Zika virus is not the only thing Floridians have to worry about at the start of the 2016-2017 school year. Apparently, the plague of intense liberalism and political correctness has been sweeping one Florida school district in the form of a “Pledge of Allegiance Waiver”. Yes, I am not kidding. A waiver has been sent home to parents to sign off on their kids opting out of placing their hands over their hearts over the Pledge of Allegiance.

If we think it is not happening and that this is something surreal, we need to think again. I have been inside many a school that has opted out of the traditional “Pledge of Allegiance” during morning announcements. Fortunately, my son’s school still adheres to this tradition. For now. I remember being in yet another school this past spring during morning announcements when I heard the request to recite the “pledge”. I was apparently the only one who was not let in on the joke (which it was). I dropped everything and placed my hand on my heart only to hear a “pledge” come out of the loudspeaker that was not in honor of our Flag…but some ridiculous tribute to the school! It was almost cult-like. Kiddos, your “nutritious” lunch will now be washed down with a nice, healthy serving of Obama Kool-Aid!

Florida sends out waivers for children to opt out of pledge of allegiance? If your child can't say the pledge you need to get the hell out!

— Patriot (@Steambuilder1) August 23, 2016

A permission slip to school kids today in Florida asking if they'd like to opt out of the 'Pledge of Allegiance'! pic.twitter.com/kQjZzkT7W0

— POLITICAL GIRL TX (@SterlingGirlTX) August 23, 2016

Facebook user Micah Brienen posted a photo of the form he said was brought home by his niece who attends Killearn Lakes Elementary. Some of the responses to his Facebook status included:

“Omg seriously? Just another example of 99% of us having to jump through hoops for the 1% who are offended. Boo hoo”

“That is absolutely ridiculous! We will watch other nations take our country out from underneath us, deny the foundation from which it was founded, and continued to be used by those who want nothing more than to suck all of what we have to offer to benefit themselves while standing in opposition to OUR FLAG because it somehow ” offends them and their rights”. While I doubt if I go to another country and protest against its foundation, build a church in the midst of its town and praise GLORY TO GOD when ever I feel would go over very well. Simple, if you don’t like the country you are in and the foundation from which it was originated.. LEAVE!!!”

The form’s purpose, according to Leon County Schools, was to “fulfill a state law passed this spring mandating that language informing parents of their rights concerning the Pledge of Allegiance be included directly in the student handbook.” LCS generally urges parents to access the handbook online, but the plan was to produce a number of physical copies.

While we love our children some of us parents at the end of summer secretly pray for the routine of the school day. I believe the kids crave it, too. But now we see routine and time-honored reverence, tradition and values that we have passed down to our children chipped away, little by little, by the big machine. While Florida school districts view it as completely viable to send waivers home to parents to opt their children out of the Pledge of Allegiance, the same machine of public education finds it completely viable to impose mandatory gender awareness education upon Kindergarteners and other elementary school-aged children and threaten revoke funding upon the schools who opt out of this “mandatory” curriculum. Mind blowing.

Not all is lost in the fight. After responses on Brienen’s page, and over 2,000 shares, Leon Country Schools Superintendent Jackie Pons decided that the waiver to opt out of the Pledge waiver was a bad idea and removed it. Ya think?