Becoming a ‘more perfect union’ requires participation
This November, Alabama voters will decide whether to add yet another amendment to its world’s longest constitution. This one, sponsored by state Rep. Reed Ingram, R-Pike Road, would require schools to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and allow students to initiate and lead school prayer.
U.S. Rep. Dale Strong, R-Huntsville, thinks that’s a such a good idea, he’s proposing making the Pledge of Allegiance portion the law of the land nationwide. His “Promoting American Patriotism in Our Schools Act” would require schools to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and display the U.S. flag or lose funding.
Strong’s bill mandates that “The flag of the United States of America shall be prominently displayed in each classroom and gymnasium of each covered school. Each such flag shall be displayed in a manner that ensures it is visible to all occupants of the classroom or gymnasium during the school day.” Furthermore, it requires that “all students, teachers, and staff in covered schools shall recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America at the beginning of each school day,” although individuals may refrain for “religious or personal reasons.”
While appearing recently on Newsmax’s “Conversations with Nancy Brinker,” Strong said, “You think about it, this country was based on Christian principles, and what we’ve done is we’ve allowed others to come into this country, and in many cases, they’ve failed to assimilate. They want to wave a flag of another country. We want them to wave the American flag.”
Most immigrants, of course, are not lacking in patriotism. They, after all, chose to come here. Nor is their lingering affection for their old homes any indication of insufficient love for America. Indeed, there are few things more distinctly American than a St. Patrick’s Day or Columbus Day parade.
All of this seems to assume that patriotism is something that can be fostered by recitation of the Pledge within view of the flag, which itself goes against the sentiments contained in the Pledge. One cannot, after all, pledge their allegiance under duress or threat of ostracism, or even just anxiety about being “different.”
Moore’s bill has been sitting in the House Committee on Education and Workforce since February and doesn’t appear to be going anywhere soon, because Congress has a lot more important business already not getting done.
Alabamians must, however, vote come November on Ingram’s constitutional amendment. How you vote is less important than the act of voting. America in its ideals and its attempts to realize them may be the greatest country on Earth, but it has never been perfect. Becoming a “more perfect union” is a never-ending process, one that challenges us all to weigh the merits of these constitutional proposals and simply vote our convictions.
