Fox News – by Todd Starnes Students and parents at a Colorado high school are outraged after administrators turned down their request for a spirit week day honoring America because it might offend non-Americans.
“They said they didn’t want to offend anyone from other countries or immigrants,” a 16-year-old member of the student council told me. “They just really did not want to make anyone feel uncomfortable.”
The student council at Fort Collins High School had proposed having a day to celebrate the United States during next week’s Winter Spirit Week. The young people pitched “’Merica Monday” – and invited their classmates to dress in patriotic colors. Their proposal was promptly shot down by administrators.
“They said they didn’t want to be exclusive to any other country,” a 17-year-old member of the student council told me.
The students and parents who talked to me about this incident have asked to remain anonymous. The parents feared their children might face reprisals from liberal educators.
“It’s bizarre and idiotic that we’ve come to this crossroads in our society that we are having to sacrifice our own culture and belief system,” one of the parents told me. “I can’t even tell you how it got our blood boiling.”
After the administrators rejected the day to celebrate America, the teenagers offered a compromise – “My Country Monday.”
“We opened it up to everyone – no matter what country you are from,” the 17-year-old student told me. “That got declined, too.”
The school’s decision left students frustrated, confused and angry.
“It’s shocking,” the 16-year-old said. “There are men and women fighting for our country and we should be able to celebrate that and be proud that we live in a country where we are allowed to vote – the right to free speech. They won’t even let us celebrate it.”
The irony, said the students, is that they are required to participate in Cinco de Mayo celebrations. One member of the student council pointed out the hypocrisy – and noted that students were not being forced to dress in red, white and blue for “’Merica Day.”
“We were confused why we couldn’t do one day that was for America,” the student told me.
The parents said they are “so tired” of political correctness.
The principal at Fort Collins High School did not return my phone calls and neither did the assistant principal. A spokesperson for the Poudre School District sent me a statement acknowledging that they rejected the “’Merica Day” celebration.
“Building administration met with the students to discuss the inconsistency of this day versus the other planned theme days including PJ day and Twin day,” the statement read. “The students then suggested changing the first day to My Country Monday and administration agreed. This theme day allows students to showcase their pride in America and for international students, their country of origin.”
However, parents and students said that’s not accurate. They said My Country Monday was originally rejected last week and was only reinstated midday Monday – shortly after I called the school district and began making inquiries (a coincidence, I’m sure.)
I asked the district spokesperson to clarify their statement. The spokesperson did not return my message.
“They said they didn’t feel comfortable having a day celebrated where students might feel uncomfortable with the patriotism that students are showing,” one of the students told me.
Unbelievable. This is the United States of America. We welcome the huddled masses yearning to be free with arms wide open. But if you come to our land and take offense at our values and traditions, then as we say down South, “don’t let the door hit you where good Lord split you.”
And shame on the administrators at Fort Collins High School for treating American school children like second-class citizens.
To the young patriots at Fort Collins High School, I offer these words: America, America, God shed His grace on Thee. Don’t let your teachers tell you otherwise.
Todd Starnes is host of Fox News & Commentary, heard on hundreds of radio stations. Sign up for his American Dispatch newsletter, be sure to join his Facebook
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http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/02/03/todd-starnes-cant-celebrate-america-school-says/
“Unbelievable. This is the United States of America. We welcome the huddled masses yearning to be free with arms wide open. But if you come to our land and take offense at our values and traditions, then as we say down South, “don’t let the door hit you where good Lord split you.”
Really? These liberal educators get my blood boiling. If you don’t like AMERICA, LEAVE. The borders are very open GO. I hate to sound like a broken record, this is why I homeschool. This is these children’s country and they cannot celebrate her, BS. These parents need to stand up and if that does not work, pull your kids out, if they have no students they go away!!
This is stupid. This is our country, don’t like it then get the hell out. That school board needs an overhaul. I live in this state too and I say more power to the kids. Go back to the sh!t hole you came from if you don’t want to celebrate America and its brave warriors. If you need some support, I’ll be there. I bet a whole lot of patriots would show up for that!!!!!!!
“The irony, said the students, is that they are required to participate in Cinco de Mayo celebrations.”
This is treason in its purest form. Such hypocrisy was unheard of when I was a kid.
Absolutely!
If they didn’t want to offend those who came to this country, then I guess they are not American and should be deported or hung for treason, so WHO GIVES A F**K WHAT THEY THINK!!!
If they are visiting then just have them sit in a room or listen.
When I was teaching ESL in China a few years ago, they had to celebrate the Chinese Labor Day and National Day once a year and even salute the Chinese flag every single day like any school in any country would.
Well, guess what. I didn’t have to salute the Chinese flag BECAUSE IT WAS NOT MY COUNTRY!! Did I whine and make a fuss to the school board that they weren’t saluting my flag? NO! That would be completely preposterous because it’s NOT MY COUNTRY!!
Did the Chinese people or even the students care that I didn’t salute their flag? HELL NO!! They understood it AND THEY’RE A COMMUNIST COUNTRY, FOR CRYIN’ OUT LOUD!!!
So why can’t we Americans understand it?
What the hell is wrong with these schools? It’s despicable and ludicrous! The school administration should be taken out back and hung for high treason!
Once again, the words of President Teddy Roosevelt:
“Every immigrant who comes here should be required within five years to learn English or leave the country.
In the first place we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the man’s becoming in very fact an American, and nothing but an American. If he tries to keep segregated with men of his own origin and separated from the rest of America, then he isn’t doing his part as an American.
There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red flag, which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization, just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile.
We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language for we intend to see that the crucible turns our people out as Americans, and American nationality, and not as dwellers in a polyglot boarding house; and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.”
bolsheviks in every city in America! don’t forget who they are when TSHTF. after that they will be useless eaters, get rid of them!
Good time to start investing in hemp.
Gonna need a helluva lot of rope.