25 September 2008

The Pledge




If a person does not stand during the pledge of allegiance - is it considered a negative Social More?

27 comments:

sean parent said...

If a person doesnt stand for the pledge of allegiance it is considered a negitive social more. If you dont stand for the pledge it makes you look non patriotic. it shows that you dont respect the soldiers that fight for our country. it also shows that the patriots that fought for us in the 18th century did it for no reason. lastly it shows that the rights that our founding fathers fought for us dont mean anything to you.If you stand and dont say anything it is fine.

Amanda Butler said...

If a person doesn't stand for the pledge of allegiance it is considered a negative social more. Yes, you have the right to sit for the pledge nor do you have to say anything, but the only reason why you are able to do this is because of the country you live in. Without this country, which you don't show respect for when not standing, you wouldn't be able to stay seated. This country gives so much to its citizens. We have more freedom than any other country in the entire world. Why abuse it in a disrespectful way? So many people fought and died for bettering our lifes. How dare anyone not take a little time out to stand up and show their appreciation.

Chris Cab said...

It is not considered a negative social more. A more is like a rule that has to be followed or you're going to get severe punishment. I haven't heard of anyone going to jail because they didn't stand for the pledge. There is no law that says you have to stand for the pledge.

I take standing for the pledge more of a folkway since people have different morals. No one has the same moral so standing for the pledge can be a folkway since they don't take standing for the pledge seriously. If people are really into it, it can be considered a more. If standing for the pledge is a sign of respect, then instead of standing, a person can show his or her own form of respect to the people who fought for the country, be it silence or attention.

Standing for the pledge? Just do something to show your respect.

Julie Pietrycha said...

I agree with all of the above and the technicality of the whole more vs. folkway, but if you live in this country then you should stand for the pledge. Even if you don't want to be here but have to be, its still something that says a lot and its only standing up for like 30 seconds. If you think about it, its one of the shortest things that you should do during the day but yet some people don't because they don't feel like it. But regardless, i feel its only right that everyone atleast stands up during the pledge.

Natalia said...

Standing up for the pledge is a sign of respect for this country. So, refusing to stand up is like having no respect for this country, or anything that has been achieved in the past. Although, it's not implied, I think that everyone should find a reason why they should stand and show their respect. In my opinion it is okay not to recite the pledge of allegiance, since it contains some words which are of no meaning for others such as, "God".
I agree with Chris when he said that it's not considered a social more. Instead of this being a violation, it's looked upon by society as a bad habit.

Katie Wacht said...

I feel that every person has a right to decide wether they are going to stand or not, however i feel that it is rude if you do not. Standing for the pledge of allegiance represnts respect for America and when someone does not satnd than it shows that you are not proud of your country or where you came from. No matter who your are, you know or have known someone who has fought in a war defending our country. When you do not stand, even though they can't see it, you are showing a disrespect for not only your country but for those who fought in those wars. As long as you stand and show your respect, you are saying that you are thankful for what those men and women did for your country.

A Holzhauer said...

If one does not stand for the pledge of Allegiance, it is not considered a negative social more. Have the people that have agreed with this forgotten what a more is? According to our definition, a negative social more could endanger our society! I don't see anybody being endangered by a person not standing for the pledge. An example of a negative social more is dishonesty, fraud, murder, rape etc... not standing for the pledge is not as serious as the examples listed above. Lastly Our society has established punishments for violating mores, called laws. There is no law forcing people to stand for the pledge. Standing for the pledge is more of a folkway. folkway's are common customs of everyday life. If you fail to do these customs there will be no significant consequence for your action, people will look down upon you (which is the case for the people who don't stand for the pledge) but no serious consequence will come of the violation.

theBaraness said...

Standing up for the pledge wouldn't be a social more, but more a social folkway because you whouldn't be severely punished or jailed for failing to do so. I do not believe it should even be considered a social folkway because you should just have the right to do what you want and not be judged in any way. Standing up or not standing will not hurt anyone. Does your love of America show just because you stand up for the pledge? Why does the mere act of standing up and mouthing words you don't even think about show your respect for your country? Why does standing up at the same time everyday, mumbling the same words, and waiting for it to be over so you can sit down show you're a good citizen of this country?

NiA. said...

Not standing for the pledge can't be a social more because like a lot of people pointed out, it doesn't say anything about a person's morals and is not punishable by law. It IS considered a negative social folkway though, and it shouldn't be. A negative folkway would be not doing your homework for example. Though your teacher might think you're a bad student, other people wouldn't really care because it's your grade that's suffering. So if a person doesn't feel like standing up in the morning, they shouldn't be judged for it. I understand that to a lot of people saying the pledge shows respect for our country, but honestly at 7:45 in the morning when you're only half awake and hating being in school, do you even really THINK about the words you're repeating like a robot? And if it's that important to everyone who says it is, do you say the pledge on weekends too? Or do you just feel patriotic on school days?

tophocity said...

