I seriously need duct tape just to make it through the day to survive. If I don't wrap my head up tight, it's going to explode just from reading the news of the day.
Our Karl Marx-loving administration is trying to spend its way out of a debt crisis; we're about to send a progressive to the Supreme Court (remember, progressives think the Constitution is an outdated document), and then there are stories like this out of Arlington High School in Massachusetts:
A student there named Sean Harrington noticed something odd: There were no American flags in the classroom and no Pledge of Allegiance was recited. Sean decided to try and get flags put back in the classroom and to have students start reciting the Pledge of Allegiance again. Seems like a benign request, right? Not in Massachusetts. It's been three years — three years — since Sean took up the oh-so-controversial fight of getting American flags back in American classrooms.
Sean finally got them to relent on the flags, but the Pledge has been a different story. The principal, Charles Skidmore, finally agreed to lead the Pledge, not in class but in the foyer for those who wish to attend. The school said: "The principal wanted to be very respectful about the Pledge and be sensitive to the Supreme Court ruling that students are not forced to say the Pledge. He wanted to be sensitive to the diverse group of students we have."
Diverse group of students? Look, if you don't want to say the Pledge, whatever, you don't have to. But what part of that "diverse group" of students doesn't want to recite it?
How did we even get to a place where we are even having this debate? The Pledge of Allegiance? The flag in class? Really? Where was the tipping point on this? Do the majority of people think the Pledge is offensive or is this a bogus tipping point? Who exactly is offended?
The school originally rejected Harrington's request because, "some educators are concerned that it would be hard to find teachers willing to recite it." Really? That's even worse! If that's true and teachers won't recite the Pledge, then maybe it's time to start firing teachers. My 4-year-old recites the Pledge and that's one reason my kids are not in public school.
Do you remember when Red Skelton recited the Pledge?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RED SKELTON: I — me, an individual, a committee of one — pledge — dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self-pity — allegiance — my love and my devotion — to the flag — our standard, Old Glory, a symbol of freedom. Wherever she waves, there is respect because your loyalty has given her a dignity that shouts freedom is everybody's job — of the United — that means that we have all come together — States — individual communities that have united into 48 great states; 48 individual communities with pride and dignity and purpose, all divided with imaginary boundaries, yet united to a common cause and that's love for country — of America and to the Republic — a republic, a state in which sovereign power is invested in representatives chosen by the people to govern. And government is the people and it's from the people to the leaders, not from the leaders to the people — for which it stands. One nation — meaning, so blessed by God — indivisible — incapable of being divided — with liberty — which is freedom, the right of power to live one's life without threats or fear or any sort of retaliation — and justice — the principle or quality of dealing fairly with others — for all — which means, boys and girls, it's as much your country as it is mine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Some think there was a tipping point in 1962 when the Supreme Court first ruled that a voluntary —- voluntary — prayer at the start of each school day was unconstitutional because, the court said, it amounted to state sponsorship of prayer. What was the offensive, voluntary prayer New York schools recited?
"Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee and beg Thy blessings upon us, our teachers and our country."
Oh, the horror! I feel for all the atheists who had to sit through that divisive indoctrination. At least they didn't make them read this:
"O! Lord our heavenly Father, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords... look down in mercy, we beseech thee; on these our American states who have fled to thee from the rod of the oppressor and thrown themselves upon thy gracious protection, desiring henceforth to be dependent only on thee."
That's the official prayer of the first Continental Congress in 1774. Oh, how far we've come. First, not — not — mandating a specific religion; then, don't talk about God at all. You might offend someone!
Then a compromise: A middle school in Brooklyn is talking about religion — well, using material that compares religion to a disease. But don't worry, the material also says religion may be a disease, but it's a "noble disease." What is a noble disease? A cancer that only attacks pedophiles?
As we've reduced our exposure to God since the 1962 court ruling, I contend we've all but forgotten God. It's what led us to some big problems. Let me show you what David Barton found when he looked into this: SAT scores began falling, pre-marital sexual activity among teens skyrocketed and the number of violent crimes rose rapidly. Coincidence?
Progressives have fought this fight for decades, because the less people rely on God, it creates a dependency vacuum. And guess who's there to fill the void: government and the unions. It gives them more power over you. And if you think they don't want it, watch this video from NEA General Counsel Bob Chanin, who was giving a retirement speech:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOB CHANIN, NEA: Despite what some among us would like to believe, it is not because of creative ideas, it is not because of the merit of our positions, it is not because we care about children, it is not because we have a vision of a great public school for every child. NEA and its affiliates are effective advocates because we have power and we have power because there are more than 3.2 million people who are willing to pay us hundreds of millions of dollars in dues each year because they believe we are the unions that can most effectively represent them, the unions that can protect their rights and advance their interests as education employees.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
It's about power and control. Progressives believe the government will make better choices than the individual. And a huge part of what's allowing them to amass more power is our growing separation from God. At a time when we need to hear more people of faith, they are being pushed aside — all in the name of political correctness. Even a high school kid from Massachusetts understands it:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN HARRINGTON, STUDENT: As Ronald Reagan said, "If we forget that we're a nation under God, then we are a nation gone under."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Is that not proving true?
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