Welcome to my blog, or should I say to the ramblings of an old man. I doubt that my ramblings are of much value, but at least I have an opportunity to share them.  So, please be kind and humor me. If nothing else of value stands out in these thoughts, I hope that you at least sense the value I place on a daily walk with the Lord.  That walk is what has provided me with motivation and a sense of purpose throughout my lifetime.  My prayer is that you, too, are experiencing this direction and joy in daily living which is available to everyone who puts his trust in Christ.  So, thanks again for joining me.  Please don't go without leaving some comments here so I can get to know you better as our paths intersect today in this blog.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

To Pledge Or Not To Pledge

If you have read the Lancaster newspaper during the past month you probably are aware of the controversy about a sad situation in Manheim Twp. High School. A substitute there ran into a problem when the majority of her class refused to stand and salute the American flag. In fact, they said that they didn't have to do it and they rudely talked, listened to their ipods, and did as they pleased while a few said the pledge. When the frustrated sub got home she told her husband about her experience. He is a retired marine who was incensed by this rude behavior. Without telling his wife, he wrote a letter to the newspaper sharing her experience. A few days later the principal sent a letter to the newspaper defending the school and the students. The sub also found that she was suddenly dropped from the substitute list and was no longer welcome to work in that district. The newspaper then ran a feature article about the situation and since then, almost daily, there have been letters in the newspaper from outraged members of the community defending the sub and criticizing the school. I've had the urge to also write one, but I don't want to get publicly involved in this firestorm. So I have resisted the urge to do so. However, if I were to write one it might go something like this.

Madam Principal,
Until a few years ago when I retired, for 39 years I was a public school teacher in a neighboring high school. During that time I probably led the pledge, with my students, more than 6,000 times. I never experienced, nor would I ever have tolerated, what reportedly happened at your school. Now I know that no student can be compelled to say the pledge or stand for the National Anthem, especially if they have religious convictions or are a foreign exchange student. But they can be expected to show the courtesy of at least standing in silence while the majority say the pledge. That is the standard that I expected in my classes. Multiple thousands of American soldiers have died to give people the freedom not to be forced to pledge. But these same soldiers didn't die to give them the right to be rude and obnoxious. Respect for others and for our country starts right from the top. I have worked for numerous principals who have made respect for country and others a priority in their building. Research shows the importance of the principal in setting the atmosphere in the building. Maybe starting the day with the pledge and anthem would help make it a priority, rather than waiting until second period when the announcements are made. I've never been to an athletic contest where they postponed the anthem until the second quarter because it was more convenient to do it then. Set the example, make it a priority, and start the day with it. Part of the problem is also caused by parents who have coddled their kids, accepted disrespect, defended irresponsibility, given them whatever they wanted, and let them make their own choices. It's time that parents actually begin to be parents. But I guess that is beyond the scope of your job. However, a major part of the problem must be the teacher who was absent. He or she apparently allowed this environment to develop throughout the year. I'm sure that this wasn't the first time that this happened in this classroom. The teacher needs to set the example and expect courtesy and good manners from the students. Anything less is totally unacceptable. My students knew from day one how thankful I was to be a citizen of our great country. I was always proud to lead the pledge knowing that the great sacrifice of so many made it possible for me to live and teach in freedom that much of the world never has known or enjoyed. I think many of my students appreciated my example and they were willing to proudly say the pledge with me. I always read the written reports that my subs left and if there was ever any hint that my students took advantage of the sub, I dealt with it immediately. As one who also supervised teachers for many years, I did not put up with teachers who could not control and set a proper example for their students. I hope that you are now working with this teacher to change the classroom environment. If not, you and the school are negligent. Certainly there are problems with this country, but despite that, there is no country in the history of civilization with the freedoms and opportunities that our citizens have. And it is the responsibility of the school to teach and pass on the American spirit and develop respectful, civilized citizens. Hopefully you will learn from this situation and not just respond by defending your school and your job, but work to make sure that such classroom incidents are eliminated and good citizenship is taught. Only then you will be doing your job.

And that is what I might say if I actually wrote a letter. What is your reaction?

No comments: