Student Chastised For Being An American

Why son refused to stand

I am the father of the young man who did not stand for the singing of the Mexican national anthem during a cultural awareness program at Larkin High School.

I have been constantly asked to explain the details of the event, and it is in response to these individuals that I offer the following facts.

Some of the students, my son included, were compelled to attend this assembly. The Mexican national anthem was printed on fliers and handed out to the attending students. The Mexican flag was marched in and placed on a podium by itself. The attendees were then asked to stand and sing the Mexican national anthem.

My son was not alone in his refusal to stand. Statements given to me by other youths and parents put the number of refusals at close to 20.

Larkin staff members immediately confronted the seated youth. Some of the students were threatened with in-school suspension; most of the seated students were intimidated into standing.

My son explained to the angry teacher who confronted him that he did not see a U.S. flag on the podium and he did not believe they were going to sing our national anthem. This teacher stated, "They have to stand for our national anthem, so you have to stand for theirs."

My son stated in response, "Yeah, but they're in our country."

The teacher called my son a punk and sent him to the office. The administrator in the office supported the teacher's demand and told my son that he could have made a more intelligent decision. My son was not formally disciplined. The teacher who confronted my son defended her actions to her students during class the following week.

I called Larkin principal Richard Webb to express my disappointment and concern. I described the manner in which my son had been treated. I was told that my son should have stood and that the school stood by its right to have this assembly in its chosen form.

I then exercised my right as a citizen and addressed the school board.

The press was present at the board meeting and media awareness snowballed from that point forward. Some of my statements to the board included, "I am disappointed that those responsible for creating an assembly intended to educate and sensitize Americans also felt free to act insensitively with regard to our culture. It is permissible to present another country's anthem alongside ours and receive standing respect. It is not reasonable to expect or demand that Americans stand and display respect for another flag and country in absence of the American anthem or flag."

I also asked the board to consider two positive actions. "First, encourage Larkin High School administrators to not underscore one culture to the exclusion of others. This ill-conceived mandatory assembly did nothing but widen the current schism. Second, I would ask the board to lay down some principles for future assemblies. While it is good educational practice to teach about other cultures, it is not an acceptable practice to require mandatory response to the patriotic elements of those cultures."

I was appalled by Webb's printed statement. Apologizing only for the "unfortunate spotlight" placed on the school does not acknowledge the process that brought the spotlight. Lack of proper oversight created an assembly that offended a large number of people. Teachers behaving badly guaranteed parental follow-through. Administrative silence and denial has perpetuated their arrogant image.

Trivializing the incident and belittling those it concerned has only confirmed Webb's lack of grounding with the community.

Since Dec. 8, 2004, educational institutions receiving federal funding are required to hold an educational program pertaining to the United States Constitution on Sept. 17 of each year. This year, Sept. 17 fell on a Saturday.

Our high school apparently chose on Sept. 16 not to hold an assembly on the Constitution of the United States, but to educate our youth on the patriotic elements of another country.


- Bedard is an Elgin resident.

webb_r/lhs@dns.u46.k12.il.us.

this is the email of that pussy principal. Below is the email I sent.

Dear Mr. Webb:

Are you the misguided idiot that supported the Mexico anthem fiasco that I recently read about? Shame on you! If you are so god damn hot for that shithole country why don't you move there? I think you, and your morons (staff) should be ran out of town after a public humiliation. Mexico is a corrupt, filthy cess pool that is overflowing into the United States. How dare you compell an American to stand for their fucking anthem. I have read some disgusting stories about teachers, but this is the worst, as it borders on treason.

Have a fucking nice day.

Those teachers need to go back to school.

I congratulate the kid on having a backbone.

On the other hand, >>2 is an idiot.

The kid, his father and >>1-4 are patriotic idiots, which is a redundant, but bears pointing out since some people still haven't figured it out.

