We went to the movies today to see Cars 2. Before it started, they played Johnnie Cash giving his "Tattered Old Flag" poem. Then they played the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing the Pledge of Allegience while a flag waved. No one stood but my DH and I. I wanted to say to them: My daughter served in the US Navy under that flag and she was buried under that flag. We should all stand for that flag and the Pledge. But I didn't. I should have.
Tommie

Weird that they would do that at a theatre. I've never heard the Pledge of Allegiance sung before.

Yes, you should have, and loudly. About the only ones I see standing for the flag at parades are obvious military types and crippled guys who were most likely military. And me, an old lady.

I am so sorry for the loss of your wonderful daughter. And I am ashamed that you two were the only ones to stand. I want you to know that if I had been in that theatre I would have stood also.

Kat

A very touching moment to those that serve and especially to your daughter - I would have been proud to stand along side of you and DH!

sorry to hear about your daughter, hugs hugs hugs

This seems to an epedemic. I would have stood by you.

Thank you for your daughter's service. I am so sorry she didn't make it. My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your husband.

I am truly sorry about the loss of your daughter. I would like to say that her service is not forgotten and your sacrifice is not either. You will be kept in our prayers. As far as not standing for the Pledge of Allegiance, shame on them. Without the sacrifices made by our military and their families, they have the freedom to attend the movie of their choice. I think that we as Americans just don't appreciate just how good we have it. Many people leave their homelands and families just to come here- we are the land of opportunity. Don't squander it.

I so agree. I always stand and put my hand over my heart. To me it simply shows respect. It is all I can do not to choke people who continue to chat or whatever when the National Anthem is played.

I am so sorry for the loss of your daughter, but do appreciate her service.

I probably WOULD have told them to stand!! This drives me nuts. It's like no one appreciates freedom anymore or the service and lost lives like your daughter. Thank you for allowing her to serve our Country!

I am so sorry you lost your daughter. ((hugs))

Thank you for your daughter's service to our country. I am a weeper when it comes to the flag and those patriotic songs. Hugs!

Yes, your daughter will always be missed and her loss will be America's loss, since we need all those marvelous young folks to lead America to the right path.

Prayers sent your way, be proud of her and always remember that there are folks out here who do respect our flag and those who fought to make it strong.

Yes, it's very sad how the world is going these days.
That is something that would irritate me too. My husband served in the Navy for 25 yrs! Thank you and your hubby for standing. Sorry about your loss. I know it cuts deeply.

Thank you for your sacrifice for our country.

My DH, DD and DS are all service members who have placed their lives on the line for our freedom!

My thanks and prayers to you and your DH. Please keep standing. So sorry for the sacrafice you and your family have given. My DH and I were at a yard sale and my husband took out his wallet to pay for something and the lady saw he had a retired military ID, 22 yrs in the Navy and she thanked him for his service. that was so neat for my husband, first time anyone had thanked him. My Dad was in 28 yrs....I stood at a school concert when they closed the program with "God Bless America, but so did a lot of others after I stood. I was so glad I did...we just have to keep doing this little by little. unlike some other countries we do not force people to honor our flag, so we need to bee the examples like you and your DH. Bless you

Thank you for your DD's service. I never knew my grandfather because of WWII. My entire family has served in the military (except my Dad who wasn't allowed because of his dad). We all stand.

I'm so sorry for the loss of your dear daughter. I thank the Military every day for my freedoms.

I would have stood up at the first bars of any patriotic song. Young people today have no idea what our flag really means and the freedoms they have. Even at home, I always stand when the anthems are sung at baseball and football games. My Nieces used to ask why, now they either stand or are conveniently in another room at the start of games and parades. However, I always let them know they just missed a chance to show respect for and honor their country. Maybe someday it will sink in.......................My Dad was a weapons specialist in WWII, we were lucky, he made it home.

We too would have stood with you. Our son is being deployed as I type...1 more month stateside and then back to the sandbox for him again.

Words can't say thank you enough to your daughter and her family.

So sorry for the loss of your daughter. Know that there are many of us who appreciate the sacrifice she (and her family) made for this country. Sending many hugs your way. My husband spent 25 yrs in the Air Force and it really angers me when I see people not standing or covering their hearts for the Pledge of Allegiance or National Anthem or any event where our flag is featured. Our children are no longer even being taught this respect in the public schools and we should be ashamed for allowing this to happen. And there are just too many adults who just don't care. Thank God for those who do care enough to enter the military and fight for this great country and the freedoms we enjoy.

If I had been there I would have stood! It think it is a disgrace that more people don't stand and show respect. It makes me very sad to see how this country has changed and it isn't for the better.

My condolences for the loss of your daughter. I'll gladly stand along side of you in respecting our flag. I am a daughter of Navy, mother of Air Force and Marine, grandmother of Navy, Marine and Army . The AirForce had a medical release. I did have all four branches covered before that.

I remember at the military bases growing up, at the movies they always played the National anthem before the movie started...

I would have stood, saluted and then slowly turned and scowled at everyone one of them!

All I can say, is that I am so glad that you and your husband STOOD. We have much to be proud--and not so proud of in the country--but we need to stand tall for our flag and the people who served under it. I am so sorry for the loss of your daughter. The human sacrifice is most often forgotten by those whose famil has not served.

