CONCORD, N.H. — The issue of reverence for the nation’s flag has returned to the State House.
A bill proposed by Rep. Harry Accornero, R-Laconia, would require grade school students to stand during the Pledge of Allegiance.
Members of the House Constitutional Review and Statutory Recodification Committee, however, were wary of the proposal at a hearing on Tuesday.
“Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s going to go anywhere,” Accornero said. “I grew up in an era when it wasn’t even considered that you didn’t stand and respect the flag. Our Constitution is being thrown down the toilet. I thought this would encourage young people to appreciate what the flag means and the people who fought and died for it.”
Accornero said he was impelled to file the bill after hearing that some students not only would not stand for the pledge, but would be disruptive and disrespectful while it was recited.
“I thought this would put some teeth in the law. Teachers could say, ‘It’s a law,’” he said.
This is not the first time Accornero has taken a stand inspired by patriotism. He was among a group of lawmakers last year who challenged the citizenship of President Obama and sought to get the secretary of state to remove Obama from the New Hampshire ballot.
The pledge bill would make a small change to the School Patriot Act, the law passed in 2002 in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks that requires districts to incorporate the pledge into the school day.
The law states that “pupils not participating in the recitation of the pledge of allegiance may silently stand or remain seated but shall be required to respect the rights of those pupils electing to participate.”
Accornero’s bill would change “may stand” to “shall stand” and replace “or remain seated” with “unless they are physically unable to do so.”
Committee members, including several veterans, said compelling students to stand during the pledge would put the state on shaky legal ground, and some argued that it would contradict what the flag stands for.
“While the sponsor’s intention may have been a good one, to have students show respect, it’s a bad idea,” Seth Cohn, R-Canterbury, said. “We can’t require people to stand up. Compelling someone to stand is clearly unconstitutional, especially for the pledge, because it says ‘one nation under God.”
Cohn added that one of Accornero’s main goals with the bill, to get students to show respect during the pledge, is already covered by the law, since students who opt to stay silent or sit are “required to respect the rights of those pupils electing to participate.”
The School Patriot Act itself has faced legal challenges, although it was affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals in 2010, following a lawsuit by Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Echoing the sentiments of some of the veterans on the panel, Cohn said, “We can’t in the name of freedom throw away the freedom that our flag stands for.”
Accornero conceded that he did not expect the bill to make it out of committee. He said he would focus his efforts on education, “to encourage schools in the state to teach students about what the flag means.”
NH bill would require students to stand for Pledge of Allegiance
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What ever we do…let’s not teach young people any respect or responsibility that their parents don’t have the character to teach them.
yeah, who cares if we stomp all over the constitution in the process. One does not have to say the pledge, nor do they have to stand. However, if a student is being disruptive by talking, texting etc…. a teacher can make the student leave the classroom.
perhaps their parents have them read the constitution and bill of rights and understand them rather than have them mindlessly recite some words that no one ever did prior to 1942 and at this point is simply a right wing talking point.
now don’t the military swear to preserve and defend the CONSTITUTION rather than the pledge or the flag?
I’d actually like to see a bill that drops the pledge all together or makes it totally optional. Now that I see it through adult eyes (and no longer bother with it), it has a North Korean kind of feel to me.
I taught my children that they should always stand for the Pledge of Allegiance; they should be polite and respectful – but I told them that they did not have to recite the Pledge. I also explained to them why I, personally, choose, – based on religious convictions and on the US Constitution – not to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. We can teach and demonstrate good manners, but if we try to legislate them, then something is very wrong.
Don’t take the Pledge of our Country, don’t take any of her benefits like FREEDOM, Just move to North Korea, Iraq where your head would be covered.
any person that thinks coercing patriotism by reciting some thing isn’t very smart
BTW- if you’re are ex military, didn’t your oath say you would protect and defend the CONSTITUTION and not the flag, or the pledge?
The Pledge of Allegiance was adopted in 1942: we managed without it before then, and did so pretty well. Rather than require it, we ought to get rid of it as wartime histrionics that have long since passed their ‘sell by’ date. Bangorian’s point that “it has a North Korean kind of feel” is well taken.
If the people are against Saluting our Great Nations Flag then they are NOT Americans and should be sent to Iraq or some other non believing Country.Most of the Countries that are our foe stands to their flag.Come on lets be true Americans and stand for our Flag for which she stands for.
funny thing about the constitution and bill of rights, those that claim to be the most patriotic ignore what they say. read them sometime
tea partyers like to refer to the founding fathers and the constitution, ever wonder why the founding fathers didn’t insist on military service as a requirement of voting or holding office? think about it
There are a lot of trolls around who say stupid, ‘patriotic’ things in order to discredit the Right. There are also a certain number of plain damn fools. But this sort of jingoism, fake or real, has nothing to do with the Tea Party movement, which is about responsible, limited government, period.
It’s o k not to teach your children respect for their country,it’s also ok to teach them that they don’t have to be responsible for themselves alot of parents have chose this option and I can see the results they have garnered . As for me and mine ,respect and personal responsibility have been ingrained in them since day one,and today they are productive members of society.Do whatever you want, we will build more prisons and rehabs to take care of the disrespectful irresponsible little cherubs that don’t have anybody that cares enough about them to instill any sense of respect or responsibility into there lives.
I’m in the “geezer” class but in my midwestern elementary school we stood for the Pledge every morning.
Obedience does not equal patriotism.
We shouldn’t be required if we disagree with what the government is doing either.
There was no pledge before the Civil War. Some seem to think Americans couldn’t have been patriotic without it. (It was intended to be used once for a program in schools to celebrate Columbus Day 400 years after he landed in America.)