Sidwell - American Flag

[Anonymous]

Betsy Ross was a Quaker who was proud to stitch the first American flag.

[Anonymous]

Quakers are proud of their American country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s a a Quaker thing. In addition, Sidwell (and many, many other schools) are truly international schools. Our daughter’s first year there, I noted that o”over half of the kids in her class (more like 2/3) had at least one parent who was not from the US. That is in our family’s view a great opportunity for our kids to grow up with kids from across the world, and with foreign parents from a broad range of backgrounds. I don’t find any need for the school to display national flag. It’s Quaker, and international. No flags are displayed. My kids, though, know more details about US history and the US constitution that I di until midway through college.

Please. Your hyperbole is charming, but let's be real. It is not "truly" international, nor are "many, many" other schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

My family is Quaker (Quakers since 1690 in the US and came over with William Penn) and we proudly fly American flags in our yard. My Quaker grandfather and uncle also proudly fought on front lines in World War II.
All of the young men at my grandfathers Friends high school in the Philadelphia area proudly enlisted in World War II and were honored to fight for their country.

What passes for Quakerism now is not what George Fox envisioned. What passes for Quakerism now is essentially extreme leftist indoctrination.

Well, clearly then you have every right to speak for every Quaker in this nation, as well as Quakerism, as a whole. You act as if Quakerism is monolithic, when your very comments shows that not all Quakers think alike.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

My family is Quaker (Quakers since 1690 in the US and came over with William Penn) and we proudly fly American flags in our yard. My Quaker grandfather and uncle also proudly fought on front lines in World War II.
All of the young men at my grandfathers Friends high school in the Philadelphia area proudly enlisted in World War II and were honored to fight for their country.

What passes for Quakerism now is not what George Fox envisioned. What passes for Quakerism now is essentially extreme leftist indoctrination.

Seems to fly in the face of Quakerism, unless you meant, they served in non-combat capacities in WWII. But you specifically said "fought on the front lines" and "honored to fight."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s a a Quaker thing. In addition, Sidwell (and many, many other schools) are truly international schools. Our daughter’s first year there, I noted that o”over half of the kids in her class (more like 2/3) had at least one parent who was not from the US. That is in our family’s view a great opportunity for our kids to grow up with kids from across the world, and with foreign parents from a broad range of backgrounds. I don’t find any need for the school to display national flag. It’s Quaker, and international. No flags are displayed. My kids, though, know more details about US history and the US constitution that I di until midway through college.

Please. Your hyperbole is charming, but let's be real. It is not "truly" international, nor are "many, many" other schools.

I find my children’s community at Sidwell, and the adult school community, to be quite international. By that I mean that over half of both of my children’s friends have at least one non US parent; that each of our kids has at least 3 very close friends who were not born in the US, and that in our experience international families we know most closely retain close ties to their countries of origin (with extended families, visits, etc.). Many World Bank and IMF families, as well as others here in the US for professional reasons (not necessarily permanently and retaining close home ties). Regarding other schools, I mean both schools similar to Sidwell, and also schools that for what’s reason attract a large international community (some magnet language schools, schools in high international density areas, and the like).

Not sure what’s with you or what your patronizing comment is about.

[Anonymous]

We should all have faith in our ability to make a difference. There are plenty of people in this world that demonstrate impact in large and small ways.

This is DC. You don't know if the PP is one of His Eminence's bureaucratic babysitters, after all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s a a Quaker thing. In addition, Sidwell (and many, many other schools) are truly international schools. Our daughter’s first year there, I noted that o”over half of the kids in her class (more like 2/3) had at least one parent who was not from the US. That is in our family’s view a great opportunity for our kids to grow up with kids from across the world, and with foreign parents from a broad range of backgrounds. I don’t find any need for the school to display national flag. It’s Quaker, and international. No flags are displayed. My kids, though, know more details about US history and the US constitution that I di until midway through college.

My family is Quaker (Quakers since 1690 in the US and came over with William Penn) and we proudly fly American flags in our yard. My Quaker grandfather and uncle also proudly fought on front lines in World War II.
All of the young men at my grandfathers Friends high school in the Philadelphia area proudly enlisted in World War II and were honored to fight for their country.

What passes for Quakerism now is not what George Fox envisioned. What passes for Quakerism now is essentially extreme leftist indoctrination.

It sounds like your family is in the minority of Quakers....given that pacifism is a pretty big part of the tradition.....

[Anonymous]

No I don't think so. Quakers in the Philadelphia area were very patriotic prior to World War II. The 18 year old men coming out of Penn Charter, Germantown Friends etc signed up to fight like other 18 year old men in America. You have to understand that students in Quaker schools prior to World War II were Quaker (not other non faiths). It would have been unusual for a non Quaker to attend. The students were also proud descendants of immigrants who built America particularly in the Philadelphia/Maryland and New Jersey regions.

So, yes, pacifism is part of the tradition but being proud Americans is also part of the tradition. Reading the bible is also part of the tradition.

The reality is that contrary to popular belief it was common for 18 year old men coming out of the Quaker high schools in the Philadelphia region to fight and to be proud of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No I don't think so. Quakers in the Philadelphia area were very patriotic prior to World War II. The 18 year old men coming out of Penn Charter, Germantown Friends etc signed up to fight like other 18 year old men in America. You have to understand that students in Quaker schools prior to World War II were Quaker (not other non faiths). It would have been unusual for a non Quaker to attend. The students were also proud descendants of immigrants who built America particularly in the Philadelphia/Maryland and New Jersey regions.

So, yes, pacifism is part of the tradition but being proud Americans is also part of the tradition. Reading the bible is also part of the tradition.

The reality is that contrary to popular belief it was common for 18 year old men coming out of the Quaker high schools in the Philadelphia region to fight and to be proud of it.

Is Quakerism not meant to be patriotic? Patriotic and pacifiist (serving as medics etc instead) are not necessarily exclusive. That being said, It is little known that Quakers like your grandad signed up to fight.

[jsteele]

This thread keeps turning political and I think the topic has been adequately explained.