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Long time DUers know the story from last year when my son refused to say the Pledge at school and his teacher embarrassed him for it in front of the entire class. We had a run around with them which involved the ACLU. Well, last week a substitute teacher "jokingly", with a smile on her face, said, "I'm suppose to report all terrorists who don't say the Pledge." Even as a "joke" I don't find that humorous. Today, the regular teacher pulled him aside after giving him "a mean glare during the pledge" (my son's words) and asked him why he didn't say the Pledge...(at least SHE did this privately) and he told her he didn't say the Pledge because he didn't want to and his mom told him it was his right not to have to say it. Her reply was a gruff, "OK, go sit down." I feel like this is growing to be problem.....again.
I've decided to take a different tact this year and email the teacher with an explanation in hopes of putting an end to this crap. I suspect she already went to the principle about this. If I email her, she can print this out and give a copy to him, the principle....it'll save him a phone call to us.
I need to know if I have all my figures/numbers/facts correct and if you think this is too much? I don't think just telling her we hate this administration will suffice. I want her to know all or many of the reasons. I want her know we know what's going on in the world. I want her to know my son knows all these things and this is why he has chosen not to say the Pledge. He's in 8th grade this year. I just want to put an end to the questions in her head. Tell me what you think? Is this too much? Not enough? Should I add anything, leave out something? I was as nice as I could possibly be.;)
What is it with these teachers? Sheesh.
Mrs. *******,
I thought I'd take this opportunity to try to explain to you why my son, **** *******, chooses not to say the Pledge of Allegiance in school. He told me that you pulled him aside to ask why he doesn't say the Pledge. Let me just take this chance to say Thank you for not trying to embarrass him in front of the entire class with your question. Last year the teacher didn't afford him that consideration.
I am a political activist and he is exposed to politics on a daily basis. Our household does not support the current administration and their choice to preemptively and illegally invade another sovereign country that had nothing to do with September 11. Mr. Bush chose to invade Iraq for his own political purposes and he lied to the citizens of this country in order to do that. Mr. Bush has admitted Iraq had nothing to do with 911 and that means he lied.
Since he chose to preemptively and illegally invade Iraq based on lies, our country is now hated around the world. All of our allies, which took decades to establish, now hate us and don't trust us. Now, it will take generations to regain their trust.
This administration invaded Iraq based on lies and has killed over 2,700 of our soldiers and 655,000 innocent Iraqi men, women and children BECAUSE of those lies. They have created a $7 TRILLION debt, a $4 TRILLION trade deficit; we spend $122,820 a minute on this illegal invasion while OUR country goes without. They have built 10 PERMANENT military bases in Iraq and a multi-million dollar "Embassy CITY" in Baghdad while our citizens go without.
Our schools function on limited budgets, homeless people still suffer, our senior citizens have to choose between food and medicine, people are having to pay higher gas prices, higher grocery bills, higher medical bills, higher property taxes and higher health insurance bills. Yet, Mr. Bush's and Mr. Cheney's oil buddies from Exxon and Chevron reap record profits this year...the largest profits they have ever made?
After this administration decided to illegally invade Iraq, they chose to wrap themselves in our flag. They called us and every Democrat in this country "unpatriotic" if we didn't support their war. They told us we were "either with them or we're against them." They told us "if you don't support this war, you don't support our troops." They, to this day, call us "terrorists", "commies", "Nazis", and "Reds."
This is not an administration we could ever support. We don't support Bush, we don't support his outrageous foreign policies, we don't support his horrid domestic policies and we don't support his lies. There's so much more we don't like and can't support, but for this purpose, I'll save you from having to read it.
When this administration is out of office and our government is something to be proud of again, then, perhaps, **** may choose to say the Pledge in school (his choice, not ours). He's making a political statement which is his right to do and as far as we're concerned, he's on the side of what's good and right...
He's really not a terrorist (another teacher "jokingly" insinuated he is). He loves his country. We've told him what this country use to be like (his father is a WWII Veteran, BTW). He knows how we were respected around the world. He knows how everyone's "dream" use to be to "go to America and live the American Dream", he knows America was the most loved and respected country in the world and this administration has squandered that love and respect in 6+ short years......heck, even Americans are having a hard time "living the American Dream" these days.
The current administration has destroyed generations of foreign policies and goodwill that our past Presidents worked so hard to establish and their Domestic policies have left our citizens to struggle. **** knows that. His father and I respect his decision to not say the Pledge. It's not because he hates his country, it's because he LOVES his country and wants it back from this current administration and not saying the Pledge is his way of saying that. That's HIS statement and t.hat's all there is to it.
We hope this clarifies the situation for you and if you have any other questions, feel free to email us or you can call ***-****.
Kind Regards, ****** *******
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