[bnelson44]

Patriotism needs to be taught.

[Gondring]

I learned that many of them had said the Pledge in elementary school, but were unfamiliar with patriotic songs: “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” “My Country ’Tis of Thee,” “America the Beautiful,” and a host of others that I had sung with classmates at PS 139 in the 1950s.

I don't like the concept of the socialist-driven Pledge of Allegiance, but the disturbing part here is the lack of education for them to decide for themselves how wonderful this place is. If they choose to turn from it then, okay, but they should at least be given the opportunity to make an educated choice of indifference.

[Gondring]

[YellowRoseofTx]

This is really sad

[pabianice]

He related one particularly disturbing incident from several years back. As a life-long resident of Newton, MA, he called the head of the history department at the Newton Public Schools. He wanted to bring to the teacher a deck of "playing cards" he has created over the years. The 80 or so cards are each a small reproduction of his paintings (see above). As he was explaining to the teacher his interest in ensuring that today's kids learn of the heros of America's past, he asked the teacher if the Newton School System taught about World War II. After a moment of silence, the teacher replied that yes, they did, but they "excluded any military aspects about the war."

This stopped George for a moment. After he recovered, he asked the head of the history department how that could be. The teacher replied that Newton did not approve of teaching about the military and that to cover World War II, they taught about the internment of Japanese-Americans and about the liberation of the Nazi concentartion camps at the end of the war. George asked, in return, if they taught that it was the American Army that liberated most of the camps. According to George, the teacher replied that "they tried to make the Americans out to be the good guys when they could." At this point George asked the teacher for his name, and according to George, the teacher hung-up on him.

http://navlog.org/save_the_tiger.html

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

The feeling of belonging to a wonderful country has gone. Years of liberalism and immigration have destroyed for many people the idea that “we” are a nation.

[jonsie]

I am a high school teacher in North Carolina. I am also a veteran. This year was the first year that NC schools required the Pledge of Alleigance during morning announcements. I was also discouraged with the apathy, most students ignored it. One day I played Red Skelton’s remarks of the pledge that he learned from his teacher, Mr. Laswell. Not all joined in after that, but many began to understand. I also mentioned that my son served in Iraq and that they may also be asked to serve and protect our country in the future. God Bless.

[rmlew]

ping

[kabar]

Approximately one in every eight persons resident in America is foreign born. That percentage will continue to increase under present legal immigration laws.

My old elementary school in Jersey City, PS 23, is now called the Mahatma Ghandi school. From the school website:

"Our school is ethnically and racially diverse, with 43 ethnicities and 73% of our population non-native speakers of English. Many are new to the United States. Our largest population is Hispanic (39%). The next largest population are Indian and Pakistani, which comprise 20% of our school. We also have a growing Arabic population (12%), 7% Asian, and 22% of our population constituting numerous other nationalities.

"The majority of our students live in apartments; therefore, we have a high mobility rate as families move to better, or in some cases, less expensive accomodations. Our 2002 school report card shows that our mobility rate continues to hover over the twenty percent mark (21.3%), compared to a state-wide mobility rate of 13.8%."

When I attended the school over 55 years ago, the school was predominantly Italian, Jewish [mainly Poles and Germans], Irish, and about 15% black. The boys had to wear ties to class. We recited the pledge of alliegence every morning. Teachers used corporal punishment. We celebrated a variety of ethnic holidays including Crispus Attucks Day to honor the first man killed by the British during the Boston Massacre. He happened to be black. We had a school assembly honoring him, which included singing Negro spirituals. Many of the students were second generation, children of immigrants. But the only language you heard was English and we were all proud to be Americans.

When you have 73% of the school children as non-native speakers of English, it makes you wonder now anyone can learn in such an environment. If you subtract the 20% Indians and Paks, it appears that the Hispanics are the ones who are the non-native speakers primarily.

[Bigg Red]

I have previously read about and also witnessed this sorry state, but still this piece brought tears to my eyes.

[hershey]

Excellent post.

[goldstategop]

Liberals hate America. And our elites are into promoting globalism - not American nationhood. So its no wonder how little our children appreciate their country, its symbols and history. Our politicians have made sure they don't.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[EBH]

He never thought of going back “home” for a visit. America had become his home.

And there in lies the chief difference. The old was left behind to start anew.

[SE Mom]

~ snip ~

Ronald Reagan understood the problem as well as anyone. In his farewell address to the nation in 1989, he noted, “Younger parents aren’t sure that an unambivalent appreciation of America is the right thing to teach modern children. And as for those who create the popular culture, well-grounded patriotism is no longer the style.” He recognized that the America he grew up in was very different from the America of today. “We were taught, very directly, what it means to be an American. And we absorbed, almost in the air, a love of country and an appreciation of its institutions.” Reagan called for an “informed patriotism.” It’s an idea that seems almost quaint today.

~snip~