Religion is an important aspect of our society and should be discussed in school. There was much dispute over whether the words "under God" should be included in the Pledge of Allegiance. I think that it definitely should remain in the pledge but if a student doesn't feel comfortable saying those words they don't need to. It is unrealistic to think that children are never going to hear about other religions . Furthermore, it is even more important to educate them and allow them to make these choices now. We cannot change something every time that someone is unhappy. The majority of people are fine with the pledge so there is no reason to change it.
This is similar to the dispute over the location of the proposed Mosque/ Islamic Center. The Mosque/ Islamic Center is two blocks away from Ground Zero in New York. Most agree that the have the right to build the Mosque and Islamic Center but many feel that it is not an appropriate place for such a building. Many Americans think of the Muslim extremists as a representation of the religion as a whole. I believe that they shouldn't build the Mosque simply because it will cause much controversy and they would probably have more support if it wasn't so close to Ground Zero. I understand that the Mosque wouldn't be seen from Ground Zero but unfortunately the project may become more trouble than its worth.
When people are emotionally connected to a situation it becomes the most difficult to allow for others freedom of speech. In this case, they definitely have the right to build the Mosque under the First Amendment but those personally affected by 9/11 will not feel the same way.
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