I used to get in trouble for it in elementary school. By the time I was in high school, they had given up. I was born in this country, but I have no more loyalty to it than I do to the Catholic Church.

This is something I have never understood, somehow watching children be forced in to standing, gesturing and swearing allegiance to a flag always looked very sinister to me, as an Englishman it smacks of indoctrination.
At my schools, and I attended many, my family moved around A LOT, the only thing we were required to do was recite the Lords prayer at morning assembly.
Though I was a theist then, it was still more just a ritual than anything else.
On the Queens Birthday we would have to sing the national anthem and perhaps shout god save the Queen, or give three cheers, but nothing more.
Patriotism runs deep in the British psyche, but perhaps so deep we don't feel the need to affirm it regularly in public, Nationalism on the other hand is something most of us find abhorrent and only the truly moronic confuse the too.

I can't remember the last time the Pledge was uttered at any event I attended. Sometime in high school I guess.

I have. We got to the venue early, got seats & situated. Seats filled, no problem because we had taken up a short row with our group for the event. Anthem started, I remained seated. Evidently this REALLY upset a couple of folks who decided I needed to stand up & show respect. Imagine their surprise when people in my group stood up & told them to completely fuck off, I wasn't able to stand due to a recent surgery. What they hadn't seen was me being carried in because we had bought tickets well in advance of my accident & where we were sitting wasn't handicapp accessible & there were no spaces available for me in those areas.

Staying seated during the anthem isn't always a protest. If someone does, that is their right guaranteed under the 1st.

I am a Navy Vet if this ever happens my kids and I will be having a serious talk about loyalty. I would appreciate if they returned to the original pledge the one without the reference to a deity.

My Dad does. Very stressful.

in 1968-9, my senior year of high school, i remained seated during the pledge. the year before i had simply not uttered the words "under god" during the pledge, but in my senior year i decided i wasn't going to say any of it, since we clearly did NOT live in an indivisible country with liberty and/or justice for all. i just wasn't willing to lie. most of my classmates yelled at me (during their precious pledge!) to stand up. the teacher asked me once, wouldn't i do so? i said no and i explained why. she didn't force me to stand but she didn't ask the others to leave me alone either. the only ones who didn't yell at me were the few black kids in the class. i like to think it's because they knew why i was sitting. i'll never know.

g

Never, but mine were born and raises as military children. On every Marine base I was ever stationed, anytime the flag was raised or lowered (8am every morning, sunset every evening), kids on the playground or otherwise outside playing would always stop playing when the music started and their respects. I always told mine that they aren't necessarily respecting the flag (which they are), but those that died defending it.

no. but i don't say "Under God"