Will Phillips, a 10-year-old fifth grader from West Fork, Ark. took a stand for gay rights, by sitting.
On a day when his teacher was out, Phillips just decided not to stand and honor the pledge of allegiance. He sighted the fact that he did not believe their truly was “liberty and justice for all,” and felt it would be a dishonor to repeat the words he believed were false.
Phillips said his family has many openly gay friends and he said he sees on a daily basis that they do not have the same rights as many Americans.
This is an amazingly brave stand by the 10 year old, who actually was a year ahead in school. His controversial stance did not come without social consequence.
He said that fellow students at his school took from his position that he himself was gay and would come up to him in the hall and tell him that. In the lunchroom he would sit through the taunts of other students calling him a “gaywad.”
I recall when I was in fifth grade, I was more concerned with what Pokemon I was currently trying to catch above any controversial political stance. Fifth grade is really a key year that can make or break the rest of your grade school social life.
It works like this: you have to make as many friends as possible in fifth grade going into middle school. Middle school is bigger and can be intimidating without a lot of friends, and without a lot of friends, those awkward middle school years only get more awkward.
This fifth grader is putting his reputation and quite possibly a great deal of taunting for the rest of his grade school days on the line for this cause that he believes in.
He does make a valid point. We live in a country where “all men are created equal,” and that all men are afforded the right of liberty and justice, we are living in a society where this does not hold true for all Americans. Whether you feel this is appropriate or not is for your own opinion. But the discrepancy is so appearent, it has disturbed 10-year-old children, children whose biggest concern should be who they will sit with at lunch, not if that person will judge them for their political stance.
I think whether or not you agree with the young boy’s view that he is to be commended. No matter how old you are it takes great bravery to speak you mind, especially when it goes against the majority society view. Take a lesson from young Will Phillips, speak your mind, have an opinion, and be brave enough to voice it.
JP Coleman is a fifth year finance and economics double major. He can be reached for comment at [email protected].
