ProEnglish to Sue Tucson School Over Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish
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For Immediate Release
Contact: Phil Kent
April 9, 2008
Phone: (404) 226-3549
“Requiring second grade students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish every day without their parents’ knowledge or consent is outrageous and violates Article 28 of Arizona’s Constitution which makes English the official language of the state,” says K.C. McAlpin, executive director of ProEnglish, a group that advocates for official English.
In a 2006 statewide referendum Arizona voters voted overwhelmingly to make English the state’s official language. “ProEnglish wants to right this wrong. Parents can file a lawsuit to stop this unconstitutional opening of the school day,” McAlpin said.
The controversy began when Tucson resident Lance Altherr overheard his eight-year old son reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish. Altherr, who speaks Spanish, learned that his son’s second grade teacher was requiring her class to recite the Pledge in that language—yet neither the state nor the Tucson Unified School District requires the Pledge to be in Spanish.
When Altherr told the teacher and the principal of Gale Elementary School that he did not want his son reciting the Pledge in a foreign language, his protests were ignored. School officials later transferred his son to another class in which the Pledge of Allegiance is recited in English. Other parents with children about to enter the second grade at Gale Elementary have expressed worry that their children may be required to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish.
“ProEnglish and the parents of the student involved in this case strongly support teaching foreign languages to American school children. But the line should be drawn at reciting the Pledge of Allegiance or singing our National Anthem. That conveys the wrong message, especially in a state that has made English its official language,” McAlpin said.
“Would school officials approve reciting the daily Pledge of Allegiance in German or Russian without even informing parents and getting their consent? I doubt it,” McAlpin added. “This is a political decision made by the teacher, and it violates the will and intent of Arizona’s voters as expressed at the ballot box,” McAlpin added.
(Posted on April 10, 2008)
Comments
According to greatschools.net, this school is 69% White and only 19% Hispanic. http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/az/other/1649#students
Posted by Steven at 6:33 PM on April 10
Piano Lessons, Spanish class and better Dental care are three of the things I wish I had gotten a handle on way earlier in life. Maybe it was the nuns beating me on the knuckles for poor pronunciation when I was in Second grade that turned me against it…
This story reminds me of a lesson on heritage I had the chance to teach a fellow citizen of my Southwestern state. The winds of chance had ordained that I learned how to make medevil hand made Spanish Cement Tile. An art form that even the Mexicans had forgotten. As my brother was found of saying about me, “When the Mexicans call you for Pinatas then you know you`re good!” So I was called in to do the bar area of our city`s biggest and most well known Mexican restraunt. After completing it I went downtown to get my paycheck from Jorge, the owner and Godfather in this city to all things Hispanic. As we were talking he told me, “Timoteo, you`ve learned our art forms, now you need to learn our historia, our gente and our cultura…” Not wanting to offend but needing to catch the No.9 bus AND assert my own cultual roots I told him, “George, I`m Mr. Mc Hughs youngest son. The bagpipes move me, not the mariachis!!” I caught the bus with a half cigarette to spare.
Posted by Tim Mc Hugh at 6:39 PM on April 10
Perfect example as to WHY constitutional amendments that make English the official language are right and necessary.
Posted by at 7:05 PM on April 10
While I can sympathize with the feelings of ProEnglish here, they’re wasting their time with these useless lawsuits about language. The only way to save our country is to confront the massive demographic changes that are turning the USA itself into a Third World nation, and language is a cosmetic issue at best. In other word, the only solution is to halt this massive influx— legal as well as illegal immigration inflows— and step up deportations.
The English-only movement is a waste of our limited resources here, because the languages used in the midst of this mass Third World colonization of the USA make little difference— what does matter is the behavior underneath, the culture, the background, the ability to succeed and above all, the demographics. When the USA has a non-White majority, which we’re on track to having within 15 years, it won’t matter whether people are speaking Pig Latin or Martian— the USA will perish as a Western nation then.
In fact, among Latinos and other groups, they actually become much *less* assimilated as they learn more English. With higher generations and greater English fluency, US Latinos have a much higher crime rate— especially against their white neighbors— as well as higher participation in gangs, even worse levels of drug trafficking and higher drop-out rates from high school.
Besides, mounting a lawsuit over some language used for a pledge in class just reeks of something the ACLU would do. It’s not the language in use that matters— it’s the demographics, and English-only efforts represent merely wasted effort and fingers in an exploding dike. Until we recognize this and fix our monumentally self-destructive immigration laws, so that we don’t become a minority in our own land, we are finished as a nation.
Posted by Casey James at 8:22 PM on April 10
What does ProEnglish say about the Firefighter Supervisors in Oregon being laid off/demoted because they don’t speak the language of their workers, even if only 1 worker/20 does not speak English?
The state requires that the supervisors speak the language of their workers(Hispanics) for safety reasons.
The state has no answer as to why the workers don’t have to speak the language of their supervisors. I have an answer, a one word label answer for our politicians, but it wouldn’t be posted.
Thanks again, Oregon.
Posted by at 8:22 PM on April 10
“When Altherr told the teacher and the principal of Gale Elementary School that he did not want his son reciting the Pledge in a foreign language, his protests were ignored.”
Typical leftist whacko response. The perpetrators who are guilty of this crime are either Hispanic or they’re emotionally and mentally disturbed white radicals who despise themselves and attend a church like Jeremiah Wright in order to punish themselves and reinforce their self-hatred.
But, in any event, they should be ousted and disbarred fron ever teaching in the US again.
Posted by Ranger at 9:25 PM on April 10
How many times must I state that Speaking Spanish/Mexican in these United States is a traitorous act, and should be viewed as tantamount to treason, with attendant penalties?
This is the [self-imposed]societal attitude when my European ancestors came over here. “You are an American- you will learn to speak English, even if I can’t.”
It is time we stopped being the world’s altruists par excellence, and starting looking for OZ in our own back yard….
Posted by Fr. John at 4:12 PM on April 11