I see this as an opportunity to think critically. . . ~J
MAKE THE TIME TO READ THIS and SHARE IT..PLEASE.
New high school principal.
We watched high school principal Dennis Prager of Colorado, along with Sara Palin and Tom Brokaw on TV a couple of weeks ago….what a dynamic, down to earth speaker. Even though Palin and Brokaw were also guest speakers they did little but nod and agree with him. This is the guy that should be running for President in 2012!
A Speech Every American High School Principal Should Give.
By Dennis Prager.
To the students and faculty of our high school:
I am your new principal, and honored to be so. There is no greater calling than to teach young people.
I would like to apprise you of some important changes coming to our school. I am making these changes because I am convinced that most of the ideas that have dominated public education in America have worked against you, against your teachers and against our country.
First, this school will no longer honor race or ethnicity. I could not care less if your racial makeup is black, brown, red, yellow or white. I could not care less if your origins are African, Latin American, Asian or European, or if your ancestors arrived here on the Mayflower or on slave ships. The only identity I care about, the only one this school will recognize, is your individual identity — your character, your scholarship, your humanity. And the only national identity this school will care about is American.
This is an American public school, and American public schools were created to make better Americans. If you wish to affirm an ethnic, racial or religious identity through school, you will have to go elsewhere. We will end all ethnicity, race and non-American nationality-based celebrations. They undermine the motto of America , one of its three central values — e pluribus Unum, “from many, one.” And this school will be guided by America ‘s values. This includes all after-school clubs. I will not authorize clubs that divide students based on any identities. This includes race, language, religion, sexual orientation or whatever else may become in vogue in a society divided by political correctness.
Your clubs will be based on interests and passions, not blood, ethnic, racial or other physically defined ties. Those clubs just cultivate narcissism — an unhealthy preoccupation with the self — while the purpose of education is to get you to think beyond yourself. So we will have clubs that transport you to the wonders and glories of art, music, astronomy, languages you do not already speak, carpentry and more. If the only extracurricular activities you can imagine being interested in are those based on ethnic, racial or sexual identity, that means that little outside of yourself really interests you.
Second, I am uninterested in whether English is your native language. My only interest in terms of language is that you leave this school speaking and writing English as fluently as possible. The English language has united America ‘s citizens for over 200 years, and it will unite us at this school. It is one of the indispensable reasons this country of immigrants has always come to be one country. And if you leave this school without excellent English language skills, I would be remiss in my duty to ensure that you will be prepared to successfully compete in the American job market. We will learn other languages here — it is deplorable that most Americans only speak English –but if you want classes taught in your native language rather than in English, this is not your school.
Third, because I regard learning as a sacred endeavor, everything in this school will reflect learning’s elevated status. This means, among other things, that you and your teachers will dress accordingly. Many people in our society dress more formally for Hollywood events than for church or school. These people have their priorities backward. Therefore, there will be a formal dress code at this school.
Fourth, no obscene language will be tolerated anywhere on this school’s property — whether in class, in the hallways or at athletic events. If you can’t speak without using the f-word, you can’t speak. By obscene language I mean the words banned by the Federal Communications Commission, plus epithets such as “Nigger,” even when used by one black student to address another black, or “bitch,” even when addressed by a girl to a girlfriend. It is my intent that by the time you leave this school, you will be among the few your age to instinctively distinguish between the elevated and the degraded, the holy and the obscene.
Fifth, we will end all self-esteem programs. In this school, self-esteem will be attained in only one way — the way people attained it until decided otherwise a generation ago — by earning it. One immediate consequence is that there will be one valedictorian, not eight.
Sixth, and last, I am reorienting the school toward academics and away from politics and propaganda. No more time will be devoted to scaring you about smoking and caffeine, or terrifying you about sexual harassment or global warming. No more semesters will be devoted to condom wearing and teaching you to regard sexual relations as only or primarily a health issue… There will be no more attempts to convince you that you are a victim because you are not white, or not male, or not heterosexual or not Christian. We will have failed if any one of you graduates this school and does not consider him or herself inordinately fortunate — to be alive and to be an American.
