Looks like California has done it again…This time, oddly enough, at a Catholic School. But leftist “woke” teachers are all over the country in schools everywhere indoctrinating America’s children.
Saint Bonaventure Catholic School is the school in the spotlight right now for gagging a student’s patriotic fervor and devotion to the United States.
What happened?
Meet Jimmy Heyward, an eighth-grader whose election bid for “Commissioner of School Spirit & Patriotism” (yes, the word “patriotism” is in the title of the position) took a nosedive when his principal decided that Heyward’s patriotism was a bit too spicy for a middle school assembly.
His mom, Hattie Ruggles, spilled the beans on what happened at the school on change.org [1], claiming Principal Mary Flock demanded Jimmy cut all patriotic references from his speech or face the ultimate middle school punishment: silence.
What did the student want to talk about?
Jimmy’s crime? Wanting to talk about veterans and respecting the National Anthem and Pledge of Allegiance – in other words: patriotism. In a world where school kids are learning about everything under the sun (including being read transgender books in their libraries), apparently, a dash of patriotism is a bridge too far.
Displaying a commendable backbone, Jimmy refused to censor his speech. The result? He sat in silence on stage while his peers delivered their speeches. But you can see the speech here [2].
Too much MAGA – not enough Biden-loving.
The red hat he wore, emblazoned with “Make SBS Great Again,” was a cheeky nod to a certain former president’s slogan. But cheekiness has no place in middle school politics, it seems – and I’m sure we all know that his MAGA-like campaign is the REAL reason he wasn’t able to give his speech.
Jimmy’s dad, Ed Heyward, was understandably livid. When he confronted the school’s brass, they responded with the classic “call the cops” move. Fortunately, the Huntington Beach Police found Jimmy’s dad to be no threat and told Ed he could stay, as long as he promised not to ignite the next schoolyard rebellion or January 6th-type incident.
No “free speech” in school unless you agree with the teachers.
The principal told parents in an email that Jimmy couldn’t give the speech because he didn’t have an “adjusted” version approved by her.
The Heyward family isn’t buying it. They insist the speech was submitted on time and pre-screened by the principal. However, Flock’s commitment to the school’s “Catholic, Christ-centered learning environment” apparently couldn’t coexist with a bit of flag-waving.
Parents want principal to resign.
This kerfuffle has ignited a firestorm among parents, many of whom are demanding Flock’s resignation. The Change.org petition gathered a lot of steam, with supporters rallying around Jimmy’s right to express his patriotic spirit.
The lesson for Jimmy? Sometimes, standing up for what you believe in means sitting in silence while everyone else gets their turn at the mic. But it’s always worth it to defend the country and Constitution.