Every year Hilliard, Ohio has a 4th of July parade. All the kids, grandkids and great grandkids come for the parade. When the colors pass by, EVERYONE on the street stands. I'll send a picture on Monday after the parade. Those who are around who don't stand get told about it. A few years ago, I sat at the parade working on the binding on my American Flag quilt. And when the colors came by, my daughter helped me hold it up proudly.

Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it!

I would have stood with you. I have taught all my children to stand with their hand over their heart when the flag passes and the national anthem is played. They need no prompting. Now DGD does it too.

First off I am sorry for your loss.
Second, I may have been kicked out of the theater for the lack of respect shown for those who have served for my as well as their freedom. I don't take it lightly. I took a punch in the eye from a man I reminded to show some respect once and would do it again. I also quit a job because my boss showed total disrespect during a ceremony led by elderly VFW men. This outrages me!

I'm standing with you Tommie! I am so sorry to hear that your daughter had to give her life for our country, and for the idiots that treat our country with disrespect.
~MEGA HUG~

I am so sorry that you had to be hurt like that. The ignorant in this world need a good shaking to realize what our military and their families sacrifice. I, too, would stand with you as would my VietNam era hubby. God bless you.

"unlike some other countries we do not force people to honor our flag, so we need to bee the examples like you and your DH"

I would stand anywhere for the National Anthem, and I always sing along, and I know the whole song and several of the full verses. I don't stand for anything else. We do not and should not ever make it a forced condition to stand for any of it. We need to show our children what it means and we stand in respect for our songs, not in fear of force. You acted as an example and should always, if it is in your heart to do so. You shouldnt feel bad about those who don't, they might not have an understanding or closeness to the flag you do, but you had the chance to show people a better way and took it. That is commendable

When I was a kid, esp in grade school, we had tons of things we did for INDIVIDUAL presidents birthdays. There was none of this - lets all roll them together, oh, and lets put them all on Monday. Do they even have a Flag Day lesson in schools anymore?? How many people dont even own flags or hang them out, or worse, just leave them out night and day (dont put them up at night!) until they tatter. As a kid NY, we used to have a huge thing for Memorial Day, a parade, tons of flags everywhere, all the graves decorated. Each cemetary in town had a special ceremony, a vets day at the clubs (VFW, LOOM, etc) in town. The VFW had a chicken BBQ, and the members all showed up in their respective dress uniforms for it. Memorial Day (in memory day) was started by wives, sisters, daughters of the Civil War dead - now its in rememberence for all those who die in battles for America.

Everyone should know the history of our country. I watch Leno and he somethings does this skit where he goes out and asks people on the street to sing the National Anthem - no one know it!! Of all the things an American should learn in schools - tops should be all the verses to our Anthem! You don't have to sing it, but you sure should know it! (I actually even know Oh Canada! because our Buffalo TV station signed off at night with the National Anthem first, followed by Oh, Canada, lol! Another station signed off with the Marines Hymn and the Navy Hymn )

I dont stand for songs and such because my GM used to tell me of her brothers who were rounded up by the nazis and killed for not denouncing the Pope. (she had come to America before WWI). The Germans all stood and shouted and sung at that nazi flag, because it was blindly expected and if you didn't you were suspected of treason. A country where you are told how to feel about your flag is not where any American would live.

Once upon a time there was a class called "civics" in our schools, we learned how gov't works from town to federal levels. We learned our songs, we learned what it meant to be a part of a great nation, That Americans work for a common good..

Now, that is all gone and all it seems our kids are learning are ways in which we are all different, and goals are ME and not WE, and bad language and lies work better than civility and truth. No one learns even the simplest songs and no one learns the Anthem. No one has respect for gov't on any level. Just standing is not good enough because we can turn into a bunch of nazi style robots if we dont know the history and meaning of our symbols. sharet

Shame on them. You and your husband must be very hurt, I am sorry for that.

Ditto!

Thank you for the sacrifice you and your daughter have made for our freedom...
God bless you!!

what is really sad is that this is a KIDS movie..how many of those people had their children/grands with them and failed to take that moment to TEACH them respect???

I would have been standing with you! My daughter also served in the US Navy - but I am very lucky that I still have her. Bless you and your DH for your sacrifice.

Hugs,
Sherryl
Candlequilter

It's so sad how people are these days and it makes me very angry. I wish there was a way to make people like this realize that the things they take for granted do not come free. I would have been standing right with you and so would my children and grandchildren . My husband was also in the Navy, and after 20 years in the service he also gave his life for this country. I am so proud of his service but miss him greatly.

Yes you should have invited everyone to stand!

First,condolences for the loss of your daughter. i thank you for her service. while i can certainly understand your feelings, the theater may not have been following proper etiquette in regards to the pledge. it is to be recited only in the presence of a flag.

I probably wouldn't have known this except my DB is a vetern and is very active as a member of an honor guard. He is a stickler for proper procedure when it comes to our flag, etc.

so sad.

When my husband and I go on the military base sometimes we are there when they do "Colors". Those of you who have been military or are military know what I'm talking about. And it always empresses me to NO END how when the music starts. Everyone and I do mean EVERYONE stands still,stops what they are doing and salutes! One time this happened to us and it was snowing so hard outside. But still EVERYONE stopped what they were doing and saluted. Some people even got out of their cars and saluted. It's like time just stops for a little bit.
This is a very powerful thing to experience.And most of the time it leaves me and my husband emotional. I wish everyone could experience that.