Political flags?
The Idaho Legislature is promulgating another wrongheaded and unnecessary educational initiative, and after having taught middle school civics for 26 years, I’d like to weigh in on its newest abomination.
The Republicans’ current bill making the rounds would make all teachers remove flags that are “political.” The American flag would be exempt, as would military service flags and, perhaps, some others.
My neighbors fly many different flags: One is a half-and-half stars and stripes, and stars and bars of the Confederacy; another is a thin blue line flag that approximates a United States flag, but has the wrong colors; one is an American flag with the phrase “2nd Amendment” imposed over the stripes.
While these might be flown over earnest, well-meaning households, according to the U.S. Flag Code, these are all unacceptable alterations of the U.S. flag. With their consistent and long-term example of ignorance and mean-spirited legislation, I don’t trust the Idaho Legislature to get this new flag controversy right. They rarely do.
Our state is a house with many rooms, and we can trust educators to adorn their classrooms in ways that make them safe places for all of their students. I urge Idaho citizens who care about our country and our children’s education to speak to legislators to vote against another one of these culture war idiocies that they seem to excel in creating.
If they truly want fewer flags, ban them all. Because there is nothing more political than our national banner.
Michael Riley
Potlatch
Vote no on vouchers
Dear Rep. David Cannon: I am Stephen Cooke, of Moscow, in Idaho’s 6th legislative district.
I attended a Roman Catholic elementary school for grades 1-8 from 1954-62, which was located 10 miles from my rural Vermont home. Zero public support.
I am against House Bill 93 regarding school vouchers. I hold this view for the following reasons:
1. School vouchers imply school choice. There is little to no school choice in the rural Idaho school districts.
2. School vouchers going to urban residences with more school choice means less state education money available for children in rural school districts.
3. If alternative school options did appear in a rural school district, both the private and public schools would be underfunded.
4. The Idaho Constitution (Article IX, Section 1) states it is “the duty of the Legislature of Idaho to establish and maintain a general, uniform and thorough system of public, free common schools.”
5. School vouchers used to support schools owned and/or operated by religious groups violates the longheld U.S. and Idaho principle of separation of church and state.
6. Because school vouchers violate both U.S. and Idaho constitutional ideals, their implementation would be subject to ongoing and expensive court challenges.
7. In short, Idaho parents ... have the right to send their children to the school of their choice and Idaho state government has the responsibility to make one of those choices a uniform and thorough public school.
Please vote no on HB 93 regarding school vouchers.
Steve Cooke
Moscow
