Yesterday’s assault on religion and the pledge of allegiance by the Daily Editorial Board once again shows the enormous extent of the Board’s detachment from mainstream public opinion.

The Board’s assertion seemed to be that by allowing students to recite the pledge at public schools, the religious freedom of those adhering to non-monotheistic religions would be violated.

The obvious implication of the Board’s contention is that when some exercise their religious rights by so much as mentioning God, the religious rights of others are violated.

Allowing kids to exercise their freedom of religion by reciting the pledge or praying in school does not violate the religious rights of others.

How does exposure to one religion prevent one’s free exercise of another? Clearly, it does not.

But to avoid offending a small minority, the solution advocated by the Board is to restrict the religious rights of everyone.

The Board seems to think that freedom from being offended is more important than freedom of religion.

But regardless of how offensive some might find the mention of God or any other religious figure, there is absolutely nothing in the Constitution that requires local school boards to be religiously neutral.

America is and always has been a religious nation. There is no freedom from religion here because protection from religion would require a restriction of religion.

If the pledge and its mention of God violate religious freedom and constitute an official state religion, then indeed the Declaration of Independence and even nearly half of our state constitutions would be unconstitutional.

Essentially, the Board’s solution calls for a sacrifice of freedom on the altar of political correctness.

Fortunately, the Board’s opinions represent only the small percentage of Americans on the anti-religious, freedom-hating left. The enormous level of difference between the Board’s opinion and that of mainstream America is best illustrated by yesterday’s House vote on a resolution encouraging public schools to display the slogan, “God Bless America.”

The resolution passed 404-0. Don’t expect any recounts.

Paul Armstrong

Sophomore

Aerospace engineering