Hiya. My name is Ash...

I go to a high school  in the state of Georgia, and I am currently taking AP US History.

I do not say the pledge, and I do not stand.

I do not say it because I know America is not "under God" and I know there is not "liberty and justice for all."

I choose not to stand because I don't want to stand for a country, that I believe, does not stand for me.

I have not stood for the pledge since 8th grade, and I'm currently in 11th. I have never had any…

American education has a reputation for being abysmal for a developed country. There are many factors that go into this... but one that is not addressed enough is the problem of "parrot learning." In recent years american citizens, parents, and educators have started to learn about this deep problem [at least they have found the tip of the iceberg] - standardized tests. The SAT has come under fire - which it deserves - because it promotes parrot learning. It encourages children to memorize…

I figure this is a decent enough place to post my leaving of religion, especially since it might help the people here get to know me better.

My dislike of church started young. I was never really brought, and although my mother was raised catholic and my dad in a church-ridden area, I never heard anything but hatred of the tithing system growing up--we apparently had a few churches, that when they began going, asked immediately how much of my parent's income could be promised…