It just seemed really weird to me, like the little kids where being brainwashed into a cult or religion. Do you really do that in US schools and what happens if the kid doesn't want to participate, is it mandatory?
shareIt was supposed to seem that way - American society was depicted as mindless and the law as corrupt.
Hollywood.
honestly,the comments on this film seem crazy to me.
Some people saying the film is American propaganda and others saying,like wrlord2001 that it is anti American.
The film seemed fairly pro American to me,of course early 1960s America was a better place than anywhere in the Soviet bloc.
of course early 1960s America was a better place than anywhere in the Soviet bloc.
really you don't think a black man in work in the north was not better off than an ordinary guy in most of europe never mind eastern europe.
sharereally you don't think a black man in work in the north was not better off than an ordinary guy in most of europe never mind eastern europe.
I don't think black Americans were flocking to the USSR,I know some went there,like I already said I saw a great documentary about this years ago.
But like many white communists who went there they were disappointed in the end?
But I know a little about American history (studied it at university and still maintain an interest in American history and society)I know the voting rights act was a big thing and some in the USA want it repealed but you know that it was the (mostly)Southern states who passed racist laws not the federal government,it was the federal government who acted to change things.
In the North things were a lot better for black people,they were more free to organise their own organisations including trade unions.
I am not saying black people in the industrial north had a great life in the early 1960s but it was better than the lives of blacks in the south and it was getting better as time went on.
Tell me what laws banned inter racial sex? I am sure a lot of fake rape claims were made to cover up the fact it went on but was inter racial sex really illegal?
As interesting as this debate is,and I am sure that neither of us are experts,this film is not about race relations in the USA in the early 1960s.
The film does not show any black people,I don't think it shows Chinese people either,or disabled people or many other groups you could mention.
So it's okay that the USA was endemically and systematically racist for 200 years, because eventually it wasn't? Or it's okay that people in northern states of the USA were treated like *beep* due to their race, because at least they had it better than those in the South? LOL
Tell me what laws banned inter racial sex?
this film is not about race relations in the USA in the early 1960s.
In the 1960's yes. Not so much today. In fact, the POA is rarely recited in public school. I wouldn't know about private ones.
Different Time. Cold War a time of extreme paranoia.
I remember having to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in class as a child in elementary school in California. This was back in the 80's.
shareI graduated from a Texas High School in 2011, and we still had to stand up and say the Pledge of Allegiance every day. It wasn't a requirement, but if you didn't, people would definitely look at you strangely.
shareYou bet your sweet patootey that the scene showing the Pledge of Allegiance was shown almost perfectly how it was done in those days. It was done realistically. And yes it was very cringey and weird when you see it in a movie. But that IS how it was back then.
And all the other stuff is also how I remember it, the A-Bomb drills and films, the duck and cover - which we did under our desks. In fact, the movie was not as weird as it was in Catholic schools back in the early 1960s. Then you'd not only get the Commie A-Bomb scares, but the nuns loved to add little extras like telling how all Catholics would be rounded up and put in camps or killed. And the nuns were sure WE would prefer to be martyrs for the faith rather than give in to the Commies. The whole Better Dead than Red routine ... and just like the kids in the movie, we too used to live within blast range of NYC ... boy, those were the days kids got nightmares from that stuff ...
All in all, the movie portrayal was rather sedate...
Now that you mention it, it is indeed rather strange that kids are forced to stand and recite the pledge of allegiance every single morning at school. It seems normal and routine to kids because we are taught to do that from the first day we go to school.
For those in the thread who think we no longer do it, I can confirm it was still common practice in schools while I was there (til 2005). Occasionally you'll see a news story of a kid, usually high-school aged, who attempts to exercise their right to not stand and recite it, which is great way to get berated for being un-American and get your butt kicked/life threatened every day for the remainder of your school days.
I'm 40... i did it... I'd hope kids today still do it.
Indoctrination? I don't see a problem with that. You are living in this country.... you better damn well sure be indoctrinated.
Are there countries who DON'T do this?
Are there countries who DON'T do this?Yes. Most countries DON'T recite any pledge to their flag. That would include countries that are way ahead of us in education, health care, science, economics and quality of life in general. But here where stupidity can be a chosen lifestyle, many school districts worry more about whether teachers lead a pledge than get paid well.
Indoctrination? I don't see a problem with that. You are living in this country.... you better damn well sure be indoctrinated.
Are there countries who DON'T do this?
At least when you pledge allegiance to a flag you're not addressing a fictional entity.