Now, please stand and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of our country. As many of you do not know the words, your teachers will hand them out to you.
Pass this along if you agree. . . . If not delete..and later regret it !
I’ve read through these and I see a microcosm here of what we face in America (and on the planet) in terms of how to take our lives and our groups back from those trying to steal them from us.
I can make just a few observations here:
The United States was created to try to fix a problem the colonies were having with their central government. The colonies had to fight to make that change, and many died in the process. And even after the British were pushed out, they tried again in 1812. And we can assume that they have been trying ever since. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were high-minded documents and they were a great step forward. It is our (America’s) responsibility, in a sense, to stand up for those ideals.
But that work addressed the problem of central government. It was not trying to solve problems with the educational system, or the banking system, or local governance, or even slavery or the “Indian problem.”
There have been advances made, since 1776, in our understandings of human experience, and of our history. And they have lead to new ideas in education, law, medicine, civil rights, finance. Because these ideas are new, does it make them un-American?
We, as mankind, still face great challenges. We face them in this country and in every other country. They are universal challenges. Americans think they made a big step forward when they won their independence from the British. And they did. But that big step forward was in the sphere of politics. If the next step forward comes from another country, will the US reject it because it isn’t American? We thought our innovation in the structure of central governments was cool enough to export to the rest of the world. So, are we willing to look at ideas from other places and consider importing them into our system? I haven’t seen any obvious embrace of a reciprocal process. Yet it HAS occurred. We have taken in immigrants, they have become “Americans” and they have turned their ideas into “American” ideas and sold them here as such. Sometimes this had good results (Tesla’s AC power system?) and sometimes it didn’t (German materialistic psychology?).
But I think it is clear that the idea that there is an exact “American” way of doing anything is a myth and always has been. We have always been a diverse culture. What is important is that we have a culture that works, not that we have a culture that is “yankee” to the core.
Although I don’t agree with this man, its not unusual to see this from those who maintain an arrested view of what this country is all about.
Every time I see the “political correctness” meme mentioned, my radar focuses on their definition. As soon as they equate pc to any kind of police or Brownshirt, I hear someone who sounds completely confused while at the same time unconsciously aware of their inherent privilege. This man represents a small faction of the 85% majority in this country. A small faction that still feels inherently threatened by others…and even more afraid when “others” start demanding equality.
It’s not so long ago black men were lynched on a very rumor they whistled at a white woman. Economic and other types of apartheid still very much exist in this country right now, based upon race. When those factors no longer exist, then it will be easier for Prager and co. to appreciate diversity for the beauty that it is, rather than than feel threatened when someone speaks up for equality or simply wants to share a different point of view.
It’s inevitable for all of us to learn where we’ve inherited our racial and class confusion from, and why we as souls, chose to live in America. In my opinion, our ascension as souls includes it.
If we can’t handle the diversity that is here and in front of their faces now, how are we going to handle the infinite details of further disclosure? How will we handle dealing with learning about the races from Arcturus, and Tau Ceti, and Sirius, and the Plieadies? What about the Arturians or those from Bernard’s Star or Procyon? Just looking at the small amount of Galactic history available, whole planets have been destroyed because of misunderstandings between races. Reference Swerdlow, et al describing the beginnings of the ages long conflict between the reptilian and human races in this galaxy.
All of these areas and more are star systems where such racial diversity on Earth derives from, and in some cases the differences are vast…much more than we can presently imagine.
Which is why I see America in the form of the United States so unique, and a gift. To me it’s a land that mirrors, or is a fractal example of something like an Andromeda Council, but larger. It gives us a chance to learn about ourselves and others the easy way, if we want to.
Despite the tragedy that most Americans don’t travel overseas to see what other countries feel like, in the larger cities were more directly exposed to diversity from many different places. This is a gift.
Trying to pretend diversity doesn’t exist in this country is pointless. The best we can do is really and truly live up to America’s potential by knocking off the bullshit, and truly utilizing the gifts of all.
