Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Only In America Could Something This Stupid Happen

In no other country on the planet would this even be contemplated:
A Texas high school student has filed a federal lawsuit against her school and her teachers after she was punished for refusing to salute and recite the Mexican pledge of allegiance.

The Thomas More Law Center filed the suit on behalf of Brenda Brinsdon alleging the McAllen Independent School District violated the 15-year-old girl’s constitutional rights when she was forced to recite the Mexican pledge and sing the Mexican national anthem.

Brinsdon, who is the daughter of a Mexican immigrant and an American father, refused. She believed it was un-American to pledge a loyalty oath to another country.

Ironically, the school district has a policy that prohibits a school from compelling students to recite the American Pledge of Allegiance.
Well, duh.  That was decided by a 1943 US Supreme Court decision, but let's continue:
The recitation of the Mexican pledge and the singing of the Mexican national anthem was part of a 2011 Spanish class assignment at Achieve Early College High School.  The teacher, Reyna Santos, required all her students to participate in the lesson.

When Brinsdon refused to back down – she was punished, the lawsuit alleges. She was given an alternative assignment on the Independence of Mexico. The teacher gave her a failing grade – and then required the student to sit in class over a period of several days to listen to other students recite the Mexican flag.

The lawsuit states Brinsdon offered to recite the American pledge in Spanish but the teacher refused her request.

“It’s astonishing that this Texas school would deny Brenda her right of conscience and free speech not to pledge allegiance to a foreign country,” said Thompson...

And while she is fluent in Spanish and English and is proud of her Mexican heritage, Brinsdon is a “true-blooded American,” Mersino added.
Who will defend this teacher's actions?  Anyone?

2 comments:

Ellen K said...

In certain areas of Texas, especially the Rio Grande Valley, the Hispanic community is fluid and often overwhelms other ethnic groups. By that right the school boards, the administrations and the teachers are largely Hispanic, bilingual and if they've been educated through the UT system, steeped in the euphoria of Atzlan and Reconquista. UTArlington features a self described champion of Reconquista and actively seeks legal and public actions that support the attempts to have the Hispanic, and more notably, the Mexican culture overtake the rest of the many cultures that make up Texas. There is much to like about the Hispanic culture-the family centered life, the work ethic, the faithfulness. But to make American students regardless of their heritage pledge to a foreign nation is wrong on all counts. I hope this makes the issue, along with the misguided actions making girls wear hajib to learn about Islamic culture, one that schools rethink. By the way, I believe both these lesson plans originated in the much despised CScope curriculum.

maxutils said...

Teaching them? Fine. Forcing recitation and signing allegiance? Treasonous.