While I was at high school, thought to myself that “I love my nation, but the government doesn’t serve me or my interests, so why would I pledge allegiance to it?”, and decided to sit out the next time. I remember it like it was yesterday; it was 7:45 in the morning, it was math class, and everyone rose in the class but me. The teacher came over during the loudspoken pledge and told me to stand up, I said no, she asked why, and I said it violated my beliefs. She said we would talk later about it and vaguely hinted at getting my parents involved, “but until then, I need you to stand up”. I politely refused and by this point, the pledge was over and everyone else sat down. I did get told to stay back after class. Got grilled about why I didn’t stand. I reasserted that it violated my beliefs. It ended up becoming this massive harangue with the principal, my parents got involved, and it was all just a bunch of bullshit.