Has patriotism diminished so much in the United States that some school officials think students should have permission slips signed by parents before they may recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag?
That’s the impression you would get from recent events at a public school in Brookline, Mass.
The principal sent out permission slips for children to have their parents fill out before the children took part in the recitation of the pledge. The slips had parents check one of two boxes. One read, “Yes, my child will participate in the weekly Pledge of Allegiance.” The second read, “No, my child will not participate in the weekly Pledge of Allegiance.”
We do not say schools should force children to recite the pledge against their parents’ wishes. But surely any parents who do not want their children saying the pledge could take the initiative to contact the school and ask that their children be allowed to “opt out.”
The letter from the principal to parents added this gratuitous remark: “I urge you to have a conversation as a family to help your children understand why I [the principal] will be reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and to support them in feeling comfortable and confident in the decision on whether or not to participate.”