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BY JENNIFER LONG
ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN
You're watching multisource US video news analysis from Newsy.
A peace group in Brookline, Massachusetts, wants to ban the pledge of allegiance in public schools. The leader of the organization explains his stance in a report on Fox News.
“Members of Brookline Political Action for Peace or Brookline PAX is spearheading a campaign to take the pledge out of classrooms. The group says it has no educational value and even has shades of McCarthyism. Brookline Pax Chair Marty Rosenthal defended the organization’s stance saying, it’s not about patriotism.”
Rosenthal: “I don’t see how a rote ritual does anything for patriotism especially in terms of reciting the words by rote.”
The group gives another reason for banning the pledge, saying it could promote bullying. But a columnist for the conservative Washington Times says that’s going too far.
“Not that there are any actual cases of bullying on the part of pro-pledge students against their refusenik schoolmates, mind you, but it could happen. Of course, it also could happen that a student is bullied because his mom packs a smelly salami sandwich in his lunch.”
Right now Brookline schools recite the pledge once a week and it’s voluntary. But Brookline Pax leader Marty Rosenthal says a school isn’t an appropriate setting for the oath. A contributor to The Student Operated Press agrees. He says…
“Forcing children to recite the Pledge of Allegiance is antithetical to our democratic principles of freedom and liberty. ... it’s a shock to witness American children pledge allegiance to our country like mindless robots.”
But what about the students and teachers who do want to pledge? Creator of the organization Homes for Troops says on WFXT a ban would simply be un-American.
“To ban something that’s voluntary already to me that’s taking away the rights of other children that are happy to do it and want to do it. I speak in schools all over the United States. And I don’t see what he’s talking about at any school I’ve ever been to and I’ve seen thousands of kids all over America."
The organization is still petitioning voters to bring the issue to the Brookline School Board in November.
Transcript by Newsy.
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