Vault: This Kid Refuses to Say the Pledge of Allegiance

Summary

The Bert Show – Vault: This Kid Refuses to Say the Pledge of Allegiance

Episode Date: May 19, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Bert Show centers on the viral story of Will Phillips—a 10-year-old boy from Arkansas who refused to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance at school. The show explores Will's reasoning, his national TV appearance with his father, the school and peer reactions, and the hosts' take on the drama. The conversation highlights the importance of critical thinking, youthful activism, and the social implications of challenging societal norms.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introducing Will Phillips’ Story

• The hosts begin by discussing "this kid that's 7 years old that has refused to recite the Pledge of Allegiance," but quickly clarify he is 10.
• Will appeared on CNN, where he explained why he’d stopped reciting the pledge after really listening to its words.
  • Host Quote (Radio Host 1, 01:40):
    "At 10 years old, he started listening to the words of the Pledge of Allegiance and he's like, wait a minute, wait a minute. Something doesn't quite make sense here."

2. Will Phillips' Reasoning and Stand

• Will describes analyzing the Pledge with aspirations to be a lawyer, prompting him to question its validity.
  • Will Phillips (02:12):
    "I was analyzing the meanings of it because I want to be a lawyer."
• Will explains his objection to the line, "with liberty and justice for all," citing ongoing societal inequalities.
  • Will Phillips (02:31):
    "There really isn't liberty and justice for all. There's gays and lesbians can't marry. There's still a lot of racism and sexism in the world."

3. Classroom Confrontation

• The substitute teacher pressured Will over several days to stand.
• Will recounts his blunt response to her:
  • Will Phillips (03:05):
    "I eventually, very solemnly, with a little bit of malice in my voice, said, ma'am, with all due respect, you can go jump off a bridge."
  • Reactions from the Bert Show hosts are amazed and entertained.
  • Radio Host 2 (03:15):
    "Oh, my God."
  • Radio Host 1:
    "10 years old."
  • Radio Host 3:
    "Wow. With all due respect and a little bit of malice, you want that kid representing you in about 10 years? Oh, my God."

4. Will’s Father's Perspective

• Will’s father, Jay Phillips, shares his initial reaction was fear, then understanding.
  • Jay Phillips (04:01):
    "He's dead." [humorously referencing his fear for Will]
  • He ultimately recognizes Will’s actions as a principled stand, not mere rebellion.
  • Jay Phillips (04:14):
    "...this wasn't a typical act of juvenile delinquency. This was a very atypical act of juvenile delinquency."

5. Peer and School Reaction

• Will shares that other students didn’t react kindly; he became the subject of rumors and derogatory language.
  • Will Phillips (04:30):
    "Not very good. They've taken from what I said an assumption that I'm gay. ... I've been repeatedly called a gay wad."
  • Will shrugs off the derogatory term, recognizing its discriminatory intent without internalizing it.

6. What Would Change Will's Mind?

• When asked what would convince him to stand for the Pledge again, Will is clear:
  • Will Phillips (05:24):
    "For there to truly be liberty and justice for all."
  • To him, this means equal rights for all, specifically citing same-sex marriage rights.
  • Will Phillips (05:30):
    "That entails everyone being able to marry."

7. The Bert Show Hosts’ Closing Commentary

• The hosts are both entertained and impressed by Will's conviction and verbal prowess.
  • Radio Host 1 (05:34):
    "...a 10 year old kid taking a stand man smart little kid that impressive her love that kid."
  • They humorously imagine Will’s future as a successful litigator, able to outtalk and “dizzy” potential bullies.
  • Radio Host 3 (05:51):
    "He's going to be like I say this with no prejudice and a little bit of malice, but if you strike me, I will take you before a high court and sue you for every penny that your parents are worth."

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Will Phillips (03:05):
  "With all due respect, you can go jump off a bridge."
• Jay Phillips, Will’s father (04:01):
  "He's dead."
• Will Phillips (04:30):
  "They've taken from what I said an assumption that I'm gay. ... I've been repeatedly called a gay wad."
• Will Phillips (05:24):
  "For there to truly be liberty and justice for all."
• Radio Host 3 (05:51):
  "He's going to be like I say this with no prejudice and a little bit of malice, but if you strike me, I will take you before a high court and sue you…"

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Important Timestamps

• 01:31: Introduction to Will Phillips’ story
• 02:12: Will shares his decision-making process
• 02:31: Will details the pledge’s problematic language
• 03:05: Will recounts his retort to the teacher
• 04:01: Will’s father, Jay, describes his reaction
• 04:30: Will talks about bullying from classmates
• 05:24: Will defines the changes he wants to see

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Tone & Takeaways

The tone is humor-laced, frank, and supportive. The hosts balance admiration for Will’s intellectual and moral stand with playful remarks about his boldness and precociousness. The episode ultimately encourages listeners to respect principled stands—even from children—and recognizes the complexities of living by one’s values in a diverse society.

