What do ya'll think of my elem. kids school T-Shirt?

[juslikagrzly]

(school name) (mascot) Loves America?

This is an elementary school with a very large population of children of international students, in a university town. Red state, of course. Mr. Juslikagrzly and I are incensed and may go to the next PTA meeting.

According to our kids, a contest is held every year where the kids draw pictures. The winner gets her/his drawing on the T-shirt which are then sold for fund-raising.

I'm just flabbergasted. We talked with our 4th grader about this and how it was not fair to students from other countries that the "official" school t-shirt "loves America".

Granted, no one is forced to buy these shirts, but the peer pressure is huge, both on the kids and the parents.

Should we storm the PTA meeting??

[Sannum]

1. God.

As if any of the students need to prove themselves. We are not very far away from our own versio of the Hitler Youth:eyeroll:

[Is It Fascism Yet]

2. i don't think its so bad, at least it doesn't say "loves jesus!" and the

exchange students can be expected to love america too, otherwise, why visit? its no worse than the I love NY tee shirt in my closet, and if it's not mandatory, why is it a problem? I am so proud of you that you are willing to raise hell to the level of the PTA when necessary, but maybe you should pick your battles carefully, so there won't be an exhausting number of them.

[neebob]

3. Not storm the meeting

but refuse to buy a shirt and make sure they know why. I would, and I wouldn't expect to be the only one. If you let this slide, what's next - the school mascot loves President Bush? Ugh. I can't believe I just typed those two words next to each other.

[sandnsea]

4. Seems a little hysterical to me

I wouldn't buy it, but I don't see anything wrong with it either. There really isn't anything wrong with loving your country, I would bet most people love their country. That's why all those Iraqi's want the US out, because they love their country.

At least it doesn't say USA #1 or some such.

[bunkerbuster1]

5. Why do you hate your freedom?

We gots a cell in Gitmo for ageetaters lack yew...


Seriously, that sucks ass. I don't envy your task; truth is, I'd probably elect to live/fight another day. I can't see winning this one. You'll cast your kid as a Commie. But that's just me.

[InvisibleBallots]

6. how is this unfair to students from other countires?

I don't see any problem at all with this. It's sweet, sounds like a fun activitity for the kids.

[juslikagrzly]

7. Thanks for the replies all you night owls

The "storm the PTA" was meant to be a bit sarcastic. However, we have several problems with the shirts. First, you order them without knowing what the design will be, so it's a big surprise. Our kids came home wearing them. Second, America's standing in the world is one of well-deserved disdain and since we have such a large international contingent, why not honor "The World" instead of "America". As my 4th grade son said, why couldn't the shirt say "(school & mascot) loves the World? Third, most of our international community are from Middle Eastern countries and China, not exactly on the * administration's love letter list. Fourth, didn't say this in my earlier post, but my daughter recited the pledge one day at home (she's in second grade) and at the end, said "and God Bless President *. She says they were instructed to say this at the end of the pledge. So, there appears to be some subtle nationalism going on here.

Anyway, thanks again. We'll pick our battles and quietly ask other parents what their thoughts are before we storm the PTA :).

[gratuitous]

9. Maybe not "storm" the PTA meeting

But go, and insist on answers to a few simple questions:

What's the point of the t-shirts? Is there some doubt that our kids don't love their country? And why wasn't the design of the shirt revealed until after the shirts arrived?

Do we need to proclaim an official position on other countries around the world? What is the school's position on Canada? Belgium? Mozambique?

Hopefully, other folks will get the message that this was a pretty silly lapse of judgment by some of the powers that be in the school. Finish off your remarks by saying that you look forward to the administration and the teachers doing better in the future. (Positive reinforcement with a stated expectation that will give these moronic yahoos a reasonable goal to achieve.)

[Nadienne]

15. "And God Bless President *"?!?!?

Does she go to a parochial school?

My little sister goes to a parochial school. One day before the elections, they were going to pray for Bush to win the election. I'm not sure whether it was the students or the teachers who came up with this bright idea, but my little sister (who I know is unafraid to take a stand even when it's unpopular; but I thought she liked Bush... :shrug: Thankfully, I'm wrong) said, "No! We shouldn't pray for Bush to win!"

When they pressed her on why, she said that they should pray for the right man to win...

I'm very proud of her.

[rucky]

8. Sounds like bad grammar to me:

Shouldn't a plural antecedent LOVE America?

not "loves".

Unless you're the Stanford Cardinal

For that reason alone, the PTA should be stormed.

[juslikagrzly]

10. LOL, I guess NCLB is really working here

[alcuno]

11. It's strange. What is the purpose of school?

That should be your message to the PTA. At my school, it says, "___________________MIddle School: A Community of Learners."

Where's the educational message in your kid's school shirt? That's the real question. I would attack on that basis, not the other.

[juslikagrzly]

12. VERY good point

and one that we missed in our grumpiness. We expect them to learn, not be indoctrinated.

[neebob]

13. Exactly.

And you know it's just a way to get Bush-loving faux patriotism in through the side door.

It's like these "respect life" license plates we have in Colorado. Because there's a Columbine (which is also the state flower) above the message, you're supposed to think it's a remembrance or a statement against violence, or maybe the message is "Colorado respects life." But a lot of people think it's an anti-abortion statement.

I don't know the history of the plate, but I wouldn't bet against the confusion being deliberate.

Why can't your kids' shirts say the school mascot loves the world? Because wingnut parents would complain. And whoever chose the winning design has set it up so that if you complain, you can be accused of hating America.

I'd complain anyway.

[juslikagrzly]

14. We have a "pro-life" license plate

here in my disgusting red state. No "pro-choice" plate, of course.