'Cherry-picking' services not OK

By: Kevin Wilson

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Two Thursdays ago in Pennsylvania, an eighth-grade student was in the nurse’s office awaiting treatment. The Pledge of Allegiance played over the intercom, and the student declined to stand for personal reasons.

The nurse asked why the student didn’t stand; the student said it was voluntary, and she needed no further explanation.

According to a letter sent to the district:

- The nurse told the student to leave because, “I have the right to not service you.”

- The student went to administrative offices to call her mother, but the nurse showed up and said the student shouldn’t call her mother until the two had another conversation.

- A school counselor intervened and told the girl if she didn’t want to say the pledge, she could do so as long as she stood in the hallway.

The American Humanist Association, which sent the letter, isn’t looking to sue. It doesn’t want any staff fired. The AHA is asking for the district to clarify to its staff that participation in the pledge is voluntary, and that no student should face retribution from staff (government employees) for doing so, and apologize to the student in question.

The school hasn’t done much communicating about the incident, so I haven’t heard its side of the account. But if the AHA’s version of the events are correct, an apology is the absolute least the district should do. None of those three actions were acceptable.

The pledge, which was originally published in 1892 and included no religious references until 1954, is not mandatory for students. Participation and non-participation are both acts of speech, and a school’s government employees shouldn’t dole out repercussions for acts of speech. That’s what the First Amendment’s for, not to prevent somebody’s show from being canceled when he says something racist.

Most nurses take their own pledge, more commonly known at the Hippocratic Oath. In it you promise to “devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care,” and not just the ones who share your political stances.

Violating an ethical oath doesn’t bother me nearly as much as the idea of a public employee cherry-picking which members of the public to serve.

When same-sex marriage was allowed in New Mexico, several county clerks opted to resign rather than issue a marriage license to gay people. Whatever you think of their views personally, you can’t deny they made the professional choice.

But we’re still learning, as one can see in the case of judges who are authorized to perform justice of the peace marriage ceremonies, but decline those services. The explanation is because the judges don’t marry anybody, it’s not discriminatory to refuse a same-sex couple. But I’ve never heard any of those public officials offer to relinquish some of their salaries, and I don’t see why taxpayers should provide 100 percent of a paycheck to somebody who provides less than 100 percent of available services.

I’m not expecting a refund check anytime soon, but that student should receive an apology.

Kevin Wilson is a columnist for Clovis Media Inc. He can be contacted at 575-763-3431, ext. 318, or by email:

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