May 12, 2008, - 9:38 am
The Principal & The Pledge of Allegiance vs. the ACLU
By Debbie Schlussel
Sadly, the ACLU–the American Terrorists’ Liberties Union–is already on the case on this one and will probably seek gazillions in “damages.”
And Colleen Houglum, principal of northwestern Minnesota’s Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton Junior High School, is already bending under the pressure. She suspended three eighth-graders for not standing up for the Pledge of Allegiance and took a stand against belligerent students who have zero sense of respect and decorum, which is unfortunately out of style at America’s publick skoolz. Now, she has no choice but to bow to the forces of Anti-Americanism:
Three small-town eighth-graders in Minnesota were suspended by their principal for not standing Thursday morning for the Pledge of Allegiance, violating a district policy that the principal now says may soon be reworded to protect free speech rights.
“My son wasn’t being defiant against America,” said Kim Dahl, mother of one of the students, Brandt, who attends Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton Junior High School in northwestern Minnesota. . . .
Kim Dahl said the “punishment didn’t fit the crime. If they wanted to know why he didn’t stand, they should’ve made him write a paper.” She said her son has been declining to stand all school year, offered no reason for sitting and was not obligated to explain his actions.
The school’s handbook says all students are required to stand but are not required to recite the pledge. The same is true for all four schools in the district, a school official said.
“These three [students] didn’t, and they got caught,” said Mel Olson, the district’s community education director. He said he backs the punishment, “being a veteran and a United States of America citizen, absolutely.” Olson served in the Marines in Japan during the Vietnam War.
The head of the Minnesota American Civil Liberties Union said that the school’s actions against the students are unconstitutional, and his office informed the district of that today in a strongly worded letter. . . .
Colleen Houglum, the principal who suspended the three, acknowledged in a statement late this morning that the policy requirement that ” ‘all students will stand’ may need to be modified to address the protection of the individual’s form of expression.”
Kim Dahl said Houglum called her this morning and informed her of the possible accommodation. “I think they are handling it quite professionally,” Kim Dahl said, adding that Houglum told her that school officials “are taking some steps to take the [suspensions] off their records.”
That possible shift was met with disappointment from Olson. While he said he’ll fall in line with whatever change may occur, “I still have my beliefs.”
Oy. Visions of Michael Newdow, all over again.
This isn’t about free speech, as the kids were not required to say the Pledge. This is about behavior and conduct and standing up when required.
Well, these students could always transfer to the school of Dearbornistan, where the Pledge of Allegiance is rarely said. And where the principal of at least one high school hits students, Hezbollah-style.
Not only do these 3 students need a good, swift ass kicking; so do the parents. It’s this culture and attitude of lowering the standards and the respect levels that make our public schools such mediocre institutions. I applaud the Principal for having the restraint to not dole out the appropriate punishment to these slackers. They’re lucky that they only got suspended.
Yiddish Steel on May 12, 2008 at 1:16 pm