Every so often, some conservatives in some community somewhere will get upset about a few school children refusing to recite the Pledge of Allegiance (unless it’s liberals getting exercised about them being told to recite it — it says “under God,” don’cha know).

The latest example is South Portland High School, where three students successfully campaigned to make it clear reciting the pledge was voluntary, and the world came to an end.

Oh, that’s global warming. Or is it money being given to medical schools by the Koch brothers? Sorry, got my apocalyptic controversies all mixed up.

Anyway, their photo made the front page, and some people wrote letters condemning them, and others went on TV to defend them, and a good time was had by all.

But they are right: In a public school, which students are compelled to attend, no student (or teacher or administrator) can or should be commanded to say the pledge. The U.S. Supreme Court says so, and more importantly, so does the First Amendment.

There are lots of things students can be forced to do — dress decently, show up in class, etc. — but vocally affirming a political-slash-moral proposition is not one of them.

Yes, I know: The pledge was written by a socialist promoting a progressive vision I don’t share.

But these days, the progressives aren’t writing pledges, they’re scribbling laws on the backs of envelopes and making us live by them.

One could wish — I certainly do — that inculcating an intelligent, informed and substantive patriotism could be part of every school’s formal curriculum.

Not a patriotism blind to America’s flaws, but one not blind, either, to our nation’s many offsetting and noble virtues and historic achievements and opportunities, which continue to make us the nation where the world’s immigrants most want to settle.

It would be delightful if all Americans recommitted themselves to the ideals of the republic for which our flag stands, including “liberty and justice for all,” not just a few favored political or social classes.

Someday, perhaps, a few students will get their photos on the front page by being willing to say the pledge. Still, I hope not, because that would mean they were the odd ones out — but I would celebrate them nonetheless.

Update: In other First Amendment news, last week’s column deadline arrived before the controversy over religious freedom statutes in Indiana and Arkansas had concluded.

Actually, the controversy isn’t over, because a similar bill is pending in Maine, and it’s worth supporting — on both sides of the aisle.

A Marist poll taken just last month found that 54 percent of respondents, including a 47 percent plurality of Democrats, agreed with “allowing First Amendment religious liberty protection or exemptions for faith-based organizations and individuals even when it conflicts with government laws.”

And, as blogger David Weigel noted on Bloomberg.com on April 1, “The (poll’s) margins were even larger in opposition to laws that proposed ‘penalties or fines for individuals who refuse to provide wedding-related services to same-sex couples even if their refusal is based on their religious beliefs.'” The spread on that issue was 65-31, including 62-34 among Democrats.

Still, things didn’t go well in Indiana, where Gov. Mike Pence and Republican legislators caved like a cardboard culvert, passing a new law that potentially could put small business owners in danger of fines or imprisonment for their religious principles.

The result in Arkansas was better, as that state simply rewrote the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act and applied it to state laws, something a supporter said “isn’t the Rolls-Royce we had hoped for, but it’s still a Cadillac.”

Meanwhile, the best news came after a TV reporter asked the openly Christian owners of a tiny Indiana pizza shop, Memories Pizza, about the law. They said they would happily serve anyone who came into their store, but could not in good conscience “cater a same-sex wedding.”

You know what happened. The store’s Internet link was trashed, its order line was overwhelmed with obscenities, and one Twitter commenter solicited people to burn it down. (She’s since been suspended from her high-school coaching position.)

Then a cable TV producer began an Internet campaign to support the now-closed shop’s owners, and in 48 hours it raised $849,000 from nearly 30,000 contributors (me included).

One $20 contributor, Courtney Hoffman, added this: “As a member of the gay community, I would like to apologize for the mean-spirited attacks on you and your business. I know many gay individuals who fully support your right to stand up for your beliefs and run your business according to those beliefs.”

I suspect this is actually the majority view among gays. There’s a lesson there for all of us — including Maine’s lawmakers.

M.D. Harmon, a retired journalist and military officer, is a freelance writer and speaker. Email at: mdharmoncol@yahoo.com.

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