Photo by Dave Diamond
It's happened again. A patriotic song was pulled from a public school concert because it was too patriotic and might offend someone.
And you won't believe what the principal replaced it with!
According to CBS news, the principal of PS 90 in Coney Island, New York said the students will not be allowed to perform Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA" during their kindergarten graduation ceremony for fear of offending other cultures.
Apparently the school's principal, Greta Hawkins, heard the children rehearsing one day and told teachers to drop the song, explaining, "We don't want to offend other cultures."
The principal's decision has caused some disagreement among parents and other teachers. The mother of one of the students, Luz Lozada, said, "A lot of people fought to move to America to live freely, so that song should be sung with a whole lot of pride," adding, that another one of her children — a fifth-grader — sang the song last year to an applauding crowd that gave the performance a standing ovation. A school teacher chimed in, "I've never come across anyone who felt it insulted their culture."
Instead of "God Bless The USA" students will perform Justin Bieber's "Baby."
You gotta be kidding me.
Here's Lee Greenwood.
And here's Justin Bieber.
Which would you want YOUR kindergartener singing?
Dave D.
