During Windfern High’s 2016-17 school year, India Landry refused to stand for the pledge of allegiance.

According to Texas law, this requires a letter of permission from the parent; otherwise, the student must stand and recite the pledge.

Her defiance resulted in expulsion and Principal Martha Strother ordering the 17-year-old to leave the school, lest law enforcement be involved.

India wouldn’t stand and speak because of this:

“I don’t think that the flag is what it says it’s for, for liberty and justice and all that. It’s not obviously what’s going on in America today.”

She filed a lawsuit against the school district.

State Attorney General Ken Paxton intervened thusly:

“Schoolchildren cannot unilaterally refuse to participate in the pledge. Requiring the pledge to be recited at the start of every school day has the laudable result of fostering respect for our flag and a patriotic love of our country. The U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly held that parents have a fundamental interest in guiding the education and upbringing of their children, which is a critical aspect of liberty guaranteed by the Constitution.”

Paxton’s court filing read as follows:

“The United States flag represents the values of liberty and justice that form the foundation of this country and are defended by our armed forces. It is thus deserving of the highest levels of reverence and respect, which is expressed through every recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.”

The school district made a failed attempt to have the case dismissed. India’s attorney was fired up:

“If Cy-Fair wants to bury its head in the sand and say we will violate these people’s rights, then we will go to the court and we will go all the way to the Supreme Court if we have to.”

So why did she think the country was so crappy? She was awakened by the NFL. As per the Houston Chronicle:

Landry told reporters in July that her opposition to the pledge was political, inspired by NFL players kneeling during the National Anthem to draw attention to a surge of police violence against African-Americans. The lawsuit accuses the principal, vice principal, secretary and two teachers of violating Landry’s rights to free speech, equal protection and due process and of singling her out because she was black.

This is what happens when people take what I call Step Stupid (here).

The first step, upon hearing something, should be to first find out if it’s true. That’s something India didn’t do; and it’s something the NFL players forgot to do, as well. Statistics don’t bear out Colin Kaepernick’s position, which is why he’s a horrible choice as an example to young people — he took Step Stupid. He proceeded with ignorance, going on something he’d heard, rather than verifying it. The result is a chain of misguided actions caused by that dumbest of steps.

The result is bitterness and conflict. All caused by an epidemic of Step Stupid, bolstered by the Left, and by Nike. Not good.

As for India, she and the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District have settled out of court.

What isn’t settled, for many people listening to Colin Kaepernick, is reality.

And so, the march of Step Stupid continues, heel-to-toe.

Please read: “The Real Reason Nike Shouldn’t Endorse Colin Kaepernick.”

-Alex

Relevant RedState links in this article: here and here.

See 3 more pieces from me: Buzz Aldrin tells Hollywood to buzz off, WaPo reporter condescends to Trump supporters, and peeple in Paris.

Find all my RedState work here.

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