First, it is unconstitutional to force anyone to make the pledge of allegiance. It has been so since 1943. As far as I know, we here in the US and ironically North Korea are the only ones in the world who carry it to such extremes. Other countries where a pledge is common, but not overbearing are:

Mexico
Philippines
India
China
Singapore
Turkey

Countries that don’t:

All European countries.
Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

Most countries around the world have rituals related to their flags and their national anthems that are innocuous in nature.

We have history to look at and should learn one major lesson from it: Nationalism is the primordial swill from which emerges tyrants, despots, and dictators.

I was raised a Jehovah's Witness myself and now that I'm out I feel personally it's wrong to compel anyone to stand for the pledge or the anthem.
Regardless of the reason...Forced patriotism isn't patriotism..Its facisim plain and simple...

I'm also a vet..Just got out in August and I fully support a person's choice to stand or not to stand and when people say it's insulting to our military..No I feel it's insulting to try and force people to take these steps because you're supposed to have the right to do so because of the military... Also if a person sits or takes a knee or whatever as a form of protest..Well hey that's cool too! It's a peaceful protest and to me that's just awesome!

My opinion has changed with the times, I think you handled it perfectly. When my thinking was different I was not in tune with the oppressed, know that I am I stand with them, or sit... I have much more of a world view now than I did in 1976 when I was 13 and waving a flag in New York Harbor for the bicentennial. Love this country and it’s Flag but until it waves equally for every American it will never feel like it did in 76... That said, I refuse to allow Republicans and the GOP hijack our symbols, half mast until conditions improve! I’m a New Yorker who believed in the great melting pot... I want us to be the country the Statue of Liberty stands for... if we don’t fix things soon I’ll have to start Looking towards Brooklyn when I’m on the Staten Island ferry.

No one can be forced to stand, nor can they be made to leave the room. Period. When I was in school, they used to send me out into the hallway. I was religious, and refused to pray to a piece of cloth. Now I'm an atheist, and I refuse to pray to a piece of cloth. (PS: We did sue the school, and no one was ostracized for refusing to pledge thereafter.)

The only useful purpose of the pledge is as a cue to answer "What country do you live in?" I don't stand or say it ever. I also talk during the 30 seconds of silence bs.

"I pledge impertinence to flag-waving of the unindicted co-conspirators of America, and to the Republicans for which I can't stand: abomination, underhanded fraud, inexcusable, with liberty and justice, forget it!"--Matt Groening, LIFE IN HELL

I was in first or second grade when they added the words "under God". I was never comportable with that and stopped saying it many years ago. Since 9-11 we are suppsoed to say the pledge at everything including garden club. (I can't go talk about plants without declaring my allegiance???) I love the comments and am going to start taking a stronger stand.

E PLURIBUS UNUM! The words christians despise, and I enjoy saying them.

My problem with the PoA is the "under God" part. I never say these two words

My school the kids must stand at attention but can not say it. I am a high school teacher and I stand but do not say it for obvious reasons.