I'm At a Loss

I try to stay away from crude language here. I've always viewed certain words as the Hallmark of vocabulary. They are reserved for when "you care enough to send the very best." When you use them day in and day out they lose their impact and they reflect a certain lack of language skill on the speaker's part. But reading this piece leaves me at the level of WTF!

Principal Seeks Parental Permission Slips for Pledge

The essence of the story isn't remarkable today. But the totality of the item is what boggles the mind:

Attached to the letter was a form that asked parents to check either: "Yes, my child will participate in the weekly Pledge of Allegiance" or "No, my child will not participate in the weekly Pledge of Allegiance."

If you read that quickly you might miss the "WEEKLY"! What happened to daily?

The school also sent parents a copy of the Pledge of Allegiance along with a note that defined the words "under God" as meaning "there is one Supreme entity for every citizen."

Only in 21st Century America would we have to send a copy of the text to the parents so they would know what was being talked about. Only in America would a principal be unaware that the words "under God" weren't a part of the Pledge until 1954. And only in America would there be the expectation that every citizens gets their own Supreme entity!

"It's uncomfortable," Judi Puritz Cook told the Local Wicked newspaper. "The pledge is a promise, and I've always taught my kids to think very carefully before making any promise. It's not a decision I want to make for them."

Now that is some real modern American parenting for you! She teaches them the importance of a promise. Giving your words means something! But she isn't comfortable with making the decision that her bloody offspring would be loyal to their country! 

But it only gets better:

Under state law, teachers are required to lead students in the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of every school day. Those who fail to do so for at least two weeks could face fines of up to five dollars. "It's never been enforced,” Lupini said. "We will not be fining anyone."

See how that works in MA? The state law mandates daily, but the principle is teaching the students not only to be unpatriotic, but also to be scoff-laws. Aren't you feeling particularly proud?