Overzealous dangerous patriotism

[Racket_Man]

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/%e2...nce/ar-AAaXpIv

School nurse alledgely refuses to treat or even see (citing HER right to refuse service) a student who (well within their rights as far as I know) refused to stand or say the American Pledge of Allegiance.

The article does not state what the student was going to the nurse for.

[Aragarthiel]

She needs to get over herself and go work at a hospital, where she'll come into contact with criminals, drug addicts, and generally unpleasant people on a daily, perhaps even HOURLY basis.

[Andara Bledin]

If she wants the right to refuse service, then she needs to get the fuck out of public practice.

She doesn't have a right to refuse service. Her client is the school district, not the student. Unless there is a threat to her safety, she needs to see every child who comes in.

The center handling the dispute on behalf of the girl gave them a week to respond in their April 8 letter, and that week expires today. We'll see if they step up and do the right thing or double-down on being anti-American assholes.

Further reading:

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/ind...l#incart_river

[Greenday]

Ugh, I've been arguing with a few people on Facebook recently about the pledge. They are all defending it to their grave but when was the last time they willingly did it? Decades ago.

[Aragarthiel]

Ugh, I've been arguing with a few people on Facebook recently about the pledge. They are all defending it to their grave but when was the last time they willingly did it? Decades ago.

My issue with it is that a pledge is pretty much an oath, and this one happens to be one that you're told to take the moment you start school without actually knowing what it means. It just seems wrong.

[cewfa]

Seems like the 14 signs of fascism are in order here. I do love reading the comments of people, on the link of the story, and seeing them slobber over how those that don't love America need to get out, yet can't spell basic words correctly.

[wolfie]

Trying to see things from the point of view of these "hyper-patriots":

That old dude is a commie traitor - this is Memorial Day, and he didn't stand for the National Anthem. Which old dude? The one in the wheelchair. You mean the guy who's been paralyzed from the waist down after he caught a German bullet storming the beach on D-day? Yep, but that's no excuse - a REAL American would stand for the National Anthem.

Now please excuse me while I extract my head from my ass.

[s_stabeler]

To be honest, there are a couple of times when I think the "right to refuse service" REALLY needs to be clarified.

My own opinion:
you have the right to refuse service EXCEPT:
1. where there is no alternative place to purchase said service or product ( so, for example, if you own a gas station in the middle of nowhere, where if a customer is refused service, they WILL run out, you have no right to refuse service. You DO have the right to require payment before the fuel is pumped, and/or that measures are taken to ensure the customer can only get the fuel they paid for.
2. where you are refusing service on discriminatory grounds
3. where refusing service breaches a duty of care, ( this is what the school nurse falls under- ultimately, she bears a duty of care to the kid, so she cannot refuse service.

[Gravekeeper]

The whole pledge thing in schools in the states always struck me is vaguely unsettling.

[Andara Bledin]

Well, if you're Christian or Jewish the Old Testament states that you shouldn't do rituals (which it most certainly is) and that you shouldn't pledge to an idol (which is what the flag is).

I always found the entire thing objectionable, and while I stood, I stopped reciting it sometime in middle school.

[AccountingDrone]

Not to mention as many foreigners as I know, I do know that in my tiny 52 person graduating class I had a Dane, an Egyptian, twin Iranians and an Australian - NONE of whom would be appropriate to say the Pledge of Allegiance [to the US, that is.]

[Aragarthiel]

Not to mention as many foreigners as I know, I do know that in my tiny 52 person graduating class I had a Dane, an Egyptian, twin Iranians and an Australian - NONE of whom would be appropriate to say the Pledge of Allegiance [to the US, that is.]

That actually brings up a good point. What if the girl had been a foreign exchange student? Especially if it had been her first day, she wouldn't have known what to do.

I realize something though- the student refused to stand. It's disrespectful to refuse to stand, even if she was a foreign exchange student. AFAIK, the general idea is that standing for a national symbol shows a sign of respect to any nation. You're given a pass for the first time, since you may not know, but there is no reason (except medical) why you should refuse to stand.

[Andara Bledin]

Except that not standing is just as much a form of protected expression as not saying the words.

Sure, it might be a sign of disrespect, but non-disruptive disrespect shouldn't be treated in such a manner.

[Aragarthiel]

I wasn't saying the nurse shouldn't have treated her, I was just shocked to have realized that this girl actually MEANT disrespect.

[Gravekeeper]

AFAIK, the general idea is that standing for a national symbol shows a sign of respect to any nation.

Anthems, yes.

Public oaths of ritualistic nationalism, no.