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Transcript

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[Radio Host 1]

Have you heard about this kid that's 7 years old that has refused to recite the Pledge of Allegiance at school?

[Radio Host 2]

Why 7?

[Radio Host 1]

10 years old? 10? He's gonna tell you about it. He was on CNN Yesterday and at 10 years old, he started listening to the words of the Pledge of Allegiance and he's like, wait a minute, wait a minute. Something doesn't quite make sense here. And until something's done about it, I'm not going to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

[Interviewer]

Joining us now in an exclusive interview are Will Phillips and his father Jay. They're in West Fork, Arkansas for us this morning. When did you decide that you weren't going to stand up and recite the pledge?

[Will Phillips (Kid)]

I decided that I was Going to do that. The weekend before when I did it, I was analyzing the meanings of it because I want to be a lawyer.

[Interviewer]

All right, so what did you decide in analyzing the meanings of it that caused you not to stand up and recite the pledge?

[Will Phillips (Kid)]

Well, I looked at the end and it said, with liberty and justice for all. And there really isn't liberty and justice for all. There's gays and lesbians can't marry. There's still a lot of racism and sexism in the world. Yeah.

[Interviewer]

So your teacher, who was a substitute teacher at the time, was giving you some grief about not standing up, and this went on for a few days. What did you eventually say to that teacher?

[Will Phillips (Kid)]

I eventually, very solemnly, with a little bit of malice in my voice, said, ma', am, with all due respect, you can go jump off a bridge.

[Radio Host 2]

Oh, my God.

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With all due respect.

[Radio Host 1]

Wow. 10 years old.

[Radio Host 3]

10 or 7?

[Radio Host 1]

10 years old.

[Radio Host 3]

Wow. With all due respect and a little

[Radio Host 1]

bit of malice, you want that kid representing you in about 10 years? Oh, my God.

[Radio Host 2]

I want him representing me now.

[Radio Host 1]

So he's sitting on cnn. He's got his dad there with him also.

[Radio Host 3]

His dad laughing like his dad.

[Radio Host 1]

No, dad puts his face and his hands, and he's like, oh, here we go. And he's, you know, he's sort of recalling the whole thing over and over and over again. So this is dad's response on national tv.

[Jay Phillips (Will's Father)]

Well, my. My initial response was measured and considered, thoughtful and was, he's dead.

[Radio Host 3]

That's it.

[Jay Phillips (Will's Father)]

He's doomed. However, when I got home and I talked to him, the more I heard from him, the more it became apparent that this wasn't a typical act of juvenile delinquency. This was a very atypical act of juvenile delinquency.

[Radio Host 1]

So here you have this 10 year old that's not going to recite the words to the Pledge of Allegiance because he doesn't think, you know, that the words are accurate. So how did the other kids in school react to him not reciting the Pledge of Allegiance?

[Will Phillips (Kid)]

Not very good. They've taken from what I said an assumption that I'm gay. And the halls and the cafeteria, I've been repeatedly called a gay wad.

[Interviewer]

A gay wad. What's a gay wad?

[Radio Host 2]

Don't ask that question.

[Will Phillips (Kid)]

I really don't know. It's a discriminatory name for homosexuals.

[Interviewer]

Okay. All right, Will, as we prepare to leave you here, what will it take for you to stand up and say the Pledge of Allegiance? And I asked this question based on what we saw in the off year election just a couple of weeks ago a same sex marriage initiative was put to the test put to the voters in the state of Maine and every state across the nation. Where it is been put to the voters it has gone down to defeat. So the democratic process is taking place here. Seems to be something that voters at large do not support. So what will it take for you to return to saying the pledge

[Will Phillips (Kid)]

for there to truly be liberty and justice for all?

[Interviewer]

And what does that entail?

[Will Phillips (Kid)]

That entails everyone being able to marry

[Radio Host 1]

all right a 10 years old kid taking a stand man smart little kid that impressive her love that kid.

[Radio Host 2]

He's going to get beaten up a lot but I know discriminatory word.

[Radio Host 3]

No he's not. Because somebody comes at him to bully him and he is going to talk that person dizzy.

[Radio Host 1]

He's ready to sue now.

[Radio Host 3]

He's going to be like I say this with no prejudice and a little bit of malice, but if you strike me, I will take you before a high court and sue you for every penny that your parents are worth. All right dude, just go ahead get it.

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