If a person were to not stand during the pledge of allegiance, I do not believe it should be considered a negative Social More. If you are from another country maybe you feel it unnecessary to pledge your allegiance more than once if you are already a citizen. Maybe you're lazy and just don't want to stand for the pledge. Whatever the case, it's all about how you interpret it, and if you want to interpret it negatively, then fine, but it shouldn't affect you.

Tophaloaf

S. Cameron said...

I think that standing up for the pledge isnt a negative social more. It obviously would be to people who care enough to stand. I don't think that people don't care about America, the Flag, and its people but that they really don't feel that they are obligated to participate.
I heard, from a classmate, a very good point. Just because a person stands doesn't mean they are really honoring America and on the flip side, not standing doesn't exactly mean that you don't care about America. Just like people said before, it's just looked upon as a bad habit and is disrespectful in our society. But other people don't need to know if you respect America, it's the heart that counts.

Dache said...

i think standing for the pledge is not a negative more because a social more is something that endangers our society. and i dont think not standing for the pledge is something that will result in the decline of our society.

Courtney Maratta said...

I believe that by not standing up for the pledge that it is a negative social quality that a person will exibit by not standing. the definition of a social MORE is that you will go to jail or be killed for not doing something. i believe that not standing for the pledge is a very negative thing, but its your right to stand and its your right not to stand. I don't believe you should go to jail because you didn't stand for the pledge. By not standing it could mean a number of different things, for example you don't believe in the things your president is doing, so you decide not to stand, you have that freedom of choice, thats what this world is based on, the freedom to do and say what you want.

Although i said the things above, I believe in standing for the pledge. I just don't think you should force someone to stand if its something they don't believe in.

Kiran said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kiran said...

Refusing to stand up for the pledge of allegiance has the qualities of both a negative social more and folkway because it may be highly offensive to some people, and not so much to others, but there are several reasons as to why I object for it to be seen as such, and these mostly concern the democratic ideals of our constitution. In the first instance, a significant feature of a healthy democracy is the freedom to express dissent. Dissent not only to politicians that may abuse power, but also to social norms and patterns of thought. This is a central feature of a true democracy; and it is this which separates it from an 'elite' democracy. In this respect, refusing to stand to the pledge should be seen as a healthy form of dissent, one that demonstrates people are allowed an individual conscience and choice rather than pressured to submit to the 'tyranny of the majority', as James Madison termed it.
The second reason as to why refusing to stand for the pledge should not be seen in a negative light concerns the appropriateness of a 'pledge of allegiance' in a democratic society in the first place. David Kertzer, an anthropologist whose area of expertise is political rituals, observes that "Pledges of allegiance are marks of totalitarian states, not democracies", adding, "I can't think of a single democracy except the United States that has a pledge of allegiance." This is a very important point missing from our debates. Pledges of allegiance and similar political practices result from patriotism. It is no coincidence that virtually no other democracy in the world has a pledge; our country leads all others in terms of 'patriotism'.
Furthermore, this sort of patriotism also creates a level of complicity in the crimes and wrongdoings of our country. If, as supporters of the pledge suggest, having a pledge of allegiance celebrates the achievements of our democratic republic; this sort of patriotic vehemence also leads to ignoring our shameful episodes; including the policy of genocide against Native Americans, and the enslavement of blacks. And not only did our shameful episodes occur at the beginning of our republic; they have continued into the present day. Following 1945, for example, we intervened in a massive number of countries and overthrew democratic governments, replacing them with ruthless dictators; such as when we overthrew Jacob Arbenz of Guatemala, or in 1973 when we overthrew the democratically elected President of Chile Salvador Allende, only to replace him with the fascist dictator Augusto Pinochet. All these crimes were justified as requirements of the ‘Cold War’, but all were commenced to extend American power at the expense of millions of people in the Third World. The most recent carnage in Iraq is simply the latest manifestation of our governments' desire to extend its power at any cost. A pledge leads to patriotism, and to making us unable to look at the policies of governments critically.
And to those that may say having a pledge is a form of paying respect to those that have died for this country in the past or that currently serve this country; there are many more opportunities to do so. A pledge is a form of indoctrination; hardly an act of respect. The best form of respect we could give to our soldiers is to prevent them from risking their lives abroad for the narrow interests of our political leaders in the first place. That would be the best form of respect.

Shayne Munoz said...

I believe that if you do not stand for the pledge of allegiance it is not a negative social more. By not standing for the pledge of allegiance you are not committing a big crime or going to go to jail nor is it really affecting society. Now in my opinion not standing for the pledge is wrong because we are a free country and we have people fighting and dying for the right to be free. Standing for the pledge many times is the only way we show our appreciation to what these young men and women are doing for us. Therefore standing for the pledge is not a negative social more but in my opinion the right thing to do.

Tom burch was here said...

