Community sounds off after school punishes boy for refusing to stand for pledge | khou.com Houston

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference ~ Robert Frost, 1915
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In 1943 one of the landmark First Amendment cases was decided. West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943), is a decision by SCOTUS holding that protected students from being forced to salute the American flag and say the Pledge of Allegiance in school. In other words, no student has to stand up for the Pledge.

Obviously a case that not many in Needvile are aware of, school administration included. As for Mason's reasoning, though not religious in nature, it is still protected "speech."

“I’m really tired of our government taking advantage of us,” said Michalec. “I don’t agree with the NSA spying on us.”

Most folks around town Thursday had just one reaction to Mason sitting it out.

“Oh that’s wrong,” said Needville resident Peggy Janczak.

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Only one man KHOU11 spoke to, saw things another way.

“The kid’s well-spoken and he’s well-informed,” said Needville neighbor Dean Reese. “It’s not like he’s ignorant, he’s not doing it to make people mad. He’s doing it because of his personal beliefs.”

Reese believes punishing Mason for speaking his mind, sends the wrong message.

“I’m a veteran, I’m not real big on flag-burning or anything like that, but this

Community sounds off after school punishes boy for refusing to stand for pledge | khou.com Houston

An Addendum of sorts:

As I was contemplating reading through the precedent set by the West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette case, a few thoughts came to mind.  One being the Robert Frost poem "A Road Less Traveled" which triggered almost immediately the movie Dead Poets Society (1989) and the following clip about conformity:

I'm not sure which "thought" came first, but either way, both are illustrated by this incident in Texas.

In the movie Dead Poets Society (1989), Robin Williams' character John Keating had it right in regards to conformity, "Now we all have a great need for acceptance, but you must trust that your beliefs are unique, your own, even though others may think them odd or unpopular, even though the herd may go [imitating a goat] that's baaaaad." Robert Frost said, "Two roads diverged in the wood and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."

The character Dalton, gets it right, just as Mason does with his POV against standing and saluting the flag while reciting the Pledge, "I'm exercising the right not to walk."

A second thought that came to mind:

If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind. The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth.We can never be sure that the opinion we are endeavoring to stifle is a false opinion; and if we were sure, stifling it would be an evil still. (John Stuart Mill. On Liberty. 1859)