What country did you say this is?
I heard on the news yesterday morning that an Oregon legislator has introduced a bill requiring public schools to fly an American flag and recite the pledge of allegiance. One of the spurs to his action was a charter school that wanted to fly a world flag instead of the Stars and Stripes. "We have schools in southern Oregon that will not fly an American flag. They'll fly a united world flag. Since they are a public school, I think that's a little out of line," said Representative Sal Esquivel. The school to which he is referring was refused permission to fly the world flag, so it has refused to fly the American flag. When I saw Rep. Esquivel on the news, he said it was astonishing to him that he would have to introduce legislation addressing such a basic principle. In fact, Rep. Esquivel's bill is redundant. This issue is already covered in the United States Flag Code in Section 6(g):
"The flag should be displayed during school days in or near every schoolhouse."
This rule goes all the way back to the 19th Century when President Benjamin Harrison ordered every school in America to display the flag.
Then, there is Texan Brenda Brinsdon. Brenda declined to participate when her high school teacher and principal instructed her to stand to recite the Mexican pledge of allegiance and sing the Mexican national anthem. Her family is suing the McAllen school district for punishing her for her refusal to pledge allegiance to a foreign country. Ironically, this article appeared in the newspaper on Texas Independence Day.
All of this has left me wondering -- are we still in the United States of America?
"Suit: Girl prodded to say Mexican pledge." The Dallas Morning News; March 2, 2013; p. 3A.
1 comment:
That just burns my buscuits!
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