American patriotism is thriving, even without laws mandating displays of patriotism.

Flags of all sizes are unfurled far and wide. The president's new budget is wrapped in red, white and blue, literally. The number of flags flying at the Boulder Public Library has been discussed — and has inspired legislation — in the hallowed halls of Congress. Olympians have flags stenciled on their faces.

Yet state Sen. John Andrews thinks we need new laws to foster patriotism.

Andrews has sponsored a bill that would have required every classroom in every public school in Colorado to begin each day with the pledge of allegiance. That bill died last week.

But Andrews has another all-American bill. As originally introduced, Senate Bill 136 would require every public school to teach a course on patriotism. Each course would be "age-appropriate" and would discuss the "rights, privileges and responsibilities involved with United States citizenship, and a historical review of what it means to be an American."

This course would be required in each and every grade level. High-school grads would be either proficient patriots or accomplished parrots.

On Tuesday, a committee amended Andrews' bill such that the teaching of patriotism (and the pledge of allegiance) would be encouraged rather than required. The bill now goes to the full Senate, where Andrews says he'll try to make the patriotism courses mandatory again.

Students in Colorado are already required to learn history, culture and civics. Having studied these topics, most students understand and appreciate their freedoms. Apparently, Andrews doubts the enduring power and allure of our system.

But it is good to know the rights, privileges and responsibilities of citizenship, and people can learn about American freedoms through history. So, class, here's a short lesson. It might sound familiar.

In the early 1940s, the United States was at war. The West Virginia Legislature passed a law requiring all schools to teach courses "fostering and perpetuating the ideals, principles and spirit of Americanism." In deference to that law, the West Virginia Board of Education ordered all students to salute the flag and recite the pledge of allegiance each day.

Students who did not salute the flag and recite the pledge were considered delinquent and expelled. Parents of such children could be fined $50 or spend 30 days in jail. A Jehovah's Witness sued the state, claiming a violation of his freedom of religion and speech.

The U.S. Supreme Court sided with the plaintiff and struck down the compulsory salute. The court said it was both contradictory and unnecessary to mandate rituals honoring freedom: "To believe that patriotism will not flourish if patriotic ceremonies are voluntary and spontaneous instead of a compulsory routine is to make an unflattering estimate of the appeal of our institutions to free minds."

You don't engender a deep love of country by pounding propaganda into young skulls. Andrews might have read this page of history. He didn't learn it.

Reach Clint Talbott at (303) 473-1367 or talbottc@thedailycamera.com.

February 14, 2002

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