For Americans - Do you always stand up
cameragirl21 wrote: Do you always stand up when you hear the Pledge of Allegiance and/or the National Anthem or God Bless America?
I'm home watching the Yankee game on tv and I watch baseball a lot and I always stand up during the 7th inning stretch even when I'm at home.
I wasn't born in the US so I guess I'm superproud and grateful to be an American but people kind of chuckle at how I always stand up. For example, a friend of mine who was not born in the US and came here as an adult was asking me the words to the Pledge of Allegiance and we were talking about this while I was driving in my car and she laughed at me because I actually pulled over to the side of the road and got out of the car to stand up before reciting it.
Also, when I was in elementary school, we were taught that if you drop the US flag you have to kiss it 50 times and right around the 4th of July, I was at Walgreens and they were selling flags and one woman dropped one to the floor and I told her she had to kiss it 50 times. At first she looked at me like I was nuts and refused but then she came back and told me she kissed it. Guess I must have looked really upset when she refused. 
Does anyone know if the kissing 50 times is true and do you always stand up whenever you hear it?
LOL, some think I'm super patriotic, some think I'm super nuts. 
Take care,
Jennifer
luvbug00 replied: I stand ( I wouldn't stop my car though) i respet the flag but my native country is important to me too so for both flags I stand. but the hand on that heart for americas flag I don't do. I want both countries to be shown equal respect in my eyes. 
moped replied: Can I ask where you were born Jennifer?
C&K*s Mommie replied: It depends on where I am at, when I hear it. If at home, no I do not stand. If at a sports field or prior to a meeting or game then yes I would stand and put my hands behind my back and bow my head. I would give reverance and be silent while it is being said, too while at home.
I have never heard of kissing a dropped flag, but if another chooses to do so than so be it.
Where were you born BTW? Good to know that you are superproud to be a citizen in America.
cameragirl21 replied: I was born in Kiev, Ukraine, back then it was Kiev, USSR as I was born in the 70s, came here in the late 70s as a tiny tot.
Super proud to be an American though, best country on earth!!!!!!
What about you, Nadia, what is your native country?
Take care,
Jennifer
punkeemunkee'smom replied: We stand for the Anthem or the Pledge if we are at an outdoor event or a public place. The men at these same events remove their hats (if they are wearing them) and most everyone gives their full attention to Our Flag and respect to Our Nation  I love seeing little kids with their hands on their hearts....Thanks for the reminder
luvbug00 replied: I'm from Guatemala. 
mom2my2cuties replied: It depends on where I am or if it is appropriate at the time.
However, any time I am out of the house or even in the house for that matter, I either stop and place my hand over my heart, or salute (former military in me I guess) and even my kids know that they are supposed to be very quiet and reverent during patriotic songs or the pledge of allegience.
I tend to get very annoyed with people who have no respect for the flag, national anthem or even just a patriotic song. I was raised by a father who was in the military and went on to join myself (albeit, after 1 year I was medically discharged.) and taught a stronger sense of "america" than what a lot of the kids I knew growing up were.
TANNER'S MOM replied: I stand when I hear the pledge or the National Athem.. and as with a word of prayer I always remove cover if I am wearing a cowboy hat. I find it very disrespectful when someone doesn't. In my own home I do not stand maybe.. but I do have a lot of respect for my country and for my god.
My children are taught the same and we all practice the hat in hand over your heart or you hand on your heart.. only b/c it means something.
Recently we were at a rodeo, and there were people who weren't American sitting in front of us. ..when the flag came they didnt' stand. Should they stand. It is my opinion.. they are living in my country they should respect our flag too. Not that they need to renounce their own.. but show the common courtesy of standing.. am I wrong?
Now, I know there is some boy scout law about the flag hitting the floor or being dropped.. to me the flags at the store arent' the same as the huge offical flags.. and so I wouldn't kiss it 50 times or anythign else.. especially if it wasn't dropped out of disrespect clearly an accident.
moped replied: US is a great country, but being Canadian I have to say CANADA rocks - 
cameragirl21 replied: So, Nadia, do you speak to Mya in Spanish then?
Here in Miami, even though I'm a gringa (lol, love that word) I learned Spanish because everyone mistakes me for a Cubanita. I do look somewhat Hispanic. And everyone assumed I could speak Spanish and when I said I couldn't I got accused of denying my heritage, etc, so I was like, I'm gonna get beat up if I don't learn it.
I don't run into too many Guatemalans though, lost of Cubans, Argentinians, Columbians, Venezuelans, and even Brazilians but very few from Guatemala or anywhere in central America.
Take care,
Jennifer
cameragirl21 replied: JenHopkins, I have family in Toronto and Vancouver. We used to go to Toronto several times a year when we lived in Ohio, where I grew up.
But now that I'm in Miami, well, it's an awfully long way.
Being a former xfiles fan, I'm eager to check out Vancouver. My parents recently visited Prince Edward Island and LOVED IT.
Canada is beautiful from what I've seen but I guess I'm a warm weather gal these days....
