Why Is Patriotism Not Taught In School?

Question

I remember in elementary school during music singing all the patiotic songs. It was so much fun and I can remember each of them. I now teach and sing them with my children. Each day in school we would pledge allegience to the U.S. flag. What happened to those days?

It definitely would make for a stronger military.

Some of you really saddens me.

Answer 1

Because it might offend foreigners and anti-american looney libs.

Answer 2

The definition of "patriotism" has unfortunately, in my perception, become skewed by those supporting the war, those who are not, and everyone in between. Many bumper stickers suggest that if one is a patriot, they support their government. I like the one with the quote that goes something like Every patriot must be willing to defend its country from its government.
As for singing and pledging to the flag...I taught in an elementary school where the teachers often chose whether or not this would happen, even though it is mandated by the state. I gave my students the choice, most participated, a few didn't. We talked about the words used and what they meant. I felt this was important, and is often overlooked. Did you ever notice how the pledge is so often spoken in such a dull tone of voice, memorized, yet so often mistakes are made? Does the individual actually know what they are pledging, or for that matter, do they understand they are pledging at all? Once my students and I talked about this, their pledge each morning seemed more genuine, and even they appeared more engaged. As for those who chose to sit out, it was unfortunate that they often didn't get support for their choice, perhaps not having a critical enough mass to develop a language with which to abstain and/or speak for what they believed.

Answer 3

There was a question about this article this morning, and having thought about the last part of my answer to it, which applies to your question, I now think that maybe it should be taught in schools, but not through other lessons such as history. I don't think it should be encouraged, it should be taught separately as a concept, an ideal, even a theory. Personally I think that patriotism should be the desire to see one's country improved to the point where it deserves to be loved, and at the moment I don't think England's quite there yet; there are far too many negative aspects and not enough positive ones. By teaching patriotism in schools it will allow students to analyse it and determine logically for themselves whether it is something they should adhere to, whether it is a sound concept, or whether Oscar Wilde was correct in stating that "patriotism is a virtue of the vicious".

Answer 4

Repeating the pledge of allegiance in school is not going to have any sort of positive effect on how "patriotic" children will be when they grow up. The words become meaningless the more and more you say them and honestly, I don't think that it is good idea given the state of things right now with respect to the view of our country abroad. Everything has changed since the turn of the millenium and you cannot say that since we did it back then we should do it now. Our countries poor choices and negative effects since 9/11 are very obivious right now so by forcing people to be patriotic no matter what would only make us look more ignorant.

Besides, I am prime example, I went to Catholic school for 8 years, said the pledge of allegiance everyday but, I still do not follow any religion nor do I sit around telling everyone to be patriotic nor would I encourage anyone to join the military regardless of whether or not we are at war.

Answer 5

Thats like asking why dont they teach Greed in School?

Im not saying Patriotism is a sin like Greed, Im saying theyre both emotions and that isn't taught by a stranger in a school. I wouldnt trust a first grade teacher to teach my children brain surgery either, if they havent been there, they cannot educate anyone about being there. Patriotism's better taught by veterans (such as YOU perhaps? How patriotic are you?) who come to the school and explainwhy people feel the way they do about America.

I've no children of my own, but I have a 7 year old Goddaughter and if she ever asks me to talk to her class about my time in the Army and my perception of Patriotism, I would be thrilled and honored to do so.

I have gone to High Schools to talk about issues in the Military (at the behest of recruiters- I thoroughly LOVED my Army life [mostly] and have genuine enthusiasm for the subject), but there was no war then, I would feel too much like one of Bush's shills if I talked to students about the Army now.

Answer 6

I graduated in the late 80's, and we had the pledge every day.

I'm a teacher now, and every school I have taught at, they started the beginning of the year doing the pledge once a week, and then it faded real quick.

I don't have an answer for you on why we don't focus on American pride. People here are saying borders suck...blah blah...we are all people. Ok, true, we are all people, but borders exist for reasons that go back to Adam and Eve (if you believe in that), or caveman days.

Fact is, we are Americans, and we ought to be pretty damn proud about our history, and our place in the world. As a citizen of this great country, I feel a sense of misdirection...it seems that people are more wrapped up in their personal affairs than that of the country. Sure, we argue about things that affect us all, but I really feel that American's are disconnected. Look at other countries, how many come to vote, how many protest (even if it's silly stuff).

If us citizens as a whole don't come together, the America as we know it will fade slowly away, to a point where it isn't recognizable anymore.

Answer 7

My daughter is doing that now, and she's in first grade, so I don't know where you got your information that schools don't do it any more.

I'm a little frightened, however, at your assertion that singing patriotic songs and saying a pledge rather than,oh, say learning about the rights and freedoms that make this country great would make for a better military. Are you suggesting that unthinking obedience is what makes a good American soldier?

Answer 8

My allegiance is to my fellow human beings, not to a piece of cloth. I recall being told that the U.S. was the greatest country on earth. This is explicit: other countries must not be as good. It's the same message as "one true god" (you kind of know that they mean that other gods are false, not that there is no such thing as a god). I believe that it's a poor lesson to teach. It legitimizes prejudice, bias, nationalism, and paternalism.

Those days have hopefully gone...along with legal domestic violence; discrimination in employment against women, people of color, and gays; and Jim Crow laws.

My children were and are being brought up in a world, not just in a neighborhood, a town, a state, or a country.

Answer 9

Patriotism cannot be taught. One is either patriotic or not.

How a person feels about their country comes from the home and the environment....not the schools.

Quite frankly, when they added "under God" into the Pledge of Allegiance - when I was 15 years old - I stopped saying it.

Does that mean I am unpatriotic? No, it means that I don't believe that we are "one nation, under god" or under anybody else.

Singing patriotic songs doesn't make one a patriot anymore than singing the song "The Green Beret" makes you an Army Ranger.

Answer 10

With all due respect can you define Patriotism? If so can you differentiate from nationalism?

And which pledge would that be... the original pledge we had for over 150 years or the one during Eisenhowser?

Answer 11

Many reasons. Libertine doctrine. The militant "peace" crowd. But mostly the not-so benign underlining hate for this country.




Rek: the word "god" is a generic term. Sorta like fill in the blank, placeholder. Even people I know that don't believe in a god, believe in something, even if it is self! If it said, under Allah, or Zeus, or Jehovah . . . then you'd have a gripe. As it is, you are just showing ignorance.



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