From: Mark Duwe
Columbus
The recent decision by the NFL to require players to stand during the national anthem is very sad and I’m sure they are just playing to their base. On the other hand, this does not affect public school students at all.
Anyone who is a student in a public school is not required to stand during the national anthem at sporting events.
Students may protest in what ever fashion they desire as long as it doesn’t disrupt the event, and taking a knee to protest the many, many times African Americans have been shot and killed while unarmed in America is one’s right.
A public school student cannot be punished by their school in any way, and if they are are threatened with punishment they can just look up the phone number for the Indiana division of the American Civil Liberties Union.
If there are several students who decide to do it and they are all being threatened by their school, they could all chip in and get an attorney to fire off a letter. The school system will know it is in the wrong and won’t want the issue to go public. Also, students do not have to participate in the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance; they may remain seated if they wish. An entire class may refuse to participate and there is nothing their school can do about it.
These types of protests are fairly lightweight compared to the ones we had during the Vietnam War. Some classmates may try to pressure students into conforming, but that’s about all the risk they will be taking. No one will be getting booked into jail over these types of protest. This is a student’s right and I recommend he or she exercises it. One can’t stay beaten down by a system that tells one what to do all their life. Students should be bold and go with their heart.
