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Are kids MADE to say it? At least in my district, you are required to stand respectfully but not to speak. By the time kids hit high school, very few actually say the pledge. And this is a fairly conservative area.</p>
<p>Re gay marriage: I don’t know whether people choose to be gay. I don’t think anyone knows. However, there are two questions at stake here: a) the religious implications of gay marriage on the traditional family unit and b) the legal rights granted to ‘married’ couples. As for the former, it’s really none of the government’s business. When we talk about the legal end of things, I’m inclined to say that granting such rights will be either a good or bad thing without regard to sexual orientation. As such, gay couples (whether given civil unions, marriage licenses, or some other registration) ought to have the same legal rights as straight couples.</p>