Personally, I'd prefer it if nobody stood for any flag, but until that day arrives, we'll have to make do with civility. The teachers wanted to immerse their students in another country's culture -- FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES, FOR THE PERIOD OF ONE GODDAMNED ASSEMBLY. It is entirely innappropriate to demand that displays of US patriotism should be given equal time. The father is apparently under the impression that there is a schism between Mexico and the US. Yeah, and I guess the teachers at this Illinois high school are Mexican secret agents.

The duo's displays of puerile chauvinism should be a source of shame for Larkin High School.

>>5
The duo's displays of puerile chauvinism should be a source of shame for Larkin High School.

Shit, that wasn't very clear. Let me restate. Larkin High School should be ashamed to have to deal with these two morons.

>>5/6

Eat shit and die.

>>7


EAT SHIT AND DIE

>>5
...

someone's supporting political correctness?

>>1 My son stated in response, "Yeah, but they're in our country."


But most of the US is thier land that we stole from them, and then kicked them off of it without any kind of condolence.

The american land belongs to america as much as stolen goods belong to criminals.

>>10
you are an idiot. the land was not stolen. it was won in a legal and legimate war.

>>10
England doesn't belong to the English because the English stole it from the animals, trees, and neandertals that used to live there.

>>1
This is laughable.

Hardcore nationalism is ruining the image of the U.S. abroad.  Where do you think the stereotype of the "American pig/slob" comes from?  Americans go into other peoples' countries with little to no regard for their society or culture, expecting people to treat them like they were royalty or something.  Sometimes they're just criticized, like in the case of the French, sometimes they meet physical opposition, like in the case of the Iraqis.  American assholes go to other countries and don't obey their laws and get put in jail, treating the U.S.' clout around the globe as some kind of blank check to cause trouble, expecting the American government to get them out of jail whenever they do something wrong in another country, whether or not it's illegal in the U.S. as well or not.

Surges of nationalism in any country are usually degrading to their image throughout the world.  Just look at Germany.  They're still trying to save their image from the last time nationalism reared it's head in their country.  The U.S. is going to have to endure years of ridicule long after this current administration leaves office, because of the way it's conducted it's jingoist global policy over these past years.

>>5
Lol politically correct fag

Idiots like these two treat their American citizenship as some kind of birthright privilege.  They're probably just a bunch of trailer trash who think that because they're Americans, they're somehow are better than everyone else and deserve to be worshipped by those of other countries.

Mexican immigrants are glad to take jobs in the United States as fruit pickers/housekeepers/gardeners/etc., and unlike some of these American hicks, don't believe these occupations to be below them somehow.  And rather than spend their hard-earned paycheck at Wal-Mart on pork rinds and a plasma screen to watch Nascar, they save it or send some of it back to their families in Mexico.  They are truly taking advantage of the opportunity that is given to people in the United States.

Yet rednecks like to complain about how Mexicans are "ruining their country" and taking their jobs.  Their complaints might matter a little more to more informed people if they had actually gone out and made a point to compete with these Mexicans for these jobs, rather than sit there and think they're above those jobs while collecting their welfare check for themselves, their wife, and their five cats that they claim as kids, cheating a system that was established to help Americans by the liberals that they claim to hate so much.  Until then, nobody who knows anything gives a damn what they think, except for those of their own ilk.

>>15
you're retarded

mexicans need to go.

Mexicans are here to stay, but you are on the way out. Your time is over.

If it weren't for a Mexican, we wouldn't have 4chan, world4ch, and this board

>>16
Hey Cletus, Aunt Wilma is waiting for you in the trailer.  She wants her depends changed and her toe callous scraped.

>>20
haha. can't stand your white trash parents so much that you have to insult random people on the internet what you want to say to them?

I will stand for the Mexican National Anthem when they stand for the United States'.

Also, in responce to #15:
The problem is that Mexicans are entering the US illeagaly and then not paying taxes and using publlic services. They may be doing jobs that I don't want to do but they are getting paid more than you think for them.

As for #13:
It is ok to be pro-Homosexual, pro-Peace, pro-Liberal but it is not ok to be pro-Amercian?
That is a load of crap! It is people that are ashamed to be Americans that are causing the loss of the American Identity.

What is "American Identity"?  All I know is that the current "American Identity" is something that many Americans are not particularly fond of being associated with. 

The whole torture issue is being fought for the sole purpose of preserving what's left of our good reputation throughout the world.  I guess that would be considered out identity as a fair and just nation that treats both friend and foe as people.

In my opinion, being pro-American should include being tolerant and respectful of other people's cultures, as well as being able to admit one's mistakes as a collective nation.  What if every nation whose ever made mistakes/oppressed others told their people that it was ruining their identities if they admitted that they were wrong.

But anyone's whose been though high school and/or college knows that what could be considered some form of "American Identity" (AKA U.S. History) is a required subject if you want to graduate.  It's sole purpose is to understand both the accomplishments/mistakes that we have made as a nation, in efforts to replicate the accomplishments, and to make sure that we don't repeat these mistakes that we can so easily observe with our 20/20 hindsight.

>>23 should include being tolerant and respectful of other people's cultures

And lose our own....  Oh well, it's inferior white guy culutre anyway. 

I don't see why we should have to accept another culture crowding out our own.  They have their own countries in which to practice theirs. 

I guess it's just standard evolution though.  This crap is happening all the time.

Fuck everybudy else!  America is the graetests cultore of them all!  We will ruel the world one of these days!  Are Cristian Nation will be guided by God to give the world American morel value and the Bible.

Our Americans Idenity makes us rigt, fuck them.  We'll just nuke them to the stone age if they don't liek it.  Damn those Franch LIEberals, as Sean Hannity likes to call them.  Peace is shit.  We will make our graet Cristian Nation with are militery and nukes on the French.  After we find the nucular weapons from Sadam that he hid from Bush, we will send secret agents to France to spy on there smely countrey.

If you minorites don't like America and whites, then you can move to commy France.  When the pillgrums discovered America, guess what color they were.  THEY WERE WHITE.  We beat the minorite Indins because we are guided by God, and they fired sticks at us and tride to kill us with rocks and we had guns and swords and armer.  America is the graetest empire of the world, and all who don't think so FUCK YOU.

Are American Idenity is FUCK YOU, LIEberal hippy trash.  Go back to colege, with you're LIEberal proffesors and drink Starbuks.  Everybudy I know here in Misispi hates you LIEberal hippys.

>>24
RIGHT ON!  Show those hippys whos bos, those fuckers.

If you hippys think peace is so graet, then you can move with the Franch, losers.

You don't like me, a NASCAR loving, gun owning, God feering, Bush voting reel American, then we don't want you here in this countrey.

My American Idenity is to step on you America hating hippys.

Blow it out your ass. You really are not funny.

Why should I be tolerant and respectful of other peoples cultures when they live in the United States? Today, to be tolerant often means that if you are a white Christian in Amercia, you should shut up and not celibrate your traditions or culture. I have some news for everyone: America was founded by white Christians and for white Christians. This does not mean that no one but this group should be able to live in the US nor does it mean that whites are superior, nor should any other culture be allowed to exsist in the US, this means that when you come to the US you must adapt to OUR standards.
This is not MEXICO NORTH, this is an independent country with its own standards and traditions. When you come from another country and try to tell those native to the US that what they are doing is wrong and it offends you, I say tough. This is the United States and you need to adapt to the US, not the US adapting to you.

>>27
You keep thinking that, hippy LIEberal trash.  Go move with the Franch or Caneda, unAmerican.

God fucking damn it, why is it that the french don't get critisized for wanting to preserve THEIR culture?

Why is it that we seem to WANT to see our ways of life and our ways of looking at things, dysfunctional as you think they are, destroyed?

>>30

er-they do?

>>30,31
because amerika culture is not really a culture, amirite? because it is just capitalist not culture. because amerikan culture is exported so much that people don't really see it as a culture.

Every group of people have a "cultural identity", although the Amercian identity is hard to define, it is not the Mexican identity.