Spoken like a true Starseed jimisroom
I think your points are very well expressed.
Thank you for explaining that so well! I have long felt the same. How can people expect to get along with the huge diversity in the Universe when they are afraid of the diversity right here? The land shapes people, no matter where you go, the people are part of the land.
The ideals that were here when the colonizers arrived worked into the amalgamated culture created, and it can be so beautiful. The same is true everywhere tho, in every land and on every planet the land and the people express a different facet, a different note or chord in the song of the universe.
Who would want to hear a single monotone drone forever instead of a symphony of rhythms, harmonies and notes?
I feel for the children that attend this school. They are told to deconstruct who they are and recreate themselves into something more acceptable to the elite. I feel polluted by this speech. Was America ever the land of the free?
Well I would have noting against returning to the way of the constitution … IF … the constitution had been actually written for “we the people of mainstream” …
But as it stands … the constitution was written for the “we the people” being the oppressor of mainstream” and for the support and control over mainstream by the “cruel elite” behind the veil … again I say this is why mainstream have had only rights which could and have been taken away at any given time … with no laws backing those rights … rights are only temporary privileges …
So though I know the article means well …. to return to the ways of the constitution … would not be a wise thing to do without first clarifying that the “We the people” … is referring to good and just laws protecting and benefiting “ALL the people” …
Not just the White people … not just the Black people … not just the Indian people … not just the Mexican people … not just the elite people … not just the people behind the veil … but ALL people ….
And I guess that English being the primary goal of the America’s people would also b fine-and-dandy …. IF …. English had been the original language of the America’s land …
It’s reported that it is a misconception of English being the one language of the true and original Native American’s language … and that in reality, there were perhaps a thousand languages spoken in the Americas BEFORE the arrival of Europeans …
And that “English is an Anglo-Frisian language brought to Britain in the 5th Century AD by Germanic settlers from various parts of northwest Germany. The original Old English language was subsequently influenced by two successive waves of invasion.”
But when you consider languages as Algid, Iroquoian, Muskogee, Siouan, Uto-Aztecan, Athabasca, Salish an, Eskimo-Aleut, Mayan, being the Native Language of America’s lands … English has been an injustice language forced upon a people in their own land …
So it seems … that returning things to the true America’s way … will take a bit of doing … and not in the course taken in this article … but I assume the spokesman meant well …. but possibly just ill informed … but I guess it could be a grand write … if in Europe or Britain …
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Where_did_the_English_language_come_from
http://www.cogsci.indiana.edu/farg/rehling/nativeAm/ling.html
i just want to say i love you;-) beautiful!!
English is an Anglo-Frisian language brought to Britain in the 5th Century AD by Germanic settlers from various parts of northwest Germany. The original Old English language was subsequently influenced by two successive waves of invasion.
Reblogged this on JourneyToAscension2012 and commented:
I LOVE this man!…All public schools should have a Dennis Prager as their principal to guide and mentor them in their formative years. Let’s get the kids back on track!
Namaste
May I suggest that you also take the time to read my own personal response to this, as well as, for instance, Ken’s comment – under y response. You will find it here – Here’s my question about the email I published from the school principal. . . from ~Jean
Perhaps your opinion will change. I’ve responded in the same manner to a couple of others . . .
Hugs,
~Jean
Slam dunk, Jean. Thank you for sharing. Love and Light.
May I suggest that you also take the time to read my own personal response to this, as well as, for instance, Ken’s comment – under y response. You will find it here – Here’s my question about the email I published from the school principal. . . from ~Jean
Perhaps your opinion will change.
Hugs,
~Jean
Pingback: American… | ANMilitia
May I suggest that you also take the time to read my own personal response to this, as well as, for instance, Ken’s comment – under y response. You will find it here – Here’s my question about the email I published from the school principal. . . from ~Jean
Perhaps your opinion will change.
Hugs,
~Jean
Reading this made me extremely uncomfortable. Firstly, because it was written by Dennis Prager, and I know a thing or two about him.
