What are they going to do, behead them if they refuse to do it?

When my daughter was in elementary school, she and the Jehovah's Witness boy were sent out into the hall every morning while the rest of the class said the pledge. My daughter felt ostracized by this feeling of punishment, but she stood her ground.

Years later in middle school, she was voted student body president, and had to hold the mic leading the pledge over the loudspeaker at assemblies and memorably one talent show. She would lead the pledge, but noticeable was silent during the "under god" part, while the rest of the auditorium said it. Since parents were at that particular talent show, one set of parents started a campaign to "impeach" my daughter for being an atheist.

This was a school that had a wide variety of cultures and religious belief other than Christianity. Her omission of "under god" became a big deal and she learned who her friends were and who were willing to drop her because of those 2 words.

My daughter is strong, and the experience only made her stronger, but not all children are that way. My son, also atheist, was never picked on like that by his teachers and friends. He just stayed quiet, which is what most of these right wing lawmakers are counting on, I'm sure.

The allowance for parental requests for their children to set out the ritual makes it semi palatable.