TX HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS MADE TO RECITE MEXICAN NATIONAL ANTHEM, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

[웃 910]

TX HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS MADE TO RECITE MEXICAN NATIONAL ANTHEM, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

Students in a Texas public high school were made to stand up and recite the Mexican national anthem and Mexican pledge of allegiance as part of a Spanish class assignment, but the school district maintains there was nothing wrong with the lesson.

It happened last month in an intermediate Spanish class at Achieve Early College High School in McAllen, Texas — a city located about 10 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border.

(Related: Listen to Glenn Beck interview the father of the girl who refused to recite the pledge)

Wearing red, white and green, students had to memorize the Mexican anthem and pledge and stand up and recite them in individually in front of the class.

That didn't go over well with sophomore Brenda Brinsdon. The 15-year-old sat down and refused to participate. She also caught it all on video:

"I just thought it was out of hand, I didn't think it was right," she told The Blaze. "Reciting pledges to Mexico and being loyal to it has nothing to do with learning Spanish."

She said she was particularly offended because the presentations in teacher Reyna Santos's class took place during "Freedom Week," the week after the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, and on U.S. Constitution Day — the same day as Mexico's Independence Day.

"Why are we doing their independence when it's Freedom Week and it's also Constitution Day?" Brinsdon said.

Brinsdon said she complained to the school principal, Yvette Cavazo, who told her it was part of the curriculum and that she should participate. Her father, William, also got involved, calling the school district superintendent to complain.

When Brenda made clear she would not stand up and recite the pledge, she was given an alternative assignment: an essay on the history of the Mexican revolution.

Meanwhile, other students continued with their presentations, which took place over the course of several days.

When Brinsdon talked to Santos — a first-year teacher at Achieve — about her new assignment, the teacher told her she grew up in Mexico.

"She told me that she loved Mexico," Brinsdon said.

School district spokesman Mark May defended the presentations, saying it's a state requirement for upper-level language classes to teach about foreign culture.

According to the state's

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards, students are expected to gain "knowledge and understanding" of other cultures and use the language to demonstrate understanding of different practices and perspectives. There are no specific requirements about learning to recite pledges or anthems.

May said it's up to the teacher how to interpret and teach the standards.

"It wasn't required to pledge loyalty and renounce the U.S., they were simply spreading the culture of another country," May told The Blaze. "In my mind it's no different from memorizing a poem or memorizing a passage from Shakespeare."

William Brinsdon took issue with that notion, saying if that's the case it cheapens the pledge.

"You're taking their allegiance and their oath from Mexico and cheapening it just as a grade or words don't mean anything," he said.

May reiterated that the lesson was all done within the context of meeting the state requirements, and that the school did its duty providing Brenda with an alternative assignment when she objected.

"The students came away with a better understanding of the culture, heritage and customs of a neighboring country where Spanish is the primary language," he said.

May added that the lesson was "well received" by other students and parents.

"There's always going to be people that always feel a little bit differently," May said.

William Brinsdon is still having a hard time fathoming the idea of reciting foreign pledges and anthems in a U.S. public school in the first place.

"Our kids don't even know the [American] national anthem and here we are…teaching them to memorize and perform the national anthem for Mexico," he said. "I just think it's so backwards."

http://www.theblaze....-of-allegiance/

Edited October 18, 2011 by Lord Infamous

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

I'd say the anthem is different from the pledge. I totally understand refusing the pledge.

[skiptex 225]

I'd say the anthem is different from the pledge. I totally understand refusing the pledge.

+1

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

If Rick Perry has his way, Texas will be Mexico's most northern state.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

you all do realize this was in a Spanish class right? Part of an assignment for the Spanish class...

Non-story.

On top of that it took place in a Spanish class in McAllen which is 10 minutes from the border.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

you all do realize this was in a Spanish class right? Part of an assignment for the Spanish class...

Non-story.

On top of that it took place in a Spanish class in McAllen which is 10 minutes from the border.

I used to live minutes away from the Canadian border but we didn't pledge allegiance to Canada. Of course we lived in America unlike Southern Texas which I'm guessing is more Mexican than American?

Here in the Northern States we have one oath, and that's to the United States of America where we speak English and pledge to Ol Glory.

Edited October 18, 2011 by Why_Me

[^_^ 5,021]

I used to live minutes away from the Canadian border but we didn't pledge allegiance to Canada. Of course we lived in America unlike Southern Texas which I'm guessing is more Mexican than American?

Here in the Northern States we have one oath, and that's to the United States of America where we speak English and pledge to Ol Glory.

Bet you didn't take any classes in how to talk Canadian either, eh?

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Bet you didn't take any classes in how to talk Canadian either, eh?

Do you know the difference between an American cow and a Canuck cow?

The American cow goes; "Moo" and the Canuck cow goes; "Moo eh".

The Texas cow is an entirely different animal all together. It goes; "Si Senor"

Edited October 18, 2011 by Why_Me

[The_Dude 1,142]

you all do realize this was in a Spanish class right? Part of an assignment for the Spanish class...

Non-story.

On top of that it took place in a Spanish class in McAllen which is 10 minutes from the border.

+1

I used to live minutes away from the Canadian border but we didn't pledge allegiance to Canada. Of course we lived in America unlike Southern Texas which I'm guessing is more Mexican than American?

Here in the Northern States we have one oath, and that's to the United States of America where we speak English and pledge to Ol Glory.

Nice fallacy there Why_Me. It was a spanish class that the kids were in. I can remember spanish class, everyone had to do a report about a spanish speaking nation in the world. According to you though, today, that would be tantamount to a teacher assigning a class to prepare a dossier about it. In the context of a spanish class, what is really so wrong with learning about the culture, history, and customs of another country? Hyper partisans like you think everything that is taught in schools that isn't strictly about America is an attack on our freedom.

[^_^ 5,021]

Do you know the difference between an American cow and a Canuck cow?

The American cow goes; "Moo" and the Canuck cow goes; "Moo eh".

The Texas cow is an entirely different animal all together. It goes; "Si Senor"

That was pretty dumb.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

At the same time, reciting a pledge to another nation is "dumb" no matter what the language.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

At the same time, reciting a pledge to another nation is "dumb" no matter what the language.

[sandinista! 1,816]

+1

Nice fallacy there Why_Me. It was a spanish class that the kids were in. I can remember spanish class, everyone had to do a report about a spanish speaking nation in the world. According to you though, today, that would be tantamount to a teacher assigning a class to prepare a dossier about it. In the context of a spanish class, what is really so wrong with learning about the culture, history, and customs of another country? Hyper partisans like you think everything that is taught in schools that isn't strictly about America is an attack on our freedom.

in some hs foreign language classes, they even have kids pick foreign names to go by in that class-can you imagine the horror? forced to give up their american identities and all that. that year in french class that i had to go by the name francoise instead of my real name still scars me.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

in some hs foreign language classes, they even have kids pick foreign names to go by in that class-can you imagine the horror? forced to give up their american identities and all that. that year in french class that i had to go by the name francoise instead of my real name still scars me.

Thats perfectly fine, not sure why anyone would have an issue with that.

[The_Dude 1,142]

That was pretty dumb.

Not as dumb as Tbone's "joke".

in some hs foreign language classes, they even have kids pick foreign names to go by in that class-can you imagine the horror? forced to give up their american identities and all that. that year in french class that i had to go by the name francoise instead of my real name still scars me.

Ha ha, yeah, we had that in my high school. I picked the name Jesus, my teacher objected.