Principal yanks patriotic song from kindergarten graduation. Whatta ya think of that?
Greta Hawkins, principal of Edna Cohen School (PS 90) in New York, has decided on her own that kindergarteners displaying American patriotism would be offensive.
She has single-handedly banned Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA" from the graduation ceremonies scheduled for June 20.
It doesn't matter that students in five classes spent months learning the patriotic song, or that the students practiced waving American flags in unison to promote love of country.
According to The New York Post, it was to be the rousing finale of their musical show at the June 20 commencement. The kids, dressed up for their big day, would each wave a tiny American flag - which, as the lyrics proclaim, "still stands for freedom." But Hawkins marched in on a recent rehearsal and ordered a CD playing the anthem to be shut off, staffers said.
But Justin Bieber's flirty song about teen romance, "Baby," was deemed a fine selection for the show. Hawkins had no problem with 5-year-olds singing lines such as, "Are we an item? Girl, quit playing."
In response to public pressure, New York Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott removed Beiber's inappropriate song from the program, but stood by the principal's anti-American rebuff of Greenwood's "God Bless the USA."
FoxNews stated state school officials made no indication Hawkins would reinstate the Greenwood song, which Hawkins nixed because she reportedly "did not want to offend other cultures."
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Top Opinion
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jubil8 BN-0 PON 2012/06/13 01:07:42+5Offending YOUR culture so you don't offend "other" cultures is asinine, ridiculous, and just plain stupid.
Everything else that comes to mind is too rude to say out loud.
Looks like NYC is crossing over to the dark side. Too bad -- I always liked Manhattan, but I won't give it a dime if it keeps going this way.




















I think maybe she is either biased, or had complaints from students parents, on what they were learning as part of this program. If any child or parents of children feel that participation should not be because of their nationality or culture then they should not reside in America. Take it elsewhere. This is my country, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, and if someone else doesn't like it, they can go back to where they came from I believe i n God and America, So I say GOD BLESS THE USA !!!!!
Everything else that comes to mind is too rude to say out loud.
Looks like NYC is crossing over to the dark side. Too bad -- I always liked Manhattan, but I won't give it a dime if it keeps going this way.
WTF happened?!
And now a few words by Judge Judy.