Arizona may have the highest rate of high school dropouts in the nation, but some of the legislation that's been proposed thus far in the realm of education does nothing but continue the nationally recognized circus act known as the Arizona State Legislature.
Chiefly, we're talking about two especially worthless bills -- one that forces high school students to take an oath of loyalty to the United States Constitution in order to receive a diploma, and another that requires students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance daily.
See also:
-Legislators Propose Forcing High School Students to Swear to Defend Constitution
-Legislators Have More Proposals: Make Pledge of Allegiance a Requirement
-Arizona's Number One in the United States! (For Highest Rate of High School Dropouts)
House Bill 2467, sponsored by Republican state Representatives Bob Thorpe, Sonny Borrelli, Carl Seel, T.J. Shope, and Steve Smith, proposes the following:
"Before a pupil is allowed to graduate from a public high school in this state, the principal or head teacher of the school shall verify in writing that the pupil has recited the following oath:
"I, _________, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge these duties; so help me God."
Smith and Shope are also in on House Bill 2284. Whereas current Arizona law says students in public schools can opt out of doing the pledge if they so choose, Smith's and Shope's proposal says only a child's parents can let them avoid reciting the pledge.
Smith and Shope didn't get back to our request for an explanation on that, but let's ask you, New Times readers: which idea sounds worse to you?
Cast your vote below: