In his column "Youthful voter turnout is unpredictable" in the July 17 edition, Walt Gardner suggests that 400 teachers who joined a class-action lawsuit set a bad example.
He says "it sent a confusing message to students about their duty to their country." Does he believe that such "duty" involves giving up the constitutional right to test in court the legality of government action (in this case, an order that teachers "stand up, face the flag, and sing the national anthem")?
That definition of patriotism seems unlikely to inspire young people to vote or to take their role as citizens seriously.
KAMAKURA, KANAGAWA PREFECTURE
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.