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The principal of a public school in Brookline, Mass., is asking parents to fill out permission slips before their children can participate in a weekly recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.
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Gerardo Martinez, the principal of The Devotion School, informed parents that the school would begin reciting the pledge in January – over the public address system.
Attached to the letter was a form that asked parents to check either, “Yes, my child will participate in the weekly Pledge of Allegiance” or “No, my child will not participate in the weekly Pledge of Allegiance.”
Click here to read the letter.
“I urge you to have a conversation as a family to help your children understand why I 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,” Martinez wrote in the letter.
The school also sent parents a copy of the Pledge of Allegiance along with a note that defined the words “under God as meaning “there is one Supreme entity for every citizen.”
School officials told Fox News Radio they are in the process of offering some sort of clarification about the school’s policy as well as the definition of the words, “under God.”
“It’s actually not a permission slip,” said Superintendent Bill Lupini, in an interview with Fox News Radio. “There’s no intent this was a permission form.”
Lupini said students will not be forced to recite the pledge, regardless of a parent’s wishes.
“If a student’s parent checked yes and the student chose to remain seated, no one was going to compel that student to stand and vice versa,” he said.
As for the definition of “under God?”
“My sense is that particular reference will be removed when he (the principal) clarifies it,” Lupini said.
Some parents took issue with the permission slips.
School sends home permission slips for Pledge of Allegiance: MyFoxBOSTON.com
“It’s uncomfortable,’ Judi Puritz Cook told The Local Wicked newspaper. “The pledge is a promise, and I’ve always taught my kids to think very carefully before making any promise. It’s not a decision I want to make for them.”
An attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union in Boston also had some concerns about the situation.
Sarah Wunsch told the newspaper the permission slips were, “really strange.”
“It suggests that this is a decision for parents alone,” she said, noting that children don’t lose their right of expression once they walk into a school building.
Under state law, teachers are required to lead students in the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of every school day. Those who fail to do so for at least two weeks could face fines of up to five dollars.
“It’s never been enforced,” Lupini said. “We will not be fining anyone.”
Receiting the Pledge of Allegiance should be done every day as it was done when I was in school and "under God" should be said. This Country was founded mainly by people from Europe who left there for religious reasons. But they all believed in God. The writters and signers of our Constitution were Christian people. So as far as I am concerened if you do not like our Pledge the way it is written do not say it but DO NOT TRY AND PREVENT IT FROM BEING SAID. Also you should look for another Country to live in as you do not deserve to live in this one. I took an Oath to defend this Country from all enemies foreign and domestic. At the end of that Oath were the following words, " SO HELP ME GOD" as said, I stand by my Oath and every elected Senator and Congressman took the same Oath they should live up to it or be charged as a Traitor. My thoughts under the First Amendent. Also in the above it said some parents had a problem with it and my reply I can believe it as the school is in Mass. where they burned Witches in the name of God. But now days they elect Senators with no pride in their Country. And if this was 150 years ago I would defend my words as I would the Constitution.
A Prsident who donot want to offend any one. Ba, he offens me. I am an American. I believe in the pledge and I say it whenever. Now a note to say weather or not a child can say it. We are going the wrong way, sliding more every day.
God helpus if we don't stand up and get turn around.
I remember when under God was not in the pledge, and when it came in no big deal one way or the other, should a child not believe in God , they dont have to say it during the pledge no big deal , but if you are an american then the pledge is approiate and a very good thing, if you are not an american and loyal to the USA THEN ADIOS make haste out of here , and then we will all be happy. Merry Christmas everybody and happy new year.
I don't recall anyone sneaking into this country asking for permission they just knew this was the only country where we used to have freedom of speech….I don't recall any of the American soldiers that I put in body bags asking for permission to die for this country either…they just did it to defend the right to say the pledge.
A Vietnam veteran that is ashamed to see this on Christmas day.
O by the way I'm Catholic and not ashamed to say "MERRY CHRISTMAS"
1. Immediately impose the statutory fine on all non-compliant teachers and administrators. OR
2. Audit the "permission slips" and remove any and all state/federal funding for ALL children of the parents who are withholding permission. If you can't say the pledge you are barred from getting the publicly provided education. This is part of the basic "social contract" in the USA.
If you don't get it (the social contract) then you don't get IT (the education).