"You have to be carefully taught....."
Readers of my age will recognize the lyrics from South Pacific that I was reminded of yesterday walking our dog near a little league game that was about to begin. The song includes,
"You've got to be taught before it's too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate,
You've got to be carefully taught!
This was about the age of the boys who were lined up, who were reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. The Pledge is something I've taken personally for a long time. I went so far as recently protesting it as an agenda item at our city council when I was there in an official capacity, and for the only time the Mayor stated explicitly that it was "of course, voluntary."
There are a few councils though out the country that are taking up this issue, but mostly it's a loser for anyone who wants a political career. This has taken on even more currency with Rudolf Guiliani's recent claim that President Obama "does not love America."
My wife and I were able to see the twenty or so children following instruction of their coaches in proudly reciting the pledge. As we started to walk away, we heard a new affirmation, this time something I had never head in this setting, "I love my God, I love my country........." We shook our heads and walked away. If the gate had been open, I just may have walked down and pleasantly started to chat with the coaches, maybe asking what kind of league it was, without even a hint of what I'm expressing here.
But, that wasn't possible. But as we walked away, I said, "This is where we live. This is their mentality and we are in the middle of it." This was not "compelling children to recite a mantra" which is explicitly unconstitutional based on the 1943 decision of West Virginia v. Barnette. This was a voluntary organization with children just learning about being part of a team, and getting praise from the men when they get a hit, nab a line drive or affirm their love of God and Country.
The song from South Pacific is about learning to hate those who are different, but when children join in saying whom they love, is this not also defining those who would not join in as being different, maybe even as worthy of hatred --perhaps someone who is even the President, who is accused of not loving either their God or their Country.
You have to be carefully taught