Many older Americans have fond memories of school days and saying the Pledge of Allegiance in the morning to begin the school day. Ah! Those were the good old days for sure! The Gorilla himself has these same fond memories. But for the most part, those memories have faded, and the idea of pledging our “allegiance to the flag” has become controversial. The belief is that it may offend someone of another culture (someone who possibly hates America?), or perhaps someone who doesn’t believe in God, or at least “One Nation Under God.” The result? In the public school system, it is no longer recited. What of patriotism then? How does one promote our American patriotism if it is not even allowed to be promoted in our children’s schools? Well, this is the exact sentiment of the school system of Bakersfield, California, so they set out to make some changes.
A non-profit group called “In God We Trust-America Inc.” suggested placing several patriotic displays around the classrooms in the schools in order to promote patriotism. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the idea was met with controversy. The displays would be posters highlighting the U.S. Constitution, The Bill of Rights, and The Declaration of Independence. The controversy stemmed from the idea that the posters were reflective a “spiritual point of view” and had no place in the school. In fact, when the idea was voted on by the Board of Trustees for the Bakersfield school system, its very own president was the only one who voted against it, citing this same opinion. Jacquie Sullivan, a Bakersfield councilwoman and President of “In God We Trust-America Inc.” stated: “It’s not political. It’s not religious. It’s patriotism. American patriotism is love of God and love of country. It’s pride in our country.” Ms. Sullivan believes most Americans, even transplants from other countries, will love the idea. She believes it is our heritage and history and should be taught to every American citizen. The Gorilla could not agree more. After all, Americans should be proud of their heritage, just as citizens from other nations are equally proud of their own cultures. By the way, the proposal was passed successfully by a 4-1 vote by the trustees. The patriotic gestures will be proudly displayed in over 2,300 classrooms and offices in Bakersfield. Hey, why not start with the largest school district in the country? Good for you Bakersfield. Hopefully other school districts in the U.S will follow suit!
November 6th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
Great story and great point! I am very proud of our American culture, heritage and history. Unfortunately, I feel that I have been made to suffer at high school graduations, assemblies and gatherings by not being “allowed” to say the Pledge of Allegiance because of a few pain in the ass people who might get “offended.” I would like to know who these people think they are? If you hate America, don’t say the pledge, and more importantly, why are you here? And if you hate God, then don’t recite that part of the pledge! I feel this applies to any of our patriotic gestures.