Why is it that in Rick Perry's Texas, you can be forced to Pledge Allegiance to Mexico?

Question

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, Texas - When a teacher in a Rio Grande Valley high school assigned students to stand and pledge allegiance to the Mexican flag and sing Mexico's national anthem, one student refused.

The resulting controversy has one East Texas lawmaker wanting changes in the state's curriculum on how culture and patriotism are taught in schools.

15-year-old Brenda Brinsdon entered her sophomore year at McAllen ISD's Achieve Early College High School just wanting to do well in her classes.

But in mid-September she got an unexpected lesson on personal conviction and taking on the system.

"I feel that I did what's right," Brinsdon said. "And I know what I did what's right [...] I'm going to stand my ground."

Brinsdon said she stood her ground by staying seated when first-year Spanish 3 teacher Reyna Santos assigned her class to stand and recite Mexico's pledge of allegiance.

Students stood with right arms straight out and palms down, which is how the school district says Mexicans say their pledge.

Calling the lesson "un-American," Brinsdon recorded the class, which occurred the week of Mexico's Independence Day.

The teacher also told students to memorize and recite the the pledge individually.

And when the time came for the part of the assignment to sing Mexico's national anthem, Brinsdon again refused.

With that, Santos asked the class to stand and led the class in the anthem.

"I told her, I was like, 'I thought this was a Spanish class,'" Brinsdon recalled. "And she's like, 'Well, yeah it is, it's like, it's a cultural thing.' And so I was the only one that sat down."

Brinsdon's father, William, backs his daughter. He said that reciting a pledge to any other nation has no place in public schools.

"What are we to do? Just lay down and let it happen?" Mr. Brinsdon said. "Or should we stand up for our country?"

Santos couldn't be reached for comment.

The school district declined several News 8 requests to interview someone with the district.


Brenda Brisdon's refusal and the school district's response caused a firestorm across the nation.

Conservative websites erupted, getting the attention of Republican State Representative Dan Flynn of Canton.

"It was a shock to me," he said.

The Texas Education Agency says the state curriculum outlines what must be taught, but local districts decide how it's taught.

Flynn said since the state allows that much discretion, he'll file a bill again to require more mandatory studies on the U.S. Constitution.

"I do have a problem if we're making that the assignment for young people to stand up and pledge to another country," Flynn said. "It lessens the value of the pledge to the United States flag."

After no one with the district agreed to an interview, News 8 confronted McAllen School Board President Sam Saldivar after a meeting.


Saldivar said there's no decision yet to change the curriculum.



Dallas Democratic State Representative Roberto Alonzo said to question the loyalty of the teacher and school district is unfair.

"This is a class," Alonzo said. "This is not doing allegiance to Mexico, it's not you know you are going to be part of Mexico, this is just a class to learn Spanish - to learn an aspect of what is Texas."

Brinsdon said she's been pulled from Santos' class and gets her lessons separately now. Despite the controversy, she has no regrets.

"I really hope that I was an inspiration to a lot of youth in America to stand up for what's right," Brinsdon said.

Answer 1

Your question would have been a great one if you had not fuched it up with your liberal insertion of Rick Perry's Texas.



Anyone with an ounce of common sense should know that Rick Perry had nothing to do with this pledge of allegiance to Mexico bullshit.



It was the liberal public school systems, the teachers unions, the liberal ,pro Mexican , Mexican teacher.



Try rewriting this question and leave your liberal bias at the door.

Answer 2

I pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one country below God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all. Note the REPUBLIC side? Obama is popping this nation clear of being a Republic I do not believe any extra clarification is wanted for the ones with deductive good judgment.

Answer 3

since when does the Governor control the education in Texas? Texas, like most other states has local school boards with superintendents running them

Answer 4

That student is a brainwashed idiot. The teacher is giving lessons about another culture and language and the student should've been following directions. But like a good little brainwashed conservative offspring, she "refused" to play along on account of it "might make her a Mexican". Like engaging in a cultural exercise is going to taint her "Americanism". God, you people are so f'ing stupid. Clinging to flags and symbols like they're real thing. What makes you American or not is what's in your heart, not reciting a bunch of words in spanish as a practice exercise in school. Duh. The inability to step in another person's shoes, even for a split second, simply to see another point of view is what makes conservatives the bankrupt intellects that they are.

Answer 5

Because Mitt "Flip Flop" Romney needs more illegals from Mexico to mow his lawn at his multi-million dollar mansion.



Why do you hate rich Republicans, who are only striving for a better life, free of manual labor?

Answer 6

I am sure that teacher will not have that as a lesson in the future.