The Core Knowledge Blog

For years, Tucson 2nd grade teacher Anne Lee has had her students recite Pledge of Allegiance in three languages–English, Spanish and American Sign Language.  One of her students whose father is a member of the Minuteman Civil Defense organization got wind of the practice, and inevitably, a grand fecal oscillatory collision resulted.

“When Lance Altherr learned last week that his son was reciting the pledge in Spanish, he was outraged. He spoke with Lee and then Principal Paula Godfrey, demanding they stop the practice. They wouldn’t, and Altherr moved his son to a different class,” reports the Arizona Star. “In the days before the Internet, that’s where the drama would have stopped.  But Altherr…took his case to the Internet, sending out mass e-mails and posting on message boards.”

Godfrey did some due diligence with her school district’s legal department and Arizona’s Department of Education.  No problema, they said.  To her credit, she even asked the Veterans of Foreign Wars if they deemed the practice offensive.

“The VFW gave her mixed signals on the matter,” reports the Star.  “A VFW official first said in an e-mail that it was ‘not disrespectful to say the Pledge of Allegiance in either’ language ‘as long as it was stated as written.’  But when the heat turned up, the VFW’s national director sent the [Tucson Schools'] Governing Board an e-mail Thursday demanding a stop to the practice of Spanish-language pledges.” So far the school and Ms. Lee are sticking to their guns. 

I seem to recall hearing that a Republican from Arizona is running for President this year who has had a little trouble with his party’s conservative wing on immigration issues.  I wonder if Juro De La Bandera could be Campaign 2008’s version of the flag burning amendment?