Just a week after students were told to take off their tee-shirts showing the American flag as offensive on Cinco de Mayo, a California middle student was told that her drawing of an American flag with the words God Bless America was offensive.
Seventh grade art teacher Peggy Saunders reportedly praised a picture of President Obama but found the flag drawing to be potentially offensive.
The picture contained lettering proclaiming “God Bless America” and “In God We Trust.”
The drawing was for the “Yellow Ribbon Project,” which sends care packages to military war zones.
Students were reportedly told that nothing could be written on the picture of a flag and one official said that “God Bless America” may be offensive to some soldiers. I can understand the first but not the second point. I fail to see why, even for an atheist soldier, the words would be offensive rather than the patriotic expression of a child.
For the full story, click here.
True, Gyges.
People with little self control come from all persuasions.
and once more for those sitting in the back . . .
children.
I’m with mespo. There is a huge untapped market for common sense in Georgia and apparently California as well.
This message sponsored by The Guvenator, a Universal Studios Production. Directed by Arnold S. This epic has it all! Thrills! Suspense! A State wiggling with discomfort!
This movie has not yet been rated.
George,
Other than how dirty the stuff is, not really. The words on the cash annoy me mildly, but I try and save my ire for the disease and not the symptom.
Really offensive is the idea that Atheists are some sort of radical ideologues incapable seeing the word ‘god’ without throwing a tantrum.
One question: If you’re an atheist, does it offend you to use cash?
Huh?
From the linked article:
“It was not an assignment for the Yellow Ribbon project, which sends American-themed drawings to soldiers in war zones. But both the teacher and her students have a track record with Yellow Ribbon, Gutierrez said.”
NOT for the Yellow Ribbon project.
If I was in the teacher’s position and overseeing kids preparing materials to be sent out in something along the lines of this Yellow Ribbon project, I could totally see myself strongly urging the kids to not write anything over depictions of the US flag. I’d be less worried about the fact that the epithet, “God bless America” would bother people than I am concerned about kooks who freak out about “infractions” with the display of the flag.
(That said, the way that the phrase “God bless America” seems to be used is rarely along the lines of “May we act in a manner that is worthy of God’s blessings.” It seems more often to imply, “F’in’ right God done blessed America ‘cuz we’re f’in special, so f all y’all! Wooo!” But my point is that this may be a separate issue from kids writing words over the depiction of the US flag…)
Anyway, that goes to show that no good deed goes unpunished. Send kid’s drawings to service members overseas? Faux News and their ilk will find a way to stab you in the back by making you out as unpatriotic to a rabid, minimally-informed national audience. What’s this teacher’s current death-threat count?
Elaine:
“I’ll believe only half of what your children tell me about you–if you believe only half of what they tell you about me.”
Many thanks to you for my first really good laugh of the day!!
““I’ll believe only half of what your children tell me about you–if you believe only half of what they tell you about me.””
Elaine…that is perfection….!
Likely verdict, I agree, but the legal fees will be the same.
I’m with soonergrunt and mespo.
I was an elementary school teacher for many years. I know how words I expressed to students in school didn’t always arrive home verbatim–and how actions I took in the classroom were often re-interpreted. I’d have to have a talk with the concerned parents to explain what I actually said or did in class.
Of course, one thing many parents don’t understand is that teachers often hear odd/interesting stories about them from their own children. If parents only knew some of the things teachers have heard about them!
One teacher I worked with for a couple of decades told parents the following at our school’s open house in early fall every year: “I’ll believe only half of what your children tell me about you–if you believe only half of what they tell you about me.”
And the judge would likely tell said jackass what I told you, Buckeye.
Not state action therefore no excessive entanglement or endorsement.
Freedom of speech.
Children.
And last, but not least, case dismissed.
The right to be offended is once again corollary to the right to free speech.
This child’s freedom of speech could lead to a group of children exercising their freedom of speech in prayer or some other such supportive but non-state idea. Where would it all end?
Why should any child be allowed to invoke the blessings of a deity in a patriotic expression – sorta like the radical Islamists do? Sounds like a slippery slope to me.
Some atheists ARE jackasses, just like some non-atheists, and it would be just like one to sue the school over this.
I think the atheists should all agree on a symbol they could add to the now banned religious symbols in public places, should some public official slip up and they slip through. Maybe a hand with a finger pointing up (or down or sideways)? Or a collage of religious symbols with a NOT sign superimposed on them. Then we could all be politically correct, again.
W=c,
I have no problem with that. My folks sent me outside to play when I acted that way. And I turned out perfektly norml. 😀
“Dear Sir, It is with the greatest appreciation for your service to our mutual country that I offer you my support during these tough times.”?
If I caught these words coming out of the face of any *child*
I’d strip him of his long pants….stuff him in his jeans and lock him outside the house till he got good and dirty playing with his toys in a puddle…..
“I thought that was the whole idea for the Cross, 10 commandments, prayer, creche controversies – an athiest might be offended, therefore ANY religious symbol should be forbidden.”
if this be true, well talk about abrogation of free speech by the tyranny of the minority….
Buckeye,
Technically offensive or not? What kind of jackass takes offense at a child wishing them well in the limited terms they may have at their childlike disposal?
This was not a “state action”. This was the free speech right of a child, the message – while clothed in symbolism – was supportive.
Do you penalize children who can only say “Tank you!” over an older child with more exposure to the world who might say, “Dear Sir, It is with the greatest appreciation for your service to our mutual country that I offer you my support during these tough times.”?
Context. It’s children.
“I fail to see why, even for an atheist soldier, the words would be offensive rather than the patriotic expression of a child.”
I thought that was the whole idea for the Cross, 10 commandments, prayer, creche controversies – an athiest might be offended, therefore ANY religious symbol should be forbidden.
soonergrunt:
Smells of set up to me too. From the article:
“Three weeks have passed since this incident occurred,” Gutierrez said. “The teacher has hundreds of students.
Assistant Principal Art Bubb met with the student and parents on April 23.
“It never went to me or to the superintendent,” Gutierrez said. “Instead, it went directly to the national news, to Fox News. We were never really, at my level, able to speak with the parent or the student about the incident. We thought it was resolved. It re-emerged last Thursday, when the superintendent was called by a reporter on the East Coast.
“I wish I would have been involved in this from the very beginning. I can take ownership of the fact that we never spoke face-to-face until Monday. It was only to express my regrets that we had not had an opportunity to speak directly and bring resolution to this.”
I saw this on Today Show. This whole thing gives every appearance of being made up or trumped up bullcrap. I don’t buy it.
And this was an individualized class project. Hmmm, what did she expect?
http://content.techrepublic.com.com/2346-1035_11-67433.html#
No real surprise this, we’ve had this for years in the UK, simply displaying our flag now classes one as a racist, a Nazi or some kind of deviant.
It’s a perverse pleasure that can be gleaned from the fact that once again you Yanks are following in the now misshapen footsteps of we Brits