Every group of people have different standards,values,and norms. Being an american to me means that when i satnd for the pledge im not only standing for the odvious reasons like because i am told to.For example i think that the people who fought for our freedom and died in the naame of it should be remebered for all time because they helped make our way of life possible.Now can you concider someone not standing for the pledge a negative social more? Yes. I say this beacuse if you become a citizen of this wonderful country then the least you can do is acnolage? the fact that "freedom isn't free" and thanking our founding fathers and soidlers that died for this country is not right.The definition of mores is something with great moral significance attached to them.In this case i firmly agree that the pledge has great moral and histical meaning to it.So yes it is a negative social more.

Derek Giansanti said...

If a person doesn't stand for the pledge of allegiance i think it is considered a social more. i think this because it looks like you are disrespecting your country.The pledge stans for our country and all that is going on in our country. If someone doesn't stand it doesn't mean they are not patriotic but it means that they are lazy and have no respect. Although it is fine for some not to stand once in a while but you better have a good excuse like your sick ect....

Anonymous said...

I think that if a person doesn't stand for the pledge of allegiance, it should not be considered a negative social more. First of all, a social more is something that people MUST follow because if not followed then there are negative consequences associated with it. An example of a more is more like murder or rape not one like not standing up for the pledge of allegiance. I agree with all the people that considered not standing for the pledge being a folkway not a more. I think that people should have the option to stand or not to stand and it is their choice whether they want to show respect or not. I think that a lot of students are not aware what the meaning behind doing the pledge really is and they are just lazy to get up, or are doing homework in the morning. If more people knew the reasons why they are doing the pledge, maybe more would join in at least standing not necesarilly saying the words.

amanda bollacker said...

Like a whole ton of people before me, a person refusing to rise for the Pledge of Allegiance wouldn't be considered violating a social More or the law, unless you're in some kind of totalitarian country. You wouldn't be arrested or executed for staying in your seat, but it does show disrespect and a negative attitude towards your country (Um, the Pledge of ALLEGIANCE is called that for a reason??? Pledging loyalty and love to your country perhaps??). It can only be considered a folkway, and because of "political correctness" in society today, you can't be pulled out of class or punished for making a statement such as refusing to rise for the Pledge. So far as I know, it doesn't damage anyone's morals, but sometimes is really irritating. Refusing to stand and say the Pledge is, paradoxically, a freedom given by our country, so...why not stand up and address it? Oh, wait, yeah. You hate your country.

Tim McDonald said...

I believe that not standing up is more of a negative folkway then a negative more. I think this mainly because it just makes you look like you have bad manners. Also, it shows that you don't care that people have fought and died so that you have the right to stand. The fact that people sit and in my HR talk during the pledge is just plain rude and makes you look unpatriotic.

Melissa Florio said...

I do not think that standing for the pledge should be considered a negative social more. I more is something that would put the society in danger such as murdering someone. Not standing for the plegde is not going to hurt anyone physically. However i do think that it is a negative folkway. Folkways are things like opening the door for people and not chewing with your mouth open. I believe that people should out of respect stand for the pledge of allegiance however it is not a negative social more not to.

brianna said...

If a person does not stand during The Pledge of Allegiance it is not considered a negative social more. It's not a negative social more because it doesn't endanger society and a person will not be harshly punished for it. However not standing for the pledge is considered more of a folkway because there won't be a major consquence. I believe you don't have to stand if you don't want to and failure to stand doesn't mean you are disrespecting your country. A person doesn't have to stand and recite The Pledge to prove and/or show that they love this country.

nicole scalise said...

Not standing up for the pledge should not be considered a negative social more. I think it would definitely fit into the category of social folkway because its not such a serious offence that you would get put in jail for it, but some people might consider it disrespectful. Theres no law that says everyone must stand up for the pledge. I've always stood up for the pledge and never really imagined other people not standing up but i believe people are free to make their own decisions and nobody should be forced to do something they dont want to.

Carl Fleming said...

Not standing for the pledge is not a sociol more. It is disrespectful to the people who fight to keep our country free and at the very least we could stand for it. But not standing is not a more; by definnition if you commit a more you will be severely punished. If one does not stand for the pledge they will not be severely punished. I believe not standing is a disrespectful act but it does not constitute as a more.

Nurjhan said...

If a person doesn't stand for the pledge I consider it a negative social more. At first I didn't stand for the pledge and didn't think anything of it but after having a discussion with my sociology class i think otherwise. I feel that it's showing respect for those who fought for our freedom as Americans and we atleast owe those who died a few moments of recognition for what they did as a simple thank you.

S.Costa said...

If one doesn't stand during the pledge is not a social more. However it is direspectful to those who fought over seas or on our own land for our freedom. The pledge is our way of respecting them and saying thank you for what you did. You have the right to sit or stand and to not say anything, i beleive you should at least stand even if you do not want to say anything