Background: Senate Bill 2 proposes an amendment to the Alabama Constitution that would require school boards in the state of Alabama to adopt policy that requires public K-12 schools to broadcast or sanction the performance of the Star-Spangled Banner at least once per week.
Our Position: The ACLU of Alabama affirms the First Amendment rights of citizens of the United States, including students. Included in those rights is freedom of expression or association, which includes the right for a person to choose not to express or be associated with a specific cause. Patriotism takes many shapes and forms, but it should not take the form of forcing students to listen to the Star-Spangled Banner.