Secondly, because this is the kind of thing that minorities have to hear all the time. Members of the majority have this idea of what “American” is, and all others must fit into that, or else we are being “divisive”.
It makes my soul ache to read things like: “We will end all ethnicity, race and non-American nationality-based celebrations.” No more Black/Hispanic/Native American, etc History Month. No more Cinco de Mayo. Somehow this will make us all more uniformly “American”…as if Black, Hispanic, and Native Americans are something other than American, and must be brought into line.
This article also espouses eliminating clubs for different groups of students. Do you know how wonderful it is to be able to unite with other people like yourself for fellowship? Some people do it every single Sunday in churches! Not just Christians benefit from being able to meet together.
Members of the LGBT community, for instance, often need safe spaces where they can gather and be themselves without social repercussions and judgment. This is not political correctness, or whatever other obtuse term you can use to describe it. And it is no more divisive than Christians meeting on Sunday, Lightworkers gathering for a given purpose, or women having a retreat.
This entire thing reminds me of the awful pictures in my old history books from High School, where Europeans had taken Native American children and “Americanized” them. Their traditional clothing was taken away from them, as well as their traditional hairstyles. Their languages were not allowed to be spoken. Their religion and spirituality was banned. Everything which made them UNIQUE was done away with, and they were made into reflections of what those Europeans thought America should be, which is largely what this article is supporting.
THAT IS NOT OF THE LIGHT.
We can be DIFFERENT, and still be ONE.
E pluribus unum does not mean that we must all be the same. It means that we must be ONE. I am one with every other individual; black and white, gay and straight, male and female, Christian, Muslim, and Jew. But we are all different. That difference is beautiful, and should be honored. I’m sure that societies that are part of various Galactic Federations are all very different, but they are ONE.
I am shocked that anyone could read this and not feel the same abject horror as I did. Oneness should not mean sameness. It DOES not mean sameness.
And it certainly does not mean taking away from children the ability to define and express themselves.
Sorry for the long comment. This just made my soul feel rather sick, and I had to say something.
Well said, Lee!
I agree. This entire letter creeped me out with what it is really saying, and Lee basically summed up what I saw was wrong with it.
I too didn’t like the overall tone of the ‘speech’. In it, admittedly, there are elements that may be valuable, but this is not sitting well with me, and I felt, like Lee, that it was not wholly of the Light. The idea that creating American’s who have effectively been ethnically ‘cleansed’ within this ideal of an education system concerns me…but on the surface of it, if you don’t dig a little, it could fool one into sounding right and worthy.
Admittedly, my brain did like some bits of this, my brain reacted with yes, that is a good thing, that is also a good thing. Perhaps, because like much propaganda, or disinformation, there are reasonable, just, realistic and believable elements presented therein.
But, NO! My heart didn’t like it.
Is that a clue, that my brain liked what my heart disliked? Yes, indeed! I am learning to reason within my heart – and actually listen to my heart! A thing this ‘speech’-writer, whoever it was, would not approve of, I suspect.
Lee – you’ve said it best!
I was put off as soon as I saw the name Tom Brokaw, he is an awful man and just seeing his name at the beginning creeped me out….all the little slaves for the NWO should be little identical clones, no color, no religion, no difference? Ugh……….
Thank you!! Exactly. This letter made me feel ill as soon as I started reading. Only fear makes people revile the celebration of difference and uniqueness.
I think the idea of people coming to a place, committing genocide in order to take the land and resources, taking over education and then forcing their narrow minded view of what education should be on the people who already lived here(the ones who survive the genocide, and are still suffering the effects including poverty, depression, etc) and tell us we cannot celebrate our traditions at school, or have school clubs is ridiculous at best and extremely offensive, divisive and cruel overall.
When I was in high school and they tried enforcing their control/repression my response was always to raise one arm with the hand extended and scream “SIG HEIL!!” at the top of my lungs. I wanted to you know, get in the spirit of things;-)
This has been around twice before in the past year and I seem to remember it has been debunked.
