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  • If every high school principal gave the following speech, America would be a much better place.

  • 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.

  • First, this school will no longer honor race or ethnicity.

  • I could not care less if you are black, brown, red, yellow or white.

  • I could not care less if your origins are African, European, Latin American or Asian,

  • or if your ancestors arrived here on the Mayflower or on slave ships.

  • The only identity this school will recognize is your individual identityyour character,

  • your scholarship, your humanity.

  • And the only national identity this school will recognize is