Take care,
Jennifer
punkeemunkee'smom replied:
No,IMO you are not wrong. I believe that if you are going to live in this country then you should respect the traditions and honor the symbols of our freedom. The flag to me is a representation of all the lives lost protecting our soil-It is a symbol of every fallen man and woman,a symbol of all those who are fighting right now to protect us....I firmly believe that if this nation is where we reside then our flag,our anthem,and our pledge should be honored evreytime we have that chance!
luvbug00 replied:
I look very middle eastern i'm not offended or anyting but most persons not of spain decendantcy prefer to be called latinos. My parents were of native decent as to why I'm soo short. 
cameragirl21 replied: Right after our war in Afghanistan started there was a girl/exchange student from Afghanistan at the University here and she walked into the admissions office and the receptionist had one of this little tiny flags in her pencil holder and she went back to get the girl's paperwork and by the time she returned she found that the girl had ripped up the US flag.
GRRRR  that made me angry when I heard about it.
Take care,
Jennifer
mom2my2cuties replied:
This reminded me of something. I was at our church's 4th of July service a few years back and they were doing this great presentation of the American Flag and the leading into the National Anthem & the Pledge - well EVERYONE was standing, except this kid I went to church/school with. And it wasn't even just that, he was sitting about 3 rows in front of me, slumped down next to his mom just making fun of the whole thing, I quietly walked up behind him, grabbed him by his color (with the help of the person I was standing next to and pulled him to his feet. It would have been one thing for him not to stand but to sit there and mock the ceremony just ticked me off to no end.
And normally I am not one for forcing my beliefs on someone else, however, that situation was just uncalled for.
cameragirl21 replied: You don't speak Spanish at all, Nadia? I can tell you that here in Miami, those who don't speak Spanish have a very hard time.
Here everyone says Hispanic but now that I think of it, some do say Latina, sorry about that.
I look middle eastern too, largely because I'm Jewish, lol, but here it's mistaken for Latina because I guess that is what people expect of a dark, thick haired girl with big dark eyes, lol.
Take care,
Jennifer
mom21kid2dogs replied: I always stand for the National Anthem and Pledge of Allegience. God Bless America is a nice song & all, but I don't think it commands the same respect as the other two. I kinda put God Bless America in the same boat as God Bless the USA~a nice, patriotic song.
luvbug00 replied:
nope not unless u count bad words ( but everyone knows bad words in most languages! )
redchief replied:
I don't, but I'm willing to learn. 
Anyway, I'm pretty sure I don't even have to tell you all what I do, but I shall anyway. I stand for both the Pledge of Allegience and National Anthem. Silly as it sounds I even stand at home, but I'm self-conscious about it and often make as if I'm standing for another reason. As far as God Bless America goes, it all depends on the situation.
Crystalina replied:
That is so funny that you say that. I am PR and do not speak much spanish ( I can understand it better then speak it and not the type they teach in school ). My spanish and german are terrible but I know every cussword there is. 
O shoot! I forgot to answer the original question.  I stand for all of them. DH will always take off his hat and he HATES to take off his hat.
Jackie012007 replied:
ohhh ED the things I could teach you... I can swear in 4 languages!!! 
I stand up if I am in public at an event or something... but not at home. I never thought about it, really 
holley79 replied: I always stand. (well not in the car. )
PrairieMom replied: I always stand, with my hand over my heart, and never wear a hat. Here is a question, do you stand when the flag passes you in a parade?
punkeemunkee'smom replied:
Absolutely! It irritates me if people don't. Most of the time around here people stand and clap as the flag has passed them 
mom2my2cuties replied: Aren't you generally ALREADY standing when you are watching a parade????
luvmykids replied:
Ditto... and Abbie, are you like me at rodeos, the sight of everybody horseback with their hats off? It makes me cry extra hard. (yes, I cry every time I hear the National Anthem)
PrairieMom replied:
nope. We are from the midwest, we sit on the curb or lawn chairs! 
punkeemunkee'smom replied:
It is really beautiful because afterwards the Sherrif's Posse or whoever is carring the flag that day will come in full bore on their horses Flags flying in the wind....It gives me chills no matter how many times I see it-as a matter of fact I have them now just thinking of it! This summer one of our local towns had lost a soldier just before the rodeo in Iraq-when they rode that flag out in the arena I don't think from Bull Rider to Team roper there was a dry eye in the arena or stands...It was something special to be bonded for,even just the length of the song in the loss of that man and the graditude we all felt..... 
luvmykids replied:
WOW
To me, rodeo is just so "All American" anyway but then you add something like that...very touching.
And seeing someone at a dead run with the flag like that is awesome, probably one of my favorite parts of rodeo, period.
mom2my2cuties replied: OH WOW!!
Those lyrics gave me chills! What a cool song - I think i am gonna have to download that one
Maddie&EthansMom replied:
I'm so glad I'm not the only one. I have so much pride for my country and the men/women who fight for our freedom. 
TANNER'S MOM replied: I cry every time I hear it too! Especially on horseback.. and I cry every time I hear the cowboys prayer..
C&K*s Mommie replied: I was flipping the channels this AM, on the way to take Christian to school, and I overheard the DJ on a station say something to this effect: "and now to recite our Pledge of Allegiance here is so and so, whose dad is serving in Iraq". The little boy said the Pledge, I was driving in traffic so I could not bow my head or anything. Then right after there was a recording that said "GOD bless America" the emphasis was put on each of those three words. Very sweet! Then the National Anthem was sang (come to find out afterwards it was a group called Emerson Drive), and that brought a tear to my eye. It made me think of and appreciate our soldiers who are serving overseas to protect us.
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