• Students and parents outraged over pledge in Arabic during foreign language week
    64 replies, posted
[quote]A school in New York state has apologised after receiving complaints because a student recited the US Pledge of Allegiance in Arabic. The school's foreign language department arranged for the pledge to be read in a different language each day for a week. Complaints were received from people who lost family in Afghanistan and from Jewish parents, an official said. Neither the US nor New York state has an official language. The school district superintendant, Joan Carbone, told the Times Herald-Record newspaper that the Arabic pledge had "divided the school in half" and that she had received numerous complaints. A statement from the district apologised "to any students, staff or community members who found this activity disrespectful" and said the reading was intended to "promote the fact that those who speak a language other than English still pledge to salute this great country". An Arabic-speaking student read the pledge during morning announcements at Pine Bush High School in Pine Bush, New York, on Wednesday. Officials said the school's foreign language department organised for different pledge translations to be read in celebration of National Foreign Language Week. English only from now on Many students reportedly shouted their disapproval during the recitation, and later complained on social media. Later in the afternoon, the school's principal made a school-wide announcement to explain why the pledge was read in Arabic and to apologise to those who took offence. Ms Carbone said the pledge would only be read [/quote] [quote]Complaints were received from people who lost family in Afghanistan[/quote] Sorry for your loss, but you're still an idiot. People don't speak Arabic in Afghanistan. [quote] and from Jewish parents[/quote] Just fuck off. [url]http://www.bbc.com/news/31989874[/url]
Smell that freedom, boys. Someone saying the Pledge in Arabic is actually really touching tbh. Pledging to our country in their native tongue. The pledge means the same thing in Arabic that it does in English. Still though, it was foreign language week. Are some foreign languages okay and some aren't? Just a bunch of racist, ignorant pricks.
If they did it in German, they could receive complaints about nazis or something lol
[QUOTE=Lamar;47369135]Sorry for your loss, but you're still an idiot. People don't speak Arabic in Afghanistan. [/quote] Ahahahaha. Dumb racist shits.
Everything fucking offends everyone nowadays.
People who get offended by stupid shit deserve to be gassed (intended hehehe) [highlight](User was banned for this post ("Shitposting" - Big Dumb American))[/highlight] [highlight](User was banned for this post ("Update: Last Chance. Permaban next time." - Big Dumb American))[/highlight]
[QUOTE=Ringo_Satu;47369179]If they did it in German, they could receive complaints about nazis or something lol[/QUOTE] Well that's pretty much what did happen during WWI and why German is no longer the second most spoken language in the United States.
[QUOTE=ossumsauce;47369160]Smell that freedom, boys. Someone saying the Pledge in Arabic is actually really touching tbh. Pledging to our country in their native tongue. The pledge means the same thing in Arabic that it does in English. Still though, it was foreign language week. Are some foreign languages okay and some aren't? Just a bunch of racist, ignorant pricks.[/QUOTE] I honestly think it means more if they say it in their native tongue, that doing so means they genuinely feel like they belong here and that they take the [i]meaning[/i] of the pledge to heart rather than the blind recitement that most Americans get forced through during elementary and high school that turns the Pledge into little more than a schoolday pleasantry with zero substance or meaning to it.
[QUOTE=TestECull;47369506]I honestly think it means more if they say it in their native tongue, that doing so means they genuinely feel like they belong here and that they take the [i]meaning[/i] of the pledge to heart rather than the blind recitement that most Americans get forced through during elementary and high school that turns the Pledge into little more than a schoolday pleasantry with zero substance or meaning to it.[/QUOTE] Yeah, thats basically what i meant, i just had trouble putting it into words. The pledge just stopped meaning anything after a while to me. It became a routine that nobody except the rabid patriot in the room wanted to do. Most just didnt say it, or even get up.
[quote]Later in the afternoon, the school's principal made a school-wide announcement to explain why the pledge was read in Arabic and to [B]apologise to those who took offence.[/B][/quote] This makes me really furious
Ewww brown people languages; that's offensive to our perfect white children. This kind of shit makes me mad.
[QUOTE]and from Jewish parents[/QUOTE] "B-but the antisemitism!" No seriously this is stupid. [QUOTE=Lamar;47369135] Just fuck off. [/QUOTE]
The pledge of allegiance is fucking weird and stupid and does not belong in any country.
[quote]Complaints were received from people who lost family in Afghanistan[/quote] Arabic isn't even an official language of Afghanistan, or even any of the countries surrounding it. Just because a language is made of "a bunch of squiggles" doesn't mean it's Arabic, and just because you say the pledge in Arabic doesn't mean you've all become a bunch of islams. These guys [I]really[/I] need to tone it down, it's just a language!
