. It made me want to shoot down Iraqis in a fighter jet. I've never cried more in my life than when I discovered I had flat feet.
Fuck the pledge. I stopped doing it around middle school. I'll stand up out of respect, but that's it.
I went to a Catholic grade school, so we'd stand up and sing the nat'l anthem and the Hail Mary while the priests ran up and down the aisles behind us, smacking our asses.
The Hulk Hogan song? I totally agree.Quote:
Originally Posted by Grey's Anatomy
"PTBAN", on the other hand, not so much.
FixedQuote:
Originally Posted by Bacon McShig