I’m pretty sure that the only thing “debunked” about it is WHO actually said it. The point is still the same.
I feel I agree (in part) with the way Larry Cox does on this article. On the surface it “sounds” good, and would probably appeal to many people, but the first “hit” I got was, the language used is very devisive, even though Mr. Prager is attempting to sound all inclusive.
While I am a first generation American, I have always considered the “nation states” of the planet to be yet another form of separation, created to keep us all “separate” from each other. I believe this to be a deep and fundamental Truth. Let us look at how much this separation is played out upon the World Stage….isn’t almost everything in our lives based on culture and country of origin???
I consider myself (first and foremost) to be a Universal Being of Light and after that, a Citizen of Planet Earth. Instead of hanging the American flag outside my door, I hang a flag of Planet Earth. Not a very popular stance I realize, but one that I proudly take none-the-less.
All that being said….Dennis Prager stresses the words “American or America” just one too many times in his speech for me. (12 times I think?) He gives me the feeling that what he REALLY cares about is shaping immigrant children into becoming “Americans” and all that means to HIM.
Lastly…..ANY email that ends with “pass this along if you agree…if not delete…and later regret it” I INSTANTLY delete, because I sense the author of the email is trying to control and “fearmonger” me….and….well….THAT isn’t going to be happening
You say, “He gives me the feeling that what he REALLY cares about is shaping immigrant children into becoming “Americans” and all that means to HIM.”
This is pretty obtuse.
If not becoming an American is your reason for coming here, than what’s the point?
I find it interesting you assume I am an immigrant to this county Lance. As I stated originally, “I am a first generation American” meaning I was born here.
The objection I have to Mr. Prager’s speech is not about being American per se, but the fact that the man is trying to erase the cultures and unique identities of individual students by trying to mold them into something they are not.
As Lee and Nora so eloquently point out below “we can be DIFFERENT and still be ONE” and we should “celebrate our differences, not suppress them” – I wholeheartedly agree with both of these statements.
One of the main challenges that I have observed on this planet is there are too many people who think they need to tell everyone else how they should live, how they should dress, how they should think, how they express their sexuality….etc., etc., etc.
I eagerly await the time when humanity has evolved enough to allow others to FULLY be themselves and we can all respectully and peacefully co-exist no matter what our differences are.
@Lance……The “point” of coming to America would be (for most people, anyway) to live a life of freedom. A life in a country that was founded by people from many different cultures, races, religions, languages and beliefs, etc.
My family has been in this country since just after it was “discovered” (by Europeans) and I have always been aware and proud of the fact that we are a country of diverse peoples. That is what makes our country as great as it is! The diversity that we have is what has sustained us and made us the most progressive people in the world!
You say “If not becoming an American is your reason for coming here, then what’s the point?”
I say, our freedom of diversity IS THE POINT!!
People keep coming here to live because of this! Because “becoming American” means that they will have the freedom to BE who they ARE!
I agree with Stardust. We are citizens of the World/Universe. We should celebrate our differences not suppress them. Uniqueness does not mean we can’t have unity. National boundaries have indeed caused separation and conflict. None of us owns this planet we are tenants.
What Stardust said! And what Nora said!! DITTO!
The end result can only be respect!
Respect for WHO?
Not for those of us who are being repressed and controlled and put back into the KKK world of white control of everyone else’s expression. Respect means allowing others to exist , not forcing them to conform to your narrow worldview and erase who they are.
How is speaking a language because the people who speak it murdered enough people to enforce it on you, respectful?
Children learn respect (or not) because adults model it. When people like this man learn to treat people with respect the children around him will do better at it as well.
Why should children who are Native, African American, GLBT, or any other difference be forced to hide who they are at school? How is blocking clubs that honor children’s perspectives, history and culture respectful?
To me this whole letter appears the very opposite of respect-the person who wrote it obviously does not respect me or people like me.
@ohnwentsya…first of all, thank you for enlightening me on the term “Brownshirts”, that was actually spelled “brwonshirts”. I didn’t know what either one meant!
Secondly……I totally agree with your comment here. The one I am replying to!
