Pledge of Allegiance flap in monopoly public schools

Reciting the Pledge of Allegiance is something that's deeply meaningful to Clark. As a child of four immigrant grandparents, he's very aware of how amazing it is to live in our nation where we have every opportunity to succeed.

At the same time, our nation affords us the freedom to choose to believe, say or do (within reason) what we want. That's why it's so distressing that a 13-year-old Maryland middle-school student who refused to recite the Pledge was arrested and hauled off to jail by police.

If anything, this episode proves that people don't understand what the Pledge is all about, especially the teacher who had the child hauled away.

The Supreme Court ruled in 1943 that it's OK for students to sit out the Pledge. We are a beacon of freedom. It should be that child's choice. Clark recites the revised Pledge with "under God." He believes it stands for the freedom to believe whatever you wish to believe in our nation.

This whole issue goes to the core of what's wrong with our monopoly public school system. Parents should be able to choose which school their children attend, but that's often not possible because of lack of money.

One of best solutions is to have a voucher program that allows a parent to choose. Clark also loves charter schools, while admitting they often can't get the job done because the educational bureaucracy is hostile to them.

We spend so much in taxpayer money for education and get so little in return. The best solution is to let capitalism and free choice bust up the public school monopoly.