KY Senate Teaches Schoolchildren the True Meaning of Jingoism

Because nothing creates jobs, overhauls the tax system, cures drug addiction and eliminates domestic abuse and poverty like forcing children to recite the pledge of allegiance.

The Herald:

With no discussion, the state Senate approved a bill Thursday to require each school in the state to set aside time each school day for students to say the Pledge of Allegiance.

Senate Bill 15, which sponsor Sen. Vernie McGaha, R-Russell Springs, calls the Kentucky School Patriot Act, now goes to the House for its consideration. Sen. Kathy Stein, D-Lexington, cast the only vote against it.

The bill was put on the fast track in the Republican-led Senate. The Senate Education Committee approved it earlier in the day.

Under the bill, students who don’t want to participate in the pledge “may quietly stand or remain seated, but shall respect the rights of those pupils electing to participate.”

Current state law permits schools to establish a policy for students to recite the pledge, but does not specifically require schools to set aside time to do so.

As someone who recited the pledge every single day of my elementary and secondary school career, let me assure you that it did not so much as slow down by a second my maturation into a Dirty. Fucking. Hippie.

It did, however, give me a big head start on deep insight into political cynicism.

There is one and only one actual American and Kentucky patriot in the Kentucky Senate, and her name is Kathy Stein.