More on the Pledge - It's a ritual that the kids are encouraged (through instruction and peer pressure) to participate in. It involves standing up, special gestures and mentions God. Sounds an awfull lot like church to me. In fact, if you've done it lately in a school (as I have) it feels like church, too. I can't say it really bugged me all that much. I just didn't say the "god" part. But I'm an adult.

What about a right to keeping your religious beliefs private? Is it sensible to make a child either profess his faith in front of his peers daily or choose not to? In public school?

How about if we add "in heterosexuality" to the pledge? Most of us are heterosexual, so no big deal there. Gay folks can just skip that part. It'll make them easier to pick out and all. Sounds like the tyranny of the majority to me.