Every year a new crop of pointless message bills seems to crop up in the Utah Legislature.

The latest is from Sen. Allen Christensen, R-North Ogden, who wants to require every public school classroom in the state to display the American flag, a copy of the Declaration of Independence and maybe even the Constitution.

Whyfi "There's not a lot of patriotism going around out there," he says.

Christensen, like too many lawmakers, is proposing a solution for which there is no problem. Every classroom we can think of already has a flag in it, and nobody is proposing to take them out. There's already a law that requires the Pledge of Allegiance. Does Christensen think kids are pledging to a bare wallfi His measure is akin to demanding that every classroom have desks.

As for "not a lot of patriotism going around out there," we'd like Christensen to show his sources. His assertion simply cannot be supported.

We think the opposite is true. There's lots of patriotism in public schools. Utah schools, in fact, are required to teach students about the key elements of our nation. The state core curriculum requires flag education and mandates instruction at several levels about the Declaration of Independence. Students are required to learn about the Constitution in Utah History, both U.S. History I and II, and U.S. Government and Citizenship. And, of course, educators can (and do) teach about these things in other contexts as needed.

But let's get down to brass tacks about Christensen's sanctimonious scheme: If students haven't read the Declaration or Constitution in class, they're not going read them on the walls. In the first place, that old-fashioned handwriting can't be read. And anybody standing there in rapt awe of the inspired founding documents is likely to be trampled by classmates on their way to recess.

Patriotism starts at home, not at school -- which is not to say educators should ignore the need to spark students' imaginations and stir love of country. Of course teachers should inspire their students.

Would their efforts be aided by a display of dense text hung on a wallfi No. The whole idea is preposterous.

On the other hand, we will admit that a good picture is worth a thousand words. Great paintings of historical events are inspiring. And there are many great paintings from which to choose -- "Washington Crossing the Delaware," for example.

Some scoffers pooh-pooh the painting's historical inaccuracies, but artist Emmanuel Leutze never meant it as a snapshot. It's an uplifting vision of what that moment in history meant. The British had beaten the Continental Army in battle after battle, driving it out of New York, across New Jersey and into Pennsylvania. The American Revolution appeared doomed just months after colonial leaders had penned the famous words about all men being created equal.

Washington didn't give up. He led the daring river crossing and routed the Hessian garrison in Trenton, N.J., in a victory that revived American morale, stunned Britain and helped assure France that aiding the rebels wasn't a losing game.

That kind of artwork could hold kids' attention and teach them something too.

Other art works might inspire and educate. How about Howard Chandler Christy's "Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States" or Joe Rosenthal's photograph "Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima"fi

Or how about (dare we suggest in today's political climatefi) Arnold Friberg's inspiring painting "The Prayer at Valley Forge," which depicts Washington on bended knee near his horse during the darkest days of the revolution. In winter quarters, soldiers lacked food, clothing and shelter. It seemed starvation and cold might do what the British couldn't. Yet faith buoyed hope.

Teachers and school principals ought to keep these and many other historical images in mind as they think of ways of sparking their students' curiosity and deepening their patriotism. In our visual culture, paintings and photographs can have real impact.

We only request avoiding the famous unfinished painting of a sour-faced George Washington by Gilbert Stuart. That one did little to inspire patriotism or anything else. Washington was forbidding in real life, and his wooden dentures didn't improve his expression. Probably the main idea some kids got from that portrait was the importance of flossing.

But above all, keep the State Legislature out of questions like this. Isn't there some actual problem that needs to be addressed rather than wasting time with an unneeded bill that does nothing but allow some lawmakers to strut around claiming to be patrioticfi

We renew our suggestion of placing limits on the number of bills that a lawmaker is allowed to introduce in a given session. With a limit of three, for example, people like Christensen might be more careful to make each one count.

When it comes to the Legislature, we sometimes feel that, well ... there's not a lot of real work going around out there.