School Allows Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish, Parents Offended The story of an elementary school in Wrightstown, Wisconsin that is being criticized for allowing its children to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in the Spanish language, caught the attention of U.S. English, a Washington, D.C. based advocacy group. U.S. English wants to make English the official language of the The United States of America.
In an attempt to share his point of view about the Pledge of Allegiance being cited in Spanish, The CEO of U.S. English wrote in a local newspaper, “Administrators in Wrightstown owe it to their students, especially those whom English is not their first language, to instill in them the value of speaking and understanding our common language. That includes reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in English.”
Parents have become outraged over the Pledge of Allegiance being allowed to be recited in the Spanish language. A parent of a kindergartner recently attended an event at Wrightstown Elementary School where the principal invited boys and girls to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in their choice of languages; either English or Spanish. When the parent witnessed this, she became concerned and contacted the FOX News Radio affiliate WTAQ in Green Bay.
The mother, who asked to remain anonymous, shared a copy of a letter she wrote to the principal explaining her opposition to the issue. The letter stated:
“Not only does reciting this in Spanish insult our family as American citizens, it is disrespectful to the veterans who have defended our country. English is the primary language in this country. The Pledge of Allegiance was written in English and should be recited in English. No similar accommodations were made for other immigrant patterns in history nor should they be as long as the American flag is flying. The purpose of the Pledge of Allegiance is to inspire patriotism and unify America. And to recite it in Spanish is offensive.”
The principal of the school, Lee Mierow attempted to defend his actions by stating in a letter that the offer students the Spanish recitation was an attempt at helping Spanish-speaking students to understand the importance of the Pledge of Allegiance. He stated, "It is my responsibility as a principal in a public school to give every student the opportunity to learn and grow as a student, no matter what their race or religion." He then went on to praise the parent’s patriotism, but reminded her that, “the Constitution guarantees the fundamental rights and civil liberties of every person in this country. The pledge is read and recited in Spanish by those students whose primary language is Spanish and is not recited by our English-speaking students who are not fluent in Spanish."
Another school, a senior high school in Edgertown, Wisconsin recently allowed students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish as well. Some war veterans were engaged. One Vietnam veteran said that the pledge should only be recited in English since, "this is the United States." He continued to say that reciting the pledge in another nation’s language is not only wrong, it’s unpatriotic. The school is defending the practice saying it’s an annual tradition for its students.
Written by Dr. KC Kelly Ph.D.
http://www.huliq.com/10017/school-allows-pledge-allegiance-spanish-parents-offended
