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SlowwHand
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of The Cooler
Sep 1999
time: 23:30
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Pledge to U.S. AND Texas.
8-23, State: Texas students tackle new routine
AP
RICHARDSON — To 15-year-old Anna Russo, reciting the U.S. pledge of allegiance, the Texas pledge and observing a minute of silence with classmates each day just adds to the routine at school.
“It was like OK; we’re going to do this,” said the sophomore at Lake Highlands High School in Richardson, a Dallas suburb, whose school was already getting into the patriotic habit.
With the passage of the new state law that takes effect Sept. 1, students will have a few more daily requirements: observing a minute of silence and pledging allegiance to the U.S. and Texas flags.
Russo, who started school Wednesday, pointed out that the Texas pledge — “Honor the Texas flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one and indivisible” — is nice and short.
“It’s kind of like trying to build the perfect citizen or whatever,” Russo said.
That may have been exactly what legislators had in mind.
“I felt like the minute of silence connected with the pledges allows the kids to think about the sacrifices that have been made to get them where they are,” said Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, House sponsor for the bill.
While it’s fairly common for states to have laws requiring a moment of silence and recitation of the U.S. pledge, a state pledge is a different story, said Kathy Christie, vice president for the Education Commission of the States, a nonprofit, nationwide and nonpartisan education resource group based in Denver.
“I don’t know how many states have their own pledges, but Texas definitely is the first one we’ve heard about requiring the state pledge,” said Naomi Gittins, staff attorney for the National School Boards Association.
Students are excused from saying the pledges if they have a written request from their parent or guardian under the legislation.
“We all stand up and recite it,” said Avery Williams, a senior at Houston’s Lamar High School. “It’s been going great here. We haven’t had any rebellious kids here.”
Williams, 18, said that fellow students already were used to observing the minute of silence and reciting the U.S. pledge, so they just added the Texas pledge.
The pledge plays right into Texans’ well-known state pride.
“We’re all Texans,” Williams said. “We’re proud to be Texans. Even if you’re not from Texas, you’re here and we’re happy you’re here.”
Not everyone was as enthusiastic.
“Personally, it doesn’t really make a difference to me,” said 16-year-old Ryan Timms, a junior at Flower Mound High School, in the Dallas suburb of Flower Mound.
Timms, who moved to Texas from Indiana while in the fifth grade, said that last year his school observed a moment of silence and recited the U.S. pledge. He said he was familiar with the Texas pledge and had observed the fervent pride Texans have in their state.
“I know true Texans,” he said. “They have a lot of traditions and everything. I guess that’s just part of it.”
Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, said that some schools were doing some of the new requirements, but not all three.
“My guess is that very few schools were doing the Texas pledge,” said Wentworth, who sponsored the bill in the Senate.
Wentworth said he believes the pledges and minute of silence are a beneficial way to start the day.
And the Texas pledge, of course, also helps build pride in the state.
“I’m a Texan and we believe we’re the best state in the union,” Wentworth said. “We’re a proud state. It adds to the loyalty and patriotism I believe the students in Texas should be encouraged to adopt.”
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Cruddy
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I disagree MikeH. Putting the minute silence on as well kind of helps people make up their own mind.
I can't see it ever catching on this side of the pond mind you.
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Space05us
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and being forced to say the pledge is nice for brainwashing purposes, but as long as Im in school I will never say it when forced. If a teacher told me to say it or get a note from my mommy I would tell them to **** off, I say the pledge because I want to not because Im forced to.
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27-08-2003 19:42
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