Forced to sing the National Anthem!
Interesting story from the LA Times.
Teachers in Japan unite to battle the Tokyo government and its school board over the enforced patriotism.
“I don’t harbor ill feelings for the anthem,” says Sawa Kawamura. “It’s about being forced.”
Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara, known for his nationalism, mandated in 2003 that teachers in public high schools and other institutions who refuse to stand up, face the flag and sing the country's national anthem during school ceremonies should be reprimanded.
I know kids in many countries are forced / expected to sing the national anthem at Assembly and gatherings.
So, my question - Is it enforced patriotism ?
Eh, there are lots of things we are "forced" to do. Do it, get over with it, move on. Not worth losing sleep over.
it is part of the curriculum. You let your children enroll there, follow it.
ANd may I ask when is the best opportunity to instill patriotism? Whe they are barainwashed by the TV and different Internet sites? When they are already hard-headed individuals?
There is no absolute freedom. We are all govern by laws. Follow it and it will be less complications. Deviate or break it will bring the real "score".
My bad.. You are ofcourse correct..
The post is about Japan and the same happens in China, Venezuela and other countries.
brit, i think that's not a very appropriate example, it's not a matter of Ind-Pak but to all nations, east or west, IMHO.
You are correct in what you say..
Take the example of India or Pakistan. This "respect" is learnt usually from a very young age, where children are forced to salute the flag and sing / learn the national anthem.
national anthem (like national flag) represent whole of a nation.. its people, land, its essance, soul, everything..... when we respect the anthem (standing up n so on....(like salute to national flag), we do respect the essance of a nation, its people et al.
Now if we "LEARN" to respect our elders, family. parents..., we MUST learn to respect our (and others too) national anthem, national flag.
..to add, anything "forced" is bad.
When We consider that our patriotism should be compromised with our Freedom of Expression .
i guess people in that moment just getting a wrong definition for Freedom .
If it's an "emotional need" then there is no NEED to force the people, ain't it? Obviously many people don't NEED it.
yes, no FORCE, just educating them, anything "forced" is bad.
agreed with people here, Idea of nationality is either fading away or will (surely) diminish in time....a new concept of 'open world society' is on the anvil (my view)
If it's an "emotional need" then there is no NEED to force the people, ain't it? Obviously many people don't NEED it.
If it's an "emotional need" then there is no NEED to force the people, ain't it? Obviously many people don't NEED it.
i used to hear it with pride!
It shouldn't be forced and what is nationality anyway? Nationality is dead.
Everything has limit including "right of expression" & any such basic freedom.
Patriotism is not a fashion or brainwashing, it’s “emotional need”.
The things that come from within kids willingly, are the things you fear most and would rather not want them coming from within... Umm like singing song like colt45 :-P LOL!!!
Encouraged and forced are two entirely different things brit, as I'm sure you realize. Patriotism, like religion, should come from a personal feeling of pride and belief, not from pressure and a threat of punishment.
And I believe you would too :O)
But taking it slightly wider. Children in India, China, even the USA are "encouraged" to sing teh national anthem. Does this lead to patritism - i believe it does.
Now is that brainwashing as LP says ?
Yeah, first of all there shouldn't arise a need to "force" kids to sing the anthem.. It should come from within..
I think children should have the right to not participate in singing the national anthem if they don't want to. Frankly if I'd been in high school in the US during the Bush years I would have sat down and buttoned my lips during every single anthem singing session as a form of protest.
That is more like... "Umm can you repeat the quetion"?
happy, can you simplify it?
As someone here said somewhere... in the process of being seen as RIGHT we give up or lose out on several important things in life...be it patriotism (with ref. to the title), relationships or whatever... just to ponder later, most of times with regret, was being RIGHT actually worth it.
It's also called "brain-washing".
I feel it is enforced for sure but I guess its kind of like parents ordering their kids to pray, not to lie, not to steal etc. Like what was originally done as a habit to please your parents/principal etc as a child will be engraved in your heart and mind.Then at the age of maturity it will eventually be done with the right intention..at least thats what they hope will happen!
I'm glad you did ;-)
I used to sing:" We gotta get out of this place, if that's the last thing we ever do", during assemblies at school.
I second Colt,
that's one 'good' moment..
We sang our National Anthem during school assembly and we did it with pride... I loved that part :-D
It's a violation of the Human Right called Freedom of Expression!