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To the Editor:

We are at a crossroads in our country’s history I believe.

We have in the past couple of years purposely had sessions with our students concerning behavior and what they should do if they have a situation with a law enforcement officer. We have had great help and cooperation from local police departments and the Hertford County Sheriff’s Office. We have included ministers, county officials and anyone who could help with this process. It has been very informative and the collaboration has been good. We have done this with the idea that we might save our children from a bad situation if they get in an encounter with law enforcement or people in authority.

Every day we recite our country’s Pledge of Allegiance while facing our flag of the United States of America with our hands over our hearts. We teach tolerance, justice, and love of our country, which in turn means love and respect for our fellow citizens.

With the many incidences that have occurred in our country in the past several years, it is hard for me to say the last part of our pledge without some hesitation. The last part of our pledge is ”liberty and justice for all.” Do we really mean this or are we just going through the motions of a memorized passage?

There have been many injustices that have occurred and it has to stop. The violence that occurs between citizens and then our law enforcement against citizens has to stop and stop now. Our Pledge of Allegiance says it all.

“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible, With Liberty and Justice For All.”

If we as Americans follow and believe this pledge we will be great and we can be.

David L. Shields

Board Chair

Hertford County Board of Education