Little William Gobitis laid in bed the night before his first day of school, excited for what thrilling activities the day would have to offer. He thought about the pictures he would color, the crafts he would create, and the educational games he would play. It was going to be such a fun day!

Z Z Z Z

As William walked into the classroom, he could not contain his excitement. He was greeted by his teacher Mrs. Smith. William walked over to find a seat where he made two new friends, Sarah and Tom. As Class began, Mrs. Smith explained the new rules of the classroom.

“Hello William, it is so nice to meet you! You can go find the desk with your name on it and meet some friends. This is going to be such a fun year!” 

“Class, listen up! It’s time to pledge allegiance to the flag. Everybody must put your right hand over your heart and say, ‘I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all.’ We do this to show respect for the country because we know we are always protected, so we must always obey it.”

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After school, William walked to his mom’s car and she greeted him when he climbed inside. He told his mom all about his fun day at school on the car ride home, including making new friends, having his very own desk, and learning about how the class will work this year.

“William, how was your day? Was it so much fun? I bet you made so many new friends!” 

That night, William mentioned to his parents how the class had pledged allegiance to the American flag that morning. His mother and father were shocked. “William, we don’t want you to pledge allegiance to the flag tomorrow,” his father said. “It doesn’t go with our religious beliefs. We’re a part of Jehovah's Witness, which means we only pledge allegiance to our God, and nothing else, including the American flag. Do you understand?” William nodded.

After William’s talk with his parents the night before, he decided he would not pledge in class that day. As Mrs. Smith walked towards the front of the room, William began to feel a little nervous. He knew it was time to salute the flag. The students stood up from their seats and lifted their right hands to cover their hearts. As William sat silently at his desk he felt a hand on his back. But William stayed in his seat. With this, Mrs. Smith ushered him straight to the principal's office! As Willam sat in the office he began to feel ashamed and confused. He had obeyed his parents, “so why am I in so much trouble,” he thought.

Mrs. Smith said, “William you need to stand up, look at all your classmates, they are able to do this. I will not allow you to be so disrespectful to this country!”