re: #621 Rishonah

This is the United States, not Mexico. I absolutely do not mind any cultural or religious group celebrating an ethnically or religiously meaningful holiday. However, if the principal really thinks that children of Mexican heritage would take umbrage at American children wearing our patriotic symbols, then something is seriously, seriously wrong.

The school system and society have failed these children by not making them into American patriots, and by allowing them to believe that their Mexican heritage is more important than their duties to be good and patriotic Americans.

American children, of whatever heritage, need to be Americans first. Being a patriotic American should absolutely trump any ethnicity, religion, creed, or national background. This does not mean that we cannot be proud of where our families originated, it does not mean that we do not believe strongly in our religions, but those who choose to live in this nation owe the rest of us their first and foremost allegiance.

Either one is for America, or one is against it (as we saw just the other day in New York), there is no middle ground. I think that, on balance, immigration is a good thing, but only if the immigrants understand that they are coming to live in America, and we expect them to become true Americans, not foreigners living here to make money.

So celebrating something from their cultural heritage makes them less American?

You know, not so long ago people used to say those things about Jews dressing traditionally and keeping kosher. In fact if you go to the hate sites they still go on about how oppressive it is to see Jewish references in movies or that there are kosher restaurants and how much they hate our funny little hats.

You are walking down a very dangerous path. Turn back from it please.