Within Frank Camarotas letter ("Saying Pledge in school about promoting values," Oct. 20), I find many of the same flawed arguments of those who want to maintain an unjust status quo. It is true that the federal government does not force mandatory Pledge recitations, and prohibits that kind of directive. Just this August, a federal court even barred a Colorado statute requiring all students and teachers to recite the Pledge. That does not mean that children are under no pressure to conform.

A school is one of the primary centers of socialization, and children are quite impressionable. As Steve Boneck mentioned in his column ("Daily recital of Pledge of Allegiance same as government sponsored religion," Oct. 17), peer pressure is definitely a factor in coercing children to recite the Pledge, when they do not wish to be ostracized for being different. Most children are not as aware as a college student or adult should be. This is not to say that teachers and administrators aren't in on the action themselves.

The Pledge was secular, until Congress decided that the nation needed to distinguish itself from the evil, godless Soviet Union.

Given the makeup of the country at the time, it is fair to say that the legislators likely had the Judeo-Christian god in mind when they drafted the change. Nevertheless, the singular nature of "god" excludes any non-monotheistic beliefs.

It sends a message to non-conforming students that they are outsiders and abnormal. It should not be for the government, via the schools, to dictate what children should believe religiously. That is up to parents, and ultimately, the children themselves.

Perhaps some of us are opposed to values, or at least the forced imposition of religious values on the people of this nation.

Camarota's assertion that any dissenters should leave the country is infinitely more un-American than anyone who refuses to have religious preferences dictated to them.