Teen protests Pledge said in foreign languages
Student claims school's broadcasts disrespect country

Updated: 9:05 a.m. ET March 10, 2005MILLERSVILLE, Md. - A ninth-grader is protesting his school’s decision to broadcast the Pledge of Allegiance in foreign languages as part of National Foreign Language Week.

Patrick Linton said he and other students at Old Mill High School sat down rather than stand Wednesday when the pledge was read over the school’s public address system in Russian. Linton’s teacher told him if he had a problem he should leave the room.

He did, and did not plan to return this week.

“This is America, and we got soldiers at war,” the 15-year-old said. “When you’re saying the Pledge in a different language which nobody understands, that’s not OK.”

Charles Linton, Patrick’s father, said the use of other languages is disrespectful to the country. “It’s like wearing a cross upside down in a church,” he said.

The pledge was to be read in Spanish, French, Latin, Russian and German. School officials said the activity will continue, with the English version of the pledge being read first for the rest of the week.

“This is just a way to connect what’s going on in the classroom and this daily activity where we say the Pledge of Allegiance,” said Jonathan Brice, a spokesman for Anne Arundel County Public Schools.

You have to love the dad on this one

pledgein a foreign language = christian heretic.

The story just sounds "funny"

As far as I know, students are permitted to sit during the reciting of the pledge.
If a teacher forced them to leave, he'd be in hot water.

Charles Linton, Patrick’s father, said the use of other languages is disrespectful to the country. “It’s like wearing a cross upside down in a church,” he said.

You have to love the dad on this one

pledgein a foreign language = christian heretic.

Another shining example of the great intellect of their base that the Bushies used to their advantage

A couple of things:

1. This is weird. Who is the genius who came up with the idea of broadcasting the pledge of allegiance in foreign languages? I don't get it. Especially when one of the languages is Latin, which has been dead for a thousand years or so.

2. If a kid wants to sit down during the pledge, that's fine with me. His teacher sounds like an idiot if he told the kid to leave the room.

3. <i>"This is America, and we got soldiers at war," the 15-year-old said. "When you're saying the Pledge in a different language which nobody understands, that's not OK."</i> Does this kid believe that in Millersville, Maryland, there is nobody who understands Spanish, French, Latin, Russian or German? Okay, I'll give you Latin. Does this kid believe that none of our soldiers at war understands any of these languages?

4. These guys sound like rednecks to me. Thankfully, one of the languages wasn't Arabic or Hebrew.

A couple of things:

1. This is weird. Who is the genius who came up with the idea of broadcasting the pledge of allegiance in foreign languages? I don't get it. Especially when one of the languages is Latin, which has been dead for a thousand years or so.

2. If a kid wants to sit down during the pledge, that's fine with me. His teacher sounds like an idiot if he told the kid to leave the room.

3. <i>"This is America, and we got soldiers at war," the 15-year-old said. "When you're saying the Pledge in a different language which nobody understands, that's not OK."</i> Does this kid believe that in Millersville, Maryland, there is nobody who understands Spanish, French, Latin, Russian or German? Okay, I'll give you Latin. Does this kid believe that none of our soldiers at war understands any of these languages?

4. These guys sound like rednecks to me. Thankfully, one of the languages wasn't Arabic or Hebrew.
...to broadcasting the Pledge in a foreign language in this case? Even Hebrew or Arabic.Please explain.

Well, as one of my friends from the Republic of Macedonia once said whilst waiting for one of his colleagues (allbeit in a strong russian accent) in a crowded elevator in in a hotel in Ann Arbor, Michigan...

"Damn Foreigners!!"

PS-please detect the strong note of humor and irony in this ;)

I pledge a Lee Gents
to the flag
of thee Yoou Knighted States of 'Merica
and too the rePublic
fer which it stands
one Nation
UNDER GAWD
in duh visble
with liberty
n justice
fer ya'll

...to broadcasting the Pledge in a foreign language in this case? Even Hebrew or Arabic.Please explain.

I have no objection. I just don't get what the point is of taking something distinctly American, translating it, and forcing students <i>in America</i> to listen to it. Please help me understand. Ever seen the US Constitution translated into Latin? Neither have I.

quantum physics into Hopi and Zuni. The future lies here.

This is bizarre story...and why was Esperanto omitted?

Just caught the story on the news here, on the D.C. CBS affiliate, and the father and son look just as goofy as I expected. The father even admitted that he learned the pledge in Spanish as a kid, but "it's just not right."

I think we all see the irony here, how this country is made up of folks that speak these languages, and these 2 slack-jawed yokels don't get it; what I don't get is the use of Latin: Who the hell speaks Latin?

Just caught the story on the news here, on the D.C. CBS affiliate, and the father and son look just as goofy as I expected. The father even admitted that he learned the pledge in Spanish as a kid, but "it's just not right."

I think we all see the irony here, how this country is made up of folks that speak these languages, and these 2 slack-jawed yokels don't get it; what I don't get is the use of Latin: Who the hell speaks Latin?

Look at the original story, the school was doing this as part of Foreign Language Week, to highlight foreign languages. I don't think this is something that they normally do on a daily basis. They were just doing it in foreign languages, and in my opinion, sounds like they chose the Pledge, because everybody essentially knows the words in it (well most, I'd be surprised if the kid in this story or his father knew all of the words by heart) and could relate it back to the language being spoken possibly?? Just what I was thinking. Now, I would have loved to have seen the uproar if they had done it in Arabic. I'm sure people would want to kill the school powers to be for that one. I think they should do it just to see what happens.

I have no objection. I just don't get what the point is of taking something distinctly American, translating it, and forcing students <i>in America</i> to listen to it. Please help me understand. Ever seen the US Constitution translated into Latin? Neither have I.
...because it was part of National Foreign Language Week.I don't think this was going to be a permanent thing.I think they probably wanted to have them hear something that is very familiar to them said in another language as part of the studies.Perhaps they also wanted to get them to possibly appreciate the diverse cultures that have come to make this country as great as it is.

Sounds like a good idea to me. I don't understand the fuss, That isn't the highlight of the day for most of those kids anyway.

we in the movement will certainly keep on eye on this young soldier and will meet with his father that understands how americans truely feel about nationalism. one country. one nation. one state.

we in the movement will certainly keep on eye on this young soldier and will meet with his father that understands how americans truely feel about nationalism. one country. one nation. one state.
...you mean you and the 25 cats that live with you in your mothers basement.