When a New York City school began inviting students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, it “sparked tensions,” reports DNAinfo New York.
Some parents had pushed for the pledge at The Peck Slip School. They realized that much-ignored state law requires it and asked the city’s Department of Education to enforce the rule.
“It’s a shame that this has become politicized,” said a parent who supports the pledge — and U.S. flags — at the school. “I’m not a Trump supporter, I just think the pledge is a tradition that honors our country and should be a part of our children’s lives.”
Principal Maggie Siena announced the school “will be offering an opportunity for students at Peck Slip to say the Pledge of Allegiance in class” in an e-mail to parents.
“Children and adults may opt out of saying the Pledge,” she wrote, adding that “The Pledge of Allegiance has an interesting history, which will be a focus of study for our fifth graders in years to come.
Some parents said they are upset that the school began using the pledge without discussing it with parents ahead of time — saying the issue has become particularly charged in light of Donald Trump’s presidency.
It’s not a pledge of allegiance to the president of the United States.
I distinctly remember my first-grade teacher explaining all the big words in the pledge to us. Later, my father explained the politics behind adding “under God.” It doesn’t have to be mindless mumbling.
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