One Colorado School Bans Christian Discussion,
Another Pledges “In Allah We Trust”
In Fort Collins, Colorado, Rocky Mountain High School Principle Tom Lopez has the students reciting “In Allah we Trust” in the name of diversity. Just a hundred miles south in the suburbs of Colorado Springs, the Principal of Pine Creek High School has banned groups discussing Christianity during free time to protect “the separation of church and state.” Confused yet?
For three years now Chase Windebank, a Pine Creek High School senior, has led a Christian based discussion group during free time when students are free to “do as they please.” In what Windebank claims is a direct violation of his first amendment right, he has now been told the group could no longer discuss God during free time because they are violating the “separation of church and state.”
Now Windebank, with the help of the Alliance for Defending Freedom law firm, is fighting back with a lawsuit to reclaim his First Amendment right to continue his religious discussion group. He now has the support of some powerful allies like Fox News columnist Todd Starnes and conservative columnist and entrepreneur Michelle Malkin.
On the other hand, Fort Colorado Principal Tom Lopez insists that reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in Arabic, as well as other languages, is a totally appropriate student-based decision coming from their “Culture Club” which “doesn’t fall under the umbrella of the district.”
However, many residents disagree. Some say they feel strongly that the Pledge of Allegiance is sacred, powerful, important, and should be recited in English.
“As a veteran and friend of a man killed defending these children in their little games
they like to play with our pledge, I’m offended. There are things that we don’t mess with
– among them are the pledge and our anthem,”
wrote Chris Wells in the Daily Coloradoan.
“If they wish to adopt the country as their own,
then they need to learn the language and start speaking it,”
wrote another reader.
The majority of Muslims are not radical fundamentalists, yet the hostility might have something to do with the atrocities carry out by the radical Muslims against the American people in the name of their god Allah. Allah doesn’t sit well with many who have lived through 9/11 or watched the recent be-headings around the world. Ibrahim Hooper, of the Council on American Islamic Relations asks:
“How on earth is it un-American to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in another language?”
A valid question, diversity is important, tolerance is imperative, but my question would be:
If Chase Windebank had a Muslim based discussion group during free time,
would Tom Lopez dare to shut him down?
I doubt it.
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