Thread: Mexican pledge belongs in Mexico

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Mexican pledge belongs in Mexico
By: Andrew Herman
Issue date: 9/29/06 Section: Opinion
In Texas, the parent of an elementary school child walked in on her child's class, to see and her them standing in front of the Mexican flag and reciting the Mexican Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish!

The parent confronted the teacher after class in an attempt to try and find out the logical explanation behind what was going on in her child's class. The teacher said that in an effort to embrace other people's cultural differences, the class was reciting the Mexican pledge everyday since the beginning of the school year. The parent took their child out of the class and refused to let the teacher teach her child ever again. Upon hearing of this, the school board, whom was in as much shock about it as the parent was, suspended the teacher until further notice. The teacher still maintains that saying the Mexican Pledge of Allegiance is a great way to promote the cultural differences of the students in her class.

The first thing that throws up red flags to me in this story is the obvious, how did the teacher get away with this for almost two months? The school board should have had some kind of requirement of the teachers to submit a lesson plan to them and to discuss with them any changes that the teacher wants to make to that plan.

Second, why did the teacher deem it appropriate to recite the Mexican Pledge of Allegiance every day in a class that, according to the school district, has two Mexican students out of twenty five? The teacher claims it was to embrace the cultural diversity of others. In a later interview on FOX NEWS with the school superintendent, he stated that the legality of the two children was in question; the district or the Texas Board of Education could find no records of green cards or visas.

Granted, we are supposed to provide free education to all, regardless of immigration status, race, age, or gender orientation, but we are teaching an AMERICAN education to these children. If you are living in America, and you want to be here so badly that you would risk your life to cross the Mexican American border illegally, then you should start living like an American. Pledging Allegiance to our flag, the flag of the country that you want to be a citizen of. If you country is so bad that you want to come to America, then you should forget about that country and Pledge Allegiance to this country, that you want to belong to so badly.

I do understand that the two children's families might have had green cards and visas, but they expired. But if that is the case, that shows me that they showed some interest in becoming American citizens. With that shown desire to become legal citizens of the United States, I would take that to mean that they want the whole nine yards, the freedom, the education, and the rights. Along with those things comes with the Allegiance to the flag and to the country that gave you those freedoms, rights, and the free education.

The point is, if you feel the desire to come to America, if you feel the urge to break one of the laws of the country that you want so desperately to be legal citizens of, then you need to be prepared to give up some of your old traditions. And you need to be prepared to start living life like a true American.



Send comments toAndrew Herman at hermana@bgsu.edu.

The teacher needs to go apply for a teacher assignment in Mexico...she's very qualified now...got that Mexican Pledge down pat after 2 months of turning our children into Traitors...pledging loyalty to MEXICO!!

What was she thinking?

Next time...bring some burritos to class and explore other cultures through food.