Patriotism in schools shouldn’t be legislated

United States District Judge Robert F. Kelly signed an order last month overruling an act… United States District Judge Robert F. Kelly signed an order last month overruling an act passed in Pennsylvania in December that required all students and teachers in the state to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance or to sing the national anthem every morning. Under the act, any student who refused faced suspension, a letter home or both.

Requiring students to say the Pledge or sing the anthem runs contrary to the principles that both represent in the first place. The United States was founded on the notions of free speech and the right to disagree and dissent. A fundamental aspect of free speech is the right to not speak – to not participate in the rituals that define patriotism. Any measure that runs counter to free speech runs counter to patriotism – if patriotism is defined as love of the principles this country was founded on, the principles that set it apart and make it great.

Enforcing a rule that requires a middle- or high-school student – the most sleep-deprived and surly species on the planet – to stand and recite a pledge or sing a difficult song first thing in the morning is ridiculous.

The kid in question could be abstaining for any number of apolitical reasons. Perhaps her thoughts are elsewhere. Maybe his voice is breaking and trying to hit the high notes of the anthem – in public – is the worst form of public humiliation imaginable.

There are legitimately political reasons, too, that don’t have anything to do with being a junior member of a terrorist network. The national anthem is a bellicose song, glorifying “the rockets’ red glare,” and “the bombs bursting in air.” A patriotic pacifist could certainly object to these lyrics.

What about exchange students? Should we expect a visitor from Japan to stand and pledge allegiance to a country in which she is merely a guest? That hardly seems fair, and suspending such a student certainly won’t do any good for America’s image abroad.

Teachers have enough to worry about. Many local districts are on the verge of labor strikes and walkouts, funding is perilously tight, and the threat of violence is ever-present. With so much to worry about – and we haven’t even begun wondering if Johnny can read – it’s too much to ask of our teachers to police the utterances of every kid, every morning. Sending letters home isn’t free – taxpayers have to pay for the postage – and suspension breeds resentment in students.

Judge Kelly is to be highly commended for standing against a rising tide of nationalism in schools. Of all the issues facing schools today, this trivial attempt to legislate patriotism upon students should be the last that any teacher needs to address.