Members of the Limestone County School Board indicate they intend to leave the “Go Trump #MAGA” sign posted on the East Limestone High School football scoreboard.

They say that they have a legal opinion saying that it is not political, and so is not forbidden by specific school board policies from being displayed. The public has not seen the legal opinion, but there are things about it of which we are certain.

First, it is an opinion. Legal opinions about the same issue often disagree with one another, and often do not prevail in court. Any opinion that alleges that the display of a copyrighted logo from the campaign of a current candidate for the presidency is not political must create such a narrow definition of “political” that it makes the prohibition in the school board policies virtually pointless.

Second, legal opinions — even when they are good opinions — are limited to the legal aspects of a question. They do not answer what often are even more prominent issues. They do not, for example, tell you whether what you are about to do is wise or foolish, or even whether it is right or wrong. They do not anticipate collateral damage that may accrue from your actions. Answers to those questions require prudence, not lawyers.

Finally, legal opinions have side effects. A legal opinion designed for one particular situation becomes pertinent to other situations, sometimes to cross purposes.

I am in the business of encouraging people to become involved in politics, and to express their opinions publicly. I applaud the owner of Veep Electric, Skip Van Pamel, for his willingness to do so, if not for his message.

I suggest that the members of the Limestone County Board of Education, however, should continue to consider the broader implications of their decision to allow the public institution with which they are entrusted to become embroiled in an ill-advised competition of partisan wrangling.

The state rightfully exercises its authority to require that all of us educate our children, and creates public schools which we all fund through our taxes to accomplish that. We have a right as parents, grandparents and concerned citizens to expect the public schools to refrain from using this mandate to indoctrinate our children regarding values like religion and politics in a way that undermines what we impart to them.

This is not a free speech issue. Mr. Van Pamel has every right to share his enthusiasm for President Trump with the world, and does so continuously. A public school supported by all of the taxpayers in Limestone County is not a proper venue for that opinion.

And the sign most certainly is political.

— Hines chairs the Limestone County Democrats. He can be reached at chair@limestonedemocrats.org.