The Littlest Conscientous Objector
I found this very fascinating clip on Yahoo today about a 10-year-old Arkansas boy who refused to stand for and recite the Pledge of Allegiance in his classroom on the grounds that there is not enough “liberty and justice for all” to support the Pledge. He cited the lack of marriage rights for gays and lesbians as his primary reason for refusing the Pledge. Here’s a clip from his CNN interview:
As one can imagine, this little boy’s stance has generated a lot of goodwill from activists and Americans who share his viewpoints. But I have yet to hear, say, Sean Hannity’s response (if any) to young Will Phillips, the impassioned and well-spoken lad.
However, my first instinct was to be cynical. After all, he did pull this stunt under the guard of a substitute teacher. Maybe he felt as though he was likely to get away with it more. Or perhaps, along with his righteous intent, figured that razzing a beleaguered sub would be an added bonus. On one hand, his parents should be commended on raising a thoughtful, studious and intellectually engaged young child. Plus, in the age of brattiness run amok, I can appreciate Will’s brand of mannered, superior insouciance. (I don’t abide smarting off to teachers, no matter how obnoxious or power-trippy they can be, but “With all due respect , Ma’am, you can go jump off a bridge” beats the heck out of, say, “Fuck you, Teacher-Bitch!”). On the other hand, however, in the age of Jon vs. Kate Plus 8, Balloon Boy Heene and Toddlers and Tiaras, I remain a bit skeptical when ever the media touts its Exceptional Child of The Week; I can’t help but to question the motives of the parent. For me, it’s easy to see something as innocuous as a child refusing to rise for the Pledge as some sort of publicity stunt.
It’s a sign of the times: Person + Child = Snake Oil Salesman.
But once my cooler, less snarky head prevailed, I began to appreciate Will Phillips for taking a decisive stand on an issue and to respect his parents for backing him up. I, for one, believe that perhaps after Will laid bare his objections to the Pledge that the substitute should simply have let the boy be. This is, after all, still America and the boy was well within his First Amendment Rights to speak (or rather, sit) freely. And, for what it’s worth, the little guy did issue a written apology for his saucy retort so…go, Will.
My only guess is that the sub was wholly afraid that the youngster was only a rogue imam away from starting the Arkansas cell of Al-Qaeda.
