Highland man wants poster in classrooms

HIGHLAND — If Oak Norton gets his way, every Utah classroom will soon display a poster bearing a simple, patriotic message: "In God We Trust."

It's a sentiment Norton believes all children should feel.

"To me, our country's national survival depends on trusting in God," the Highland resident said.

Norton's efforts are supported by other parents and even some teachers and administrators. At Highland Elementary School, where Norton's daughter attends classes, the Parent-Teacher Association president and the school principal both praised Norton's distribution of posters at the end of the school year.

Highland Principal Reed Hodson wants the signs posted in each classroom next fall and says it won't be an option for teachers.

Norton's posters aren't welcomed by the American Atheists, however. Communications Director Dave Silverman said religion is the "most divisive thing in the universe" and shouldn't be introduced in schools, where everyone is supposed to be welcomed and involved.

But there might be little opponents can do to stop Norton, who also advertises the poster on a Web site.

In 2002, the Utah Legislature quietly passed a law that requires every state school building to post the national motto, which is used on U.S. currency.

Rep. Jackie Biskupski, D-Salt Lake City, voted against the 2002 Utah law and said Norton's proposal could potentially isolate and victimize children by pointing out their differences.

"It's heartbreaking when you push something into a school that really will facilitate singling out students for targeting of discrimination and prejudice and very possibly bullying and physical harm," she said.

Utah is among a handful of states that require or allow the posting, according to the American Family Association, a Mississippi-based nonprofit that supports traditional family values. The association began a similar poster campaign in 2001 and has distributed 400,000 posters nationwide.