Ten-year-old refuses to recite pledge until gays allowed to marry

By David Edwards and Stephen Webster
Monday, November 16th, 2009 -- 6:47 pm
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willphillips Ten year old refuses to recite pledge until gays allowed to marryTen-year-old Will Phillips may have just become the new cause célèbre of the gay rights movement.

It all started when he refused to say the Pledge of Allegiance in a West Fork, Arkansas elementary school.

Speaking to CNN's John Roberts on Monday, Will said he remained seated four straight days while his classmates repeated the words, "with liberty and justice for all."

"I was analyzing the meanings of it, because I want to be a lawyer," he said. "... There isn't really liberty and justice for all. There's ... Gays and lesbians can't marry. There's still a lot of racism and sexism in the world. Yeah."

Eventually, the substitute teacher started giving Will "grief" over his refusal to repeat the words. "What did you say to that teacher?" Roberts asked.

Story continues below...

"I eventually, very solemnly -- with a little bit of malice in my voice -- said, 'Mam, with all due respect, you can go jump off a bridge," Will explained.

Seated next to the boy, his father covered his face, smiling.

Jay Phillips told King he thought his son was "dead" for rebelling in such a manner. "However, when I got home and I talked to him, the more I heard from him the more it became apparent that this wasn't a typical act of juvenile delinquency. This was a very a-typical act of juvenile delinquency. He, uh, he sat for four days and took the brunt of the criticism."

His father added that Will has apologized in writing to the teacher.

"I've grown up with many people who are gay," Will explained. "I think they should have the rights all people should. I'm not going to swear that they do."

He said that others at school did not react well to his principled stance. "They've taken from what I said the assumption that I'm gay. In the halls and the cafeteria I've been repeatedly called a 'gaywad.'"

"Uh, a, a gaywad? asked Roberts. "What's a gaywad?"

"I really don't know," Will said. "It's a discriminatory name for homosexuals."

This video is from CNN's American Morning, broadcast Nov. 16, 2009.



Download video via RawReplay.com

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Story comments are below...

  • peterlawrence
    Okay, from now on, anyone who runs for president must be at least 10 years old... I'd vote for him
  • RadicalCaveman
    Wow, that's one smart kid!
  • Richard S
    My family and I are Secular Humanists. We object to the words "under God" in the Pledge because we are convinced that they violate the Establishment Clause (what most people call "Separation of Church and State"). My kids decided to stand during the Pledge but not place their hands over their hearts, look down, and remain silent. Teachers asked them why they were not "pledging," and they simply stated that it was religious discrimination. No further questions; end of story. Of course, if they had refused to stand, I'm sure it would have gone further. Anyway, the pledge wasn't written with the words "under God" in it; those were added in the 1950s, and actually disrupt the intended rhythm. And why are we pledging allegiance to a piece of cloth, anyway? Shouldn't we be saying something like, "I pledge my loyalty to the Constitution of the United States, and to the principles for which it stands?"

    To the woman who said, "He had me until he insulted his teacher": I don't think you "got" the entire article. The teacher -- a substitute -- was repeatedly harassing the kid about his not reciting the pledge, and he was repeatedly explaining politely why he was not. He finally lost it. I think he showed more restraint than many of our elected officials.
  • wakeup32176
    Great post! Here's a little thing I wrote about the pledge in one of my rants: Also lest we forget that the pledge of allegiance was penned by a socialist in the 1890’s and was accompanied by a gesture very similar to the Nazi salute (changed during WWII to the hand over the heart) and in keeping with our forefather’s desires for a secular society (read that last word a few times) the words “under god” were not added until much later in a effort to somehow protect us from the commies hiding everywhere.
  • nedclark
    Jay Phillips should be proud of himself- and his family for raising a smart, justice-aware son...

    And Will Phillips is wise and courageous beyond his years.

    I wish them both well.
  • musk
    That's some fine parenting too.
  • an84u
    Will, at age 71, I think I lack your courage and your sense of justice and fairness; but in my heart I know you're right. Our country still has a long and arduous journey to overcome...I want to make the last or my part of the trip affirming you and your future as a leader. May God bless!
  • patrickew
    Pitty at 71 you "lack courage and sense of justice and fairness"... this is what is wrong with most of America now.
  • an84u
    patrickew, I'm guessing you mean "pity" and if so, I agree...it's great to know you so readily recognize, and "pitty" obvious faults. Ever hear of strength to change?
  • Democracydiva
    I live in probably the most liberal city in OC , Ca., but the high school administration has moved to the right. We were asked to say the pledge at graduation last June. I couldn't do it. I stood up,realized I couldn't parrot empty words, and found myself looking around with thoughts of illegal wars, torture, 911 lies, Don Siegelman, stolen elections, etc. flooding my brain. Perhaps I am paranoid, but I don't recall saying the pledge when our oldest son graduated from HS in 2005. In fact I don't recall being asked to pledge the flag since I was a young student. When our eldest went on to college as a student athlete I would avoid the national anthem at his games or sing my own words to the music. I haven't quite gathered the courage to totally sit down in the crowd .. Will has it over me on that one... Shame on me...
  • sourkraut
    Alright Will! Way to stand up for truth in really difficult manner - you're a thoughtful and strong person!

    With Sincere Thanks,

    Angela
  • reuterspiel
    Inspiring to see someone that young taking a stand and seriously and intelligently questioning something like the pledge...rebelling against authority and the establishment of automatons. He ought to be held in the highest regard by those who so fervenlty preach the gospel of "freedom" and "democracy".
  • therealjoeschmoe
    Amazing how much more articulate he is than most of our "representatives" in Congress. Kick ass, kid.
  • bobdevo
    Fire the teacher who tried to intimidate this great kid into reciting a meaningless and stupid "Pledge of Allegiance" originally concocted in September 8th, 1892 issue of a popular children's magazine The Youth's Companion as part of a campaign to sell American flags and American nationalism to public schools.

    Fuck the Pledge of Allegiance and fire his stupid teacher.
  • starvapor
    Wow!! ...
    ....this kid has great insight and is way ahead of many of his alleged "mature" elders in our society.
  • Phil E. Drifter
    I'm not sure this kid wasn't put up to it by his father with that smug look on his face in the freeze frame above.
  • Phil E. Drifter
    Then again, kids can be brutally honest sometimes because they have not learned to curb their tongue about touchy issues the way adults have.

    I don't think they can force you to recite the pledge anyway, can they? Freedom of speech means freedom to stay silent as well, doesn't it?
  • DownriverDem
    The teacher should have respected his views. They force religion in the schools down there too. It's as if they don't know what our country stands for. All they want is a return to the 1950s and early 1960s. Well, women and minorities did not have it so well back then in terms of choices. Did they?
  • Freedom
    Have you ever lived in Arkansas before? Be very careful of making generalizations and judgements based on your ignorance. You are guilty of what you are accusing others of!
  • DownriverDem
    Always looking for a motive, huh? I worry about folks like you.
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