I agree that students should not ignore their heritage and should be allowed to celebrate their differences and learn to respect ALL! Our country is a huge melting pot of cultures and that is part of what has made the U.S. to be the place where so many people want to live! Really, everything you said, I believe is valid.
If I didn’t have a neck injury right now and on serious pain-meds, I would have much more to say. But I would only be repeating what you have said, and not quite so eloquently, I’m sure.
So, BRAVO Ohnwentsya! You rocked it!!
I believe it is TIME for speeches like these to commence across our nation at all high school campuses!
Dang it!!! I wish this article was true but upon checking this is what I found
http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/principal.asp
Who controls Snopes.com?
Hah! What a hoot! So that’s what made it sound a little “off” to me!
Thanks for drilling down to the source of this one!
The fact that it was fiction did not make it sound ‘a little off.’
It’s sounds pretty much like what is needed if you want education to succeed.
When I went to school, there were rules, and dress codes, and not any of the political correctness diatribes, and we did a lot better and actually learned.
you forgot “RESPECT” we used to respect out teachers, our elders and each other. We intuitively knew that calling each other ‘B_tch’ and ‘N_ggar’ was not only dis-respectful, but would tear away at the structure of our own cultures. How can we expect others to respect us and who we are, when we can’t even respect ourselves and those we are the most like! I do not disagree with everything that he says, because I do think we are causing some of our own divisions. But I think there is a better way to teach our children to respect each other than by getting dictatorial about it!
This strikes me as a bit reactionary.
In other words, this guy doesn’t seem to coming from a spiritually high place.
There’s some ideology there that seems a bit combative.
Nevertheless, most people would find the system he proposes workable, possibly surprisingly so.
The main problem with his speech is that he doesn’t explain himself. Thus, I am not sure what underlying principles he is operating on.
On the contrary. His underlying principles are all over it.
Thank you! The system he proposes is the one we had until the generation of the 60′s broke it up and refused to be repressed and straitjacketed into a false mold anymore;-) Some people can’t handle change for the better-especially when that means they lose control of what others can do. So they have been working to stuff the genie back in the bottle.
Those of us who were crushed under that system will not return to it, the world is evolving now to a more open and free place where one group can no longer impose their restrictive worldview on so many others thru force, and financial power.
We can celebrate our diversity, enjoy learning about different languages and cultures and open ourselves up to the universe instead of closing up into a tight little box of hierarchical control. I think this is a wonderful thing, but obviously this writer doesn’t.
Most of what he says leads us to the Law of One.
Individual freedom.
Worth
Value
Love
No more dividing us by some perceived differences.
Uniting us by our humanity.
Hmmmmmmm I think I like this Guy.
So will the dress code be brwonshirts?
Right now, in some districts, it is the kids who are wearing the ‘brownshirts’ and running the schools, to everyone’s detriment, including their own.
And what of the political correctness ‘brownshirts’ who have corrupted education?
I also used to dislike the thought of school uniforms. Mainly due to its military undertones.
But then I heard people far from being fascist argue otherwise, and to a certain degree I have had the same experience with my own daughters at school:
Clothes have become one of the major tools for segregation.
Those who can afford the expensive stuff spend tremendous amount displaying this by the clothes they are wearing. And if you cannot afford it, your clothing make it all to obvious.
Do I promote the idea of school uniforms? Probably not. But the picture is not necessarily brown shirts versus freedom.
What is “brwonshirts”?
Earthchic, brownshirts were a group of fascists in Italy under Mussolini, a group who enforced fascist ideology fairly violently.
Fascism is in short the control of society by corporations and government repression of the people in support of corporations. Sort of what we have going now only then they were real open and proud of it;-)
The people trying to enforce english only and other KKK type stuff in modern America have an awful lot in common with the brownshirts and the civilian groups who did so much destruction during the “cultural revolution” in China. Including often claiming that others are doing what they themselves are doing when those others simply want to stop being forced to conform to a colonized, white agenda and fit into a fake mold that erases who they are.