Dennis Prager is an American syndicated radio talk show host, syndicated columnist, author, and public speaker. He is noted for his conservative political and social views emanating from conservative Judeo-Christian values.
Born: August 2, 1948 (age 63), United States of America
Height: 6' 4" (1.93 m)
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By Dennis Prager.
To the students and
faculty of our high school:
I am your new
principal, and honored to be so. There is no greater calling than to teach young
people.
I would like to
apprise you of some important changes coming to our school. I am making these
changes because I am convinced that most of the ideas that have dominated public
education in America have worked against you, against your teachers and against
our country.
First, this school
will no longer honor race or ethnicity. I could not care less if your racial
makeup is black, brown, red, yellow or white. I could not care less if your
origins are African, Latin American, Asian or European, or if your ancestors
arrived here on the Mayflower or on slave ships. The only identity I care about,
the only one this school will recognize, is your individual identity -- your
character, your scholarship, your humanity. And the only national identity this
school will care about is American.
This is an American
public school, and American public schools were created to make better
Americans. If you wish to affirm an ethnic, racial or religious identity through
school, you will have to go elsewhere. We will end all ethnicity, race and
non-American nationality-based celebrations. They undermine the motto of America
, one of its three central values -- e pluribus Unum, "from many, one." And this
school will be guided by America 's values. This includes all after-school
clubs. I will not authorize clubs that divide students based on any identities.
This includes race, language, religion, sexual orientation or whatever else may
become in vogue in a society divided by political correctness.
Your clubs will be
based on interests and passions, not blood, ethnic, racial or other physically
defined ties. Those clubs just cultivate narcissism -- an unhealthy
preoccupation with the self -- while the purpose of education is to get you to
think beyond yourself. So we will have clubs that transport you to the wonders
and glories of art, music, astronomy, languages you do not already speak,
carpentry and more. If the only extracurricular activities you can imagine being
interested in are those based on ethnic, racial or sexual identity, that means
that little outside of yourself really interests you.
Second, I am
uninterested in whether English is your native language. My only interest in
terms of language is that you leave this school speaking and writing English as
fluently as possible. The English language has united America 's citizens for
over 200 years, and it will unite us at this school. It is one of the
indispensable reasons this country of immigrants has always come to be one
country. And if you leave this school without excellent English language skills,
I would be remiss in my duty to ensure that you will be prepared to successfully
compete in the American job market. We will learn other languages here -- it is
deplorable that most Americans only speak English --but if you want classes
taught in your native language rather than in English, this is not your school.
Third, because I
regard learning as a sacred endeavor, everything in this school will reflect
learning's elevated status. This means, among other things, that you and your
teachers will dress accordingly. Many people in our society dress more formally
for Hollywood events than for church or school. These people have their
priorities backward. Therefore, there will be a formal dress code at this
school.
Fourth, no obscene
language will be tolerated anywhere on this school's property -- whether in
class, in the hallways or at athletic events. If you can't speak without using
the f-word, you can't speak. By obscene language I mean the words banned by the
Federal Communications Commission, plus epithets such as "Nigger," even when
used by one black student to address another black, or "bitch," even when
addressed by a girl to a girlfriend. It is my intent that by the time you leave
this school, you will be among the few your age to instinctively distinguish
between the elevated and the degraded, the holy and the obscene.
Fifth, we will end
all self-esteem programs. In this school, self-esteem will be attained in only
one way -- the way people attained it until decided otherwise a generation ago
-- by earning it. One immediate consequence is that there will be one
valedictorian, not eight.
Sixth, and last, I
am reorienting the school toward academics and away from politics and
propaganda. No more time will be devoted to scaring you about smoking and
caffeine, or terrifying you about sexual harassment or global warming. No more
semesters will be devoted to condom wearing and teaching you to regard sexual
relations as only or primarily a health issue... There will be no more attempts
to convince you that you are a victim because you are not white, or not male, or
not heterosexual or not Christian. We will have failed if any one of you
graduates this school and does not consider him or herself inordinately
fortunate -- to be alive and to be an American.
Now, please stand and join me in the Pledge
of Allegiance to the flag of our country. As many of you do not know the words,
your teachers will hand them out to you.
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