Ungrateful Pledgers
(Initial XEKE.com commentary in Red)

From the AP, Sept. 27:
Colorado Students Walk Out During Pledge, Recite Own Version
BOULDER, Colo. -- About 50 Boulder High School students walked out of class Thursday to protest the daily reading of the Pledge of Allegiance and recited their own version, omitting "one nation, under God."

The students say the phrase violates the constitutional separation of church and state (If they could show us that separation, I'd be willing to listen to their argument). They also say the daily reading of the pledge over the school public address system at the start of the second class takes away from education time and is ignored or mocked by some students.

Your walk-out does less to make us think you love America and more to make us believe that you're ignorant, selfish and ungrateful.

The protesting students, members of the Student Worker Club (a.k.a. Future Socialists of America), want administrators to hold the pledge reading in the auditorium during each of the school's two lunch periods for any students who want to participate.

Otherwise, they said, they plan to walk out each Thursday when the pledge is read and recite their version, which omits the reference to God and adds allegiance to constitutional rights, diversity and freedom, among other things.

"Boulder High has a highly diverse population, not all of whom believe in God, or one God," said Emma Martens, a senior and president of the club, which has about a dozen members. (They know just how many members there are. Children are countable units. To say "about a dozen" is code for 5 or 6.)

"We didn't think it was fair for the whole school to have to listen to it. It's almost religious oppression," she said. (Emphasis added.)

Principal Bud Jenkins told the Camera newspaper on its Web site Thursday the pledge will not be moved, but added he was proud of the students for standing up for their beliefs. It was not immediately clear what discipline, if any, the protesting students would face.

Children of Boulder, Colorado, lend me your ears. I'm going to give you a couple of pieces of advice.

First of all, despite what your America-hating, Liberal, hippie parents teach you, America is a country founded on Judeo-Christian principles. No other country in the world measures up to America's greatness (you know: freedom, Constitutional rights, the things you claim to want to spend your day learning about instead of reciting the Pledge of Allegiance). It is no small coincidence that Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, John Adams, James Madison, etc. believed in God (the Christian variety, and don't give me the "diest" business) and simultaneously were able to construct a republican form of government that has given us the country and the freedoms that we enjoy today.

Secondly, rather than moan about standing and reciting for 30 seconds, fight for a real cause, like promoting significant progress in areas where there is no freedom (read: none), such as areas of the world where the American military is investing their time and lives for the sake of freedom. Your whining to avoid pledging allegiance to a country that gives you all of the pleasures that you enjoy only reveals the ignorance in your mind and the selfishness in your heart. You might try to spend just a couple of minutes being thankful for the myriad of freedoms and pleasures that you currently take for granted. Consider seeking out those whom have made the sacrifices for these freedoms and pleasures for which you are ungrateful. After a period of reflection and thankfulness, compare that feeling to the feeling of hate and anger you are currently experiencing. You're sure to notice a difference.

Thirdly, you, your friends and your families may think your protesting is hot stuff, that you're exercising your Constitutional right. But the majority of us Americans, the ones who like and love America, think you're morons. (One may view the previous statement as name-calling, I prefer to think of it as an observation of fact.) Your walk-out does less to make us think you love America and more to make us believe that you're ignorant, selfish and ungrateful.

Finally, I suggest you seek out some of the nations around the world that do not contain "God" in their pledge of allegiance and consider becoming a citizen of one of those countries. You might find it quite enlightening, and we could use a few less of you folks here among us.

9/28/2007