http://www.postandcourier.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/letter-freedom-and-the-flag/article_bcd0e608-bc9d-11e6-8f8f-8b6d3ad8a654.html
A Dec. 5 letter, “Loyalty to the flag,” hearkens back to the days when school began with children “standing, hand over heart, saluting our flag, and praying the Lord’s Prayer.” The letter writer decries the removal of this “freedom.” Along the same lines, Donald Trump has declared we are one people under one God (presumably the Christian one), saluting one American flag. He also wants to criminalize flag burning. Since when is religious freedom consistent with telling American children to recite daily a Christian prayer and pledge allegiance to one nation “under God”? Indoctrinating public school students to salute a flag and mindlessly regurgitate a daily pledge is not patriotic, unless patriotism just means obediently following orders of those in power. And criminalizing flag burning, however unpatriotic most Americans consider it to be, is an unconstitutional attack on our cherished freedom of speech.
We tend to view our founders as role models, but we act more like them when we question the old order and try to improve it. In fact, starting the school day with discussions about our Bill of Rights would be educational and might lead to informed, active citizenship. Understanding our Constitution and working to make our country better is definitely patriotic — a lot more so than merely reciting pledges and prayers, or waving or burning flags.
A Dec. 5 letter, “Loyalty to the flag,” hearkens back to the days when school began with children “standing, hand over heart, saluting our flag, and praying the Lord’s Prayer.” The letter writer decries the removal of this “freedom.” Along the same lines, Donald Trump has declared we are one people under one God (presumably the Christian one), saluting one American flag. He also wants to criminalize flag burning. Since when is religious freedom consistent with telling American children to recite daily a Christian prayer and pledge allegiance to one nation “under God”? Indoctrinating public school students to salute a flag and mindlessly regurgitate a daily pledge is not patriotic, unless patriotism just means obediently following orders of those in power. And criminalizing flag burning, however unpatriotic most Americans consider it to be, is an unconstitutional attack on our cherished freedom of speech.
We tend to view our founders as role models, but we act more like them when we question the old order and try to improve it. In fact, starting the school day with discussions about our Bill of Rights would be educational and might lead to informed, active citizenship. Understanding our Constitution and working to make our country better is definitely patriotic — a lot more so than merely reciting pledges and prayers, or waving or burning flags.
