The Pledge of Acceptance

In December 2018, Second Lady Karen Pence accepted a teaching position at Immanuel Christian School that required her to sign a pledge stating that marriage could only exist between a man and a woman. This pledge not only discriminates against the LGBTQ community by barring its members from becoming students and teachers at that school, but it also runs counter to the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution and the 2015 Supreme Court ruling that holds that same-sex couples possess the fundamental right to marry. As a result, the pledge that Second Lady Karen Pence and her fellow teachers made is not only inaccurate, but also unconstitutional. Joseph & Marita Fox's well-timed and compassionate picture book helps children explore the meanings of "love," "marriage," and "liberty" and instills in them a culture of inclusion and acceptance rather than one of exclusion and condemnation. In so doing, "The Pledge of Acceptance" encourages kids to be active citizens in their society by soliciting their aid in helping the Second Lady of the United States come to terms with the constitutional meanings of love, liberty, and marriage-meanings that she is bound to honor and promote by virtue of her position as a representative of the United States of America and all of its peoples.