>>31
That's a problem of today's left. It's the same among the European leftards, who gladly say "fuck our culture", "racist whites suck", and "fuck god", but would kill you if you said "fuck culture XYZ", "racist blacks suck", or "fuck allah".

>>34
Not hard to define; American identity = puritan rednecks

>>1

Singing another culture's anthem will instantly transform your children into wetbacks who lounge around outside Home Depot. In fact, any kind of cultural awareness does this.

Solution? You need to live in an all-white, all-Christian society that withholds all knowledge of other races. Then you can live in the fear of God and His almighty word.

Oh, and you'll be a hick redneck shit. If your kids already think this way, you should be teaching them that it's OK to learn about other types of people. The world isn't white (I'm a white trash piece of shit, no nigger comments plz)

>>37
learning about other culture does not equal standing up and singing their national anthem to their flag.

Explain to us why standing up and singing a song is so frightening to you.

>>39
Explain to us why standing up and signing a song is the right thing, and how it helps learning a culture.

It's not a question of right or wrong. It helps by being an experiential way of teaching students about another culture. Why do you have a problem with this?

The teachers wanted to give their students an experience of Mexican culture. I suppose they could have played a recording in their classrooms, but it wouldn't have had the same impact. Most students probably had a good time. Obviously, you see something sinister or at least highly objectionable about this. Can you explain?

>>42
I'm not sure exactly how totally fucked the mexican government and it's people are, but we in the US don't share your virtues of totalitarianism and social engineering.

You have the right to say you like multi-culturalism, but by no means do you have the right to threaten a child's future and education because he won't sing the mexican national anthem for you.

>>39
>>40
I like where this is going.

>>43
Again, you've failed to explain the harm in standing and singing for a high school cultural awareness program. Students are compelled to do all sorts of things, like attending class, answering teachers' questions and participating in assemblies. If they rebel against this, they should not be surprised if they're disciplined.

Like the teacher said, "They have to stand for our national anthem, so you have to stand for theirs." It's a matter etiquette and simple courtesy, observed the world over. I don't know where you see "totalitarianism and social engineering" in this.

The anthem was part of their cultural awareness program; it was probably "Mexico Day." The father's assertion that "it is not reasonable to expect or demand that Americans stand and display respect for another flag and country in absence of the American anthem or flag" is simply false. It's totally unreasonable in this and many other contexts.

^ oops, "totally unreasonable" should read "totally reasonable"

>>45
You failed to see the merit in my argument, clearly you are a totalitarian lemming. Well, I'll be more blunt this time.

I get your argument, fair enough. I disagree, but I'm not going ot go so far as to ruin your education in an attempt to get you to "agree" with me. Instead we will discuss it in rational debate in a free speech environment as all those wars in the past were fought for. Attempting to intimidate someone because they disagree with you has all the hallmarks of totalitarianism or as some people prefer to call it "social engineering". All the teachers should have done is give him their argument as to why he should sing the mexican national anthem and answer any questions. They're teachers not despots, he expects them to have the answers, not to shout and scream when he questions them.

If this was just an article about some kids singing the national anthem of their neighbour no one would care. The only reason why people are riled up is because of this clear violation of the freedom of speech.

You seem to fear xenophobes and racists, don't you think they will use this incident as an excuse to say "hurr hurr they want to turn USA into Mexico"? Why haven't you thought this through and said, "I realise what the teachers did was wrong, but I think he should have sung it to learn a little about mootxico.", you are either stupid or intentionally fueling racism. I think you're just stupid.

>>46
Freudian slip?

>>47
this clear violation of the freedom of speech

This is like saying that because a student can't demand that English be taught in Spanish class, his rights to freedom of speech are being violated. This was an assembly to promote awareness of MEXICAN culture, not American culture.

Let's try a little thought experiment. If a Japanese student in Tokyo had refused to stand for the American anthem at an assembly to promote US cultural awareness, he would be an ass -- just like this Bedard kid.

This misguided kid pulled a stunt and rightly got in trouble for it. The racists who support him for their own right-wing political reasons is another issue entirely.

Is there something you're missing? Can't you people read? They tried to force him to "pledge allegiance" to another nation. He had every right to refuse.

>>50
I don't see where you got the quote from but I do think that singing the national anthem of another country to their flag is a sort of pledging alliance to it.

>>49
i would like to see a japanese school assembly where they stand for the american anthem.

i agree that no one should be forced to sing the anthem, but they SHOULD be forced to stand. it's a matter of respect.

>>It is not reasonable to expect or demand that Americans stand and display respect for another flag and country in absence of the American anthem or flag.

this is what convinced me that this father was an idiot. IT IS TOTALLY NOT REASONABLE TO DEMAND RESPECT ZOMG!!!

Hi, I'm Chinese, living in the States, I stopped standing for the US Pledge and Anthem since 3rd grade (when I learned I had a right not to) because I was too lazy in the mornings.  Never got in trouble once I referenced the state statute.  Personally, I admit to stealing your jobs, fucking your daughters, and ruining your economy.  I don't give a fuck about the future of this country--use this one up and move onto the next big thing.

I like this kid for having balls, but laugh at his inability to just suck it up and pretend for a few minutes to avoid shit later.  It's not that much effort to just play along.

You people need to stop taking yourselves so seriously, nobody else cares.

>>52
You can't force someone to respect something just like you can't force them to put your dick in their butt.

>>54
So...you can?

>>55
Well, not without it being a violation of their rights.

"This is like saying that because a student can't demand that English be taught in Spanish class, his rights to freedom of speech are being violated. This was an assembly to promote awareness of MEXICAN culture, not American culture."

DOUBLE STANDARD. You have the democratic right to say that teachers should speak Spanish and English and to say that multi-culturalist events should take place at schools. BUT YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO FORCE PEOPLE INTO DOING IT. In my view threatenning a student in the way teacher's did was discrimination against a person's beliefs and irresponsible. Instead of threatenning him they should have taught him why he should learn a little about Mexican culture. I remember this homophobe in my English class when I was 14, at the end of the year we did a play and he was cast as the homophobe and orderred to swear and shout at one of his friends who was playing the homosexual. He couldn't do it and the English teacher said this was all a rouse to get him to understand why homophobia is bad. Why didn't the teachers TEACH this boy why he should be toelrant etc, instead of making threats.

"Let's try a little thought experiment. If a Japanese student in Tokyo had refused to stand for the American anthem at an assembly to promote US cultural awareness, he would be an ass -- just like this Bedard kid."

That's funny, because I wouldn't give a flying fuck whether a Japanese student decides to stand up for the US national anthem or not. It's just not my business, why should someone be threatenned into singing my nation's anthem? I would frankly be ashamed if someone was forced into singing my national anthem. It goes against all the principles that the US stands for. Maybe you can tell me what was going through your head when you wrote this? Do you think I have some perverse desire to force everyone to accept my culture? When the first Japanese businessmen set up mcdonalds franchises in Tokyo, there were no new laws saying that Japanese students must buy bacon double cheeseburgers or face expulsion from their highschools. They chose to go to mcdonalds every once in a while out of their own free will. Why can't it be the same with mexican culture? What is wrong with simply saying "don't knock it till you've tried it" and letting children make up their own minds?

"This misguided kid pulled a stunt and rightly got in trouble for it. The racists who support him for their own right-wing political reasons is another issue entirely."

I think my post already explains why the teacher's actions were wrong. If racists and right wing politics is wrong, then it should be a simply case of proving them wrong. Obviously what happenned here today only goes to bolster racists and right winger's political position.

Once again you have failed to understand my argument. Here are my key points.

The teachers threatenned the student, when they should have taught him what he was doing was wrong, that was what the event was about.

You have no right to force people to act the way you want.

Social engineering can only be done using force, otherwise it's not social engineering.

The only way to get me to change a person's true opinion is through facts, evidence and rational debate. Forcing people to comply only deepens their paranoia and hatred.

You're an idiot.

ahahahhhaaaa

It speaks volumes that this obscure story is almost exclusively covered by right-wing and overtly racist websites; I was able to find one mainstream reference in a suburban Chicago community paper, The Daily Herald, about racist vs. hispanic conflicts in the region. The rest are an assortment of right-wing sites, blogs and the likes of the National Vanguard. It wouldn't be the first time that nationalism was used to mask a racist agenda.

That's because this story is completely irrelevant.

It's because the mainstream media is biased.

In my view threatening a student in the way teacher's did was discrimination against a person's beliefs and irresponsible. Instead of threatening him they should have sent him to detention for being an obstinate anti-social dickhead.

Fixed. LOL @ politics in the schoolgrounds. What a shitfest.

We're missing alot of details here. Note that the Dad who wrote this didn't say his son was threatened. He was taken to the admininstration office where he was told that he could have made a more intelligent decision, something which we can all agree on.

I also noticed the words the father chose to use, like "confront," "intimidate," and "angry teacher." We shouldn't take these 3rd party value judgements at face value. He also conveniently leaves out the details of students who were threatened with in-school suspension, giving the impression that all they did was refuse to stand. If so, why didn't they get the same treatment as his son?

The faculty are screaming liberal idiots. Why would anyone pay respect to shithole Mexico? It is the most corrupt country of all time and dumps it's poor on the USA. It is like Mexico flushing all it's turds into the Rio Grande and having them wash up on the north bank. If I had been the student I would have mooned the Mexican flag.

>>64
Funny, I moon the American flag daily.  Quit sending your dumbshit Marines to my Kuwait, kthxbye.

LOL ok im sorry but the man who wrote this has a very stupid son.  Only an arrogant idiot would refuse to stand for another countries national anthem.  It's like saying "we are better then you".  In a time when countries should be working together, having somone be so disrespectful is incredibly stupid.  Natinoalism should only be taken so far and the point where this kid was at was just like the point where people in germany were at when Nazis were in power.  Anyone who thinks their country is "better" is an idiot.  Countries rise and fall, America will eventually fall.  Respect every nation because one day one of those nations (maybe mexico) will be more powerful than yours. 

>>66
Not if we bomb them back into the stoneage first! Fuck these illegals, kill them all for trespassing.

>>66
The first half of your post was somewhat compelling.

>>66
The second half was TOTALLY AWESOME.

>>66
Why should I respect a country that forces me to respect them?

Mexico is a worthless horrible nation, without the US it would degrade into a despotism like Pinochet's regime or Cuba, 12 year old prostitutes litter the filthy urine soaked streets, infant mortality is at an all time high and the government continue to tax the peasants into the ground and stamp on their faces in whatever way they can short of incurring the wrath of their northern neighbour. The only democratic impulse the government has is to do their best to open the flood gates and let millions of their destitute to escape the failing country.

You fuckwads always sem to think socialism and eliminating nations will lift people out of poverty. Well, stupid fuck, the world doesn't work like that. You are so fucking deluded you fail to see that the overriding theme of whatever good there is in this world is freedom and liberty. Not some religion or some system of government used to excuse despotism, but the condition of things whereby no one is intimdated into not speaking their mind. Sure, we have our assholes, but at least we don't let them get into power and get rid of them the moment anyone in a position of power slips up. Nazi Germany wasn't a democracy, it was a national socialism state and the fact that it used intimidation to destroy democracy only serves as a warning against national socialism.

Nationalism is wrong, of course if this were a perfect world we'd all dance hand in hand like hippies and there would be no borders.. But this isn't a perfect world, Mexico is one giant fucked up tumour on the planet and until they unfuck themselves, unfortunately we will just have to keep the border closed.

>>70
Socialism is PROVEN asshole.  Wherever it's used, things get better.  ALWAYS.

>>70
SWEARING MEANS I CAN BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY

Socialism is proven... a failure you mean? Always get better you say? "Always"? Isn't it strange how things in France are such crap these days, they're a socialism. Canada's also running in to some problems, while the capitalistic United States continues to outgrow and out-perform these socialist countries.

Amazing fluke there.

>>73

The United States outperforms all those societies, eh?  Do some research.  Check things like standard of living, happiness of the citizens, and the general level of health.  The US fails miserably when compared to Canada and Western Europe.

The US fails miserably when compared to Canada and Western Europe
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Mainly because of the large # of negroes and illegals.

France and Canada are not socialist, they are democratic welfare states.

North Korea and Cuba are socialist.

>>74
Most of those are self-inflicted FYI.

>>75
Half right.
Also include the immense amounts of stressing-out-over-nothing, wanting to buy the latest gizmos and gossip mags and then wondering why their credit is horrible, worrying over invisible poltergeists like terrorists (who hit France and Spain lots more times because they're closer and not so immense), child groping public figures (yet they still feel no shame in bringing kids to church), and serial-killing pedobears.
This isn't even reaching into the mental illness bag.
Highest furry population? US.
Highest concentration of Wiccans and Scientologists? US.
I don't know the figures for schizos and obsessives but the US is probably way up there.
Of course if you have a REALLY GREAT mental illness that affects other people around you negatively, rather than throw you in an institution so you don't cause the rest of the nation mental anguish, you get paraded on TV instead, then thrown back into average society once your books no longer sell. See: Trading Spouses, 700 Club, Talk Show Circuit.
In other words, you know them Friends Don't Let Friends Do/Watch shirts? Nobody seems to actually follow them.

>>77
you forgot the state of the schools, fyi.
One side is controlled by vicious manhating feminits, the other side by Christian zealots. I fear for what my daughter would go through in a real school. Private ftw, throw off the restrictive reins of feminazism and religious indoctrination! The west needs a second Enlightenment badly.

>>78
And socialized medicine and a better more generous welfare system.

>>79
Eh, no.  While those parts of american society need to be reformed, we could probably get by just as well without the nanny state.

>>70

just because you do not agree with a country's form of government does not mean that they do not deserve your respect. that country, be it Mexico or anywhere else, is full of good, hardworking people along with the scumbags and corrupt politicians. they want the best for their families just like you want the best for yours; they are human beings just like you and i and our nextdoor neighbors. when you stand up and pay respects to a country's flag, you are paying respect to those people and their work that they do to make their lives and the lives of the people around them better.

The problem is that Mexico shares a border with the US. We are treated to the rejects and losers. Mexico and its asshole president flushes human walking turds in our direction. Many of us are tired of the huge increase in crime and disease that accompanies this invasion of illegals. I say start sending our criminals down there and see how they like it.

>>79
>>80
Simple solution: The high cost of health care is one of the scariest thing to low-income families. Socialize medicine but leave the private sector alone at the same time, then eliminate welfare, banish illegals, to death if need be, and institute recruitment drives from your own poor populations, then finally drop the ignorant meritocracy attitude which says a piece of paper makes you worth more as both employee and human being than someone whose family has done the work for generations and knows the trade inside and out. (I ran into this problem a lot in my own experience, and although it was fun watching the know-nothing collegiate assholes continually fail at life, it also kind of sucked because I couldn't get a job anywhere but a restaurant.)

>>83
How about a government-run insurance company?  Totally not for profit, whose job isn't to not pay claims but to use the money.  Possibly the money that wouldn't be used at any given time could be refunded to those who paid for it, (but government would probably claim this money as profit...  Something to go against that should be instituted along with it but billmakers love revenue).  Joining in to the government insurance program would be completely optional.  This would control costs. 

Or maybe some not-for-profit private insurance company could begin to operate...

meritocracy wins period. there is no argument

>>85
Ask someone in the IT field that. You'll definitely hear different. The only people with true job security have 4 degrees and a dozen recommendations but can only write Java.

>>86
It all depends on how stupid the employer is.

who farted?