[QUOTE=TestECull;47369506]I honestly think it means more if they say it in their native tongue, that doing so means they genuinely feel like they belong here and that they take the [i]meaning[/i] of the pledge to heart rather than the blind recitement that most Americans get forced through during elementary and high school that turns the Pledge into little more than a schoolday pleasantry with zero substance or meaning to it.[/QUOTE] The fact that we're forcing children to swear an oath to a country (recite nationalist propaganda) in schools is pretty fucked though. I know they're not legally able to FORCE them to do it, but the fact they still make them do it at all is disgusting.
[QUOTE=Explosions;47369864]The pledge of allegiance is fucking weird and stupid and does not belong in any country.[/QUOTE] It's one of those things where you do it all the time in elementary school with the claim you'll need to use it on a daily basis then never use it again. Still who gives a shit about languages. Fucking close minded idiots.
[QUOTE=Explosions;47369864]The pledge of allegiance is fucking weird and stupid and does not belong in any country.[/QUOTE] Yeah, making grade schoolers stand up and recite a nationalistic pledge is like something out of the 19th century. It has no place in any school. But, hey, go to Texas or Mississippi and try telling them that. :rolleyes: I'm pretty sure they hang you from the nearest tree if you say one negative word about their precious Pledge.
My cousin goes to this school, has caused quite the stir around where I live. A lot of people are pissed and there are the people, like me, who think it was perfectly fine.
[QUOTE=LoganIsAwesome;47370382]My cousin goes to this school, has caused quite the stir around where I live. A lot of people are pissed and there are the people, like me, who think it was perfectly fine.[/QUOTE] Yea my school sucks [editline]21st March 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=Fhenexx;47369980]Arabic isn't even an official language of Afghanistan, or even any of the countries surrounding it. Just because a language is made of "a bunch of squiggles" doesn't mean it's Arabic, and just because you say the pledge in Arabic doesn't mean you've all become a bunch of islams. These guys [I]really[/I] need to tone it down, it's just a language![/QUOTE] Most people in this town hear Afghanistan and think Terrorists, Most people don't even know how to say arabic, they were calling it arabian, terrorist talk, towel head speech. Fuckin Disgusting, and the main argument I hear against this is that "America is an English Country" Like just fuck off already
[QUOTE=Native Hunter;47370390]Yea my school sucks [editline]21st March 2015[/editline] Most people in this town hear Afghanistan and think Terrorists, Most people don't even know how to say arabic, they were calling it arabian, terrorist talk, towel head speech. Fuckin Disgusting, and the main argument I hear against this is that "America is an English Country" Like just fuck off already[/QUOTE] I can vouch for this 100%. Even though NY is a pretty moderate 'liberal' state, we have some really die-hard rednecks over here. It's honestly sickening some of the shit constitution thumping idiots have said about this.
[QUOTE=Native Hunter;47370390] Most people in this town hear Afghanistan and think Terrorists, Most people don't even know how to say arabic, they were calling it arabian, terrorist talk, towel head speech. Fuckin Disgusting, and the main argument I hear against this is that "America is an English Country" Like just fuck off already[/QUOTE] Welcome to most of America. Seriously, it's fucking humiliating just how ignorant so many people are, especially in the Midwest and South.
Reminds me of the Coca-Cola ad that angered conservatives because it featured people singing "America the Beautiful" in different languages. [img]http://media.tumblr.com/a1d561364431c1c89f294d9d9288812c/tumblr_inline_n0eg73it2d1qawfnh.png[/img]
The creepy dogmatic theological/political chant is only sufficiently creepy when recited in Arabic, apparently.
[QUOTE=Zeke129;47370519]The creepy dogmatic theological/political chant is only sufficiently creepy when recited in Arabic, apparently.[/QUOTE] It was actually pretty nice
Funny it took me a little while to remember this, but the first time I mentioned to my coworkers that I was studying Arabic at college, their immediate response was "What the fuck? You going to go fight in jihad or something? You a terrorist?" I was like "It's [I]Al-[/I]Jihad, bitch." Fuckin' ignorant rednecks don't know how to use the declarative article properly...
This is pretty insane. And I hope that the Americans know how insane it is.
Someone should try and drum up some fake controversy over Arabic numerals. First person who can get someone on Fox News to suggest a switch to Roman numerals wins.
[QUOTE=draugur;47370065]I know they're not legally able to FORCE them to do it, but the fact they still make them do it at all is disgusting.[/QUOTE] Didn't stop my school from punishing students who refused.
[QUOTE=draugur;47370065]The fact that we're forcing children to swear an oath to a country (recite nationalist propaganda) in schools is pretty fucked though. I know they're not legally able to FORCE them to do it, but the fact they still make them do it at all is disgusting.[/QUOTE] You're not actually obligated to say the pledge in our school, don't have to stand either. Though if you don't at least stand up you risk getting beat up by rednecks
[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;47370584]Didn't stop my school from punishing students who refused.[/QUOTE] Anyone who was subject to said punishment is capable of filing a lawsuit and will win it.
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.