Speak Up: Bill would remove penalties for not reciting Pledge of Allegiance, saluting flag

Delaware students who decline to salute the American flag and recite the pledge could face punishment from the school. Furthermore, teachers who don’t require their pupils to take part in the brief ceremony are risking an even more severe penalty — jail time. A bill filed Friday would change that. House Bill 107 would strike from state code language mandating students and teachers “salute and pledge allegiance to the American flag,” something found unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in the 1943 case West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette.

• I think this country and this state is run by a bunch of commies. #bidenisnotmypresident. — Cindy Treadway

• Wouldn’t it be more “commie” to force and fine or jail someone for not doing it? — Chris Henry

• I am all about freedom, and I support the people who fought for us and that flag, so if you can’t take a minute to say the pledge, then, yeah, you’re a commie. You, on the other hand, go put your mask on and be herded with the rest of the sheep. — Cindy Treadway

• “Allowed” and informed, rational opinions are useful when supporting freedom. Yours is neither, but still allowed, with no jail time threatened. It will be challenged, though. — Dina Beck

• Forced patriotism is a great example of being unpatriotic. You seem to forget that what our military servicemen and -women die for is your freedom to choose to stand or not. Forcing someone with jail is literally the opposite of freedom.— Chris Henry

• So they’re “commies” for doing away with the mandate determined by the U.S. Supreme Court to be unconstitutional? — B.K. Smith

• Like the ones that beat cops with flags in our nation’s Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021?— Rick Reed

• Forcing recitation of a pledge is so much a reflection of mass indoctrination. I’d imagine despots everywhere would agree with you. — Tom Littleton

• I never knew there were penalties. — Willie Preacher

• Anti-American to be doing this! — Howard Gaines III

• Wrong. The Pledge of Allegiance was written as a way to sell flags. It’s not patriotism. It’s a marketing tool. — Matt Hickman