Ashamed to be an American

Posted: May 08, 2010
1:00 am Eastern
© 2010

Once again, emasculated school officials have done the preposterous: They've told kids it's wrong to display pride for being American.

This time it was at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, Calif., on Cinco de Mayo. As they often did, some students wore clothing to school bearing an American flag motif.

It should be noted the boys were sitting quietly at a table during a brunch break at the time they were approached by the vice principal and told to stop being patriotic. They weren't heckling other students, chanting anti-Latino slogans, waving flags or doing anything else that could be considered provocative. They were just sitting and chatting.

For that crime, they were requested to remove or hide the offensive garments, or risk suspension for being – wait for it – incendiary. The boys refused and so, rather than face suspension, they went home. To their credit, they've said "fat chance" about making an apology.

Now let me get this straight. Five American boys, attending an American school, paid for by American tax dollars, in an American state, wore clothing with American flags to show pride for being American. Um, am I missing something here?

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Of course I'm missing something. I'm missing the fact that it was Cinco de Mayo. And I'm missing the fact that there is a large Mexican-American student population at the school.

Oops, wait a minute. Unless these Latino kids are illegal aliens – surely not! – it means they're American citizens or legal residents. That means these students are Mexican-American. They are NOT Mexican.

Like millions of others – like my grandparents – like my three sisters-in-law – these people were born in a different country and immigrated to America in order to, drum roll please, become Americans.

But it seems it's no longer necessary for Mexican-Americans (and some other immigrant groups) to even pretend to express gratitude toward the country that took them in and offered them educational, employment and housing opportunities. Instead they show an intense hostility toward anything American, particularly on "their" holiday.

I see this as indicative of a larger problem in today's America. When my Polish grandparents immigrated to this country, they were damn well expected to take an oath of fealty, learn the language, assimilate into the culture and become Americans (which they did). A few years ago, when my Russian, Taiwanese and Korean sisters-in-law immigrated to this country, they were expected to take an oath of fealty, learn the language, assimilate into the culture and become Americans (which they did). They were told in no uncertain terms, "This is America. Love it or leave it." They chose to love it.

So why are some groups exempt from following standard protocol? Why are we pandering to their hostility? Are we afraid of "incendiary" repercussions if we don't kowtow to various factions? I don't think I've ever seen a group of immigrants so hell-bent on hating their adopted country. Why is it considered "incendiary" to be American and express pride in one's country? If America is such a rotten place, why did they come here?

I'll tell you why: Because America, for all its problems, is still the golden land of opportunity. When conditions in the crowded slums of Mexico City became intolerable, these people risked their lives, left their families and belongings and familiar surroundings, and marched toward the New Land to make a better life for themselves. Assuming this is done legally, I feel nothing but the greatest pleasure in welcoming such people to our country. We have a proud heritage of hospitality toward those who work hard, live frugally, educate their children and become business owners or model employees. My grandparents did this. My sisters-in-law did this. Millions of people originally from Mexico have done this.

So why are these Latino students so hostile toward displays of American pride? Didn't they come here to share that pride and partake of the endless opportunities we offer?

Apparently not. And it's well-known that not all "immigrants" follow the bootstrap method once they set foot in America. Along with our proud heritage of hospitality and opportunity, we have a shameful heritage of welfare and other entitlements that teaches the exact opposite: that laziness and deceit are rewarded. That legal procedures can be ignored. That hatred toward one's adopted country is acceptable and even celebrated.

And – perhaps – therein lies the reason the Mexican-American students were "offended by the five boys and others for wearing American colors on a Mexican holiday." They don't see this as America; they want to pretend it's Mexico. Except, of course, it isn't. It's an American school. In America.

But lest we get too angry at the Latino students, we should consider the school administrators. Gosh, it's almost as if they're afraid of their Latino students. (So who's "incendiary"?) They obviously felt it was "safer" to humiliate American students for wearing their own flag with pride. We've come to the point where we placate and appease and mollify anyone who complains, no matter how absurd the complaint. We can no longer tell hyphenated-Americans to suck it up, deal with it, and act like Americans when they're in America.

This story struck a nerve with lots of people because, let's face it, we're sick and tired of being told we should be ashamed of ourselves. In the words of Tom Bevan, "Americans are increasingly fed up with the racially divisive, politically correct insanity pulsating through the country today. After years of being pressured and browbeaten by the left-wing PC police about what they can say, do, think, and wear, many Americans have had enough. And they're especially furious with being asked to apologize for things that aren't or shouldn't be in the least bit offensive."

If I were the parents of these boys, I would withdraw them from school because they're probably going to get the tar beat out of them the next time they set foot on campus. And the school administrators, reluctant to offend the attackers, won't do squat.

If things keep going the way they are, it's going to make me ashamed to be an American.

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