Todd Starnes has a disturbing article up today about a high school in Colorado whose student cultural club decided to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in Arabic, substituting “one nation under Allah” for the familiar “one nation under God.”  Naturally, anyone who disagrees—and there were many, many people who disagreed—are bigots and racists and awful, mean people.  CAIR says so.

“How on earth is it un-American to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in another language,” [CAIR head Ibrahim] Hooper asked. “It doesn’t make sense unless the people complaining are anti-Muslim or anti-middle eastern bigots.”  Seeing as how CAIR is a front group for HAMAS, and was founded by terrorists, it makes sense that he would defend yet another attempt at the creeping scourge of sharia in our public schools.

The school officials, for their part, make all the appropriate ignorant noises about how they cannot believe that everyone has a problem with it.

Danielle Clark, communications director of the Poudre School District, said they understand why parents are upset.

“We understand not everybody would agree with the students’ choice,” she told Fox News. “We’ve heard there are some who are upset.” […]

“I’ve been shocked with prejudicial statements that have been made,” [the principal] said. ” I’ve been shocked with the lack of seeking understanding. There’s definitely suspicion and fear expressed in these people’s minds. There’s some hate.”

Subtle, isn’t it?  They’re so tolerant…and everyone who disagrees is engaging in hate, suspicion and fear.  People who love this country, who hold things like the Pledge and the Anthem sacred, are engaging in hate and prejudice.  Just another characterization of Americans who love their nation as bigots.

What really bothers me is their handoff of any blame to the students.

“This is a student-initiated and student-led club,” Clark  said. “There is no school sponsor or advisor. It doesn’t come under the umbrella of the district.”

She said the students simply asked the principal permission as a courtesy.

“We deferred to the students because it’s their deal,” she said.

There’s a reason why students don’t teach themselves; there’s a reason why children are supposed to have supervision.  The teachers are the adults; they are responsible for teaching the students what is okay and what is not.  As part of these kids’ education, they need to be taught what the Pledge means, and what it signifies, and what it is worth.  And as one veteran who complained mentioned:

“As a veteran and a friend of a man killed defending these children in their little games they like to play with our pledge, I’m offended,” wrote Chris Wells on the Daily Coloradoan. “There are things that we don’t mess with – among them are the pledge and our anthem.”

There is nothing wrong with being proud of our nation.  There is nothing wrong with saying that if you want to claim the United States as your own, then you need to learn English, and pledge your allegiance in that language.  People died for our right to speak English instead of German or Japanese or—yes, I’ll say it—Arabic.  It’s not about hating German people or Japanese people or Arabs, or anyone else.  It’s about respecting the things that we hold sacred.  The anthem is sung in English.  The Pledge is said in English.  Those who want to say it, can say it the way it was intended.