May 19, 2013
A new Colorado state law brought students to their feet, and will continue to do so every day.
The law requires all public school students from kindergarten through high school to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. It was one of dozens of laws that went into effect.
There is no punishment for disobeying, and officials admit it may be hard to enforce. As one teacher put it, "if they just stand up, that's good enough for me."
There are also exemptions for students who aren't American citizens or whose parents write a note.
Colorado is now among 33 states requiring schools to include the pledge sometime during the school day.
But the American Civil Liberties Union says the requirement is unconstitutional because it mandates what children should say.
The Supreme Court may decide to take up the larger issues involved in the pledge later this fall.
Extended Web Coverage
History of the Pledge of Allegiance
Source: http://www.aclu.org/news/move/pledgeorigin.html (The American Civil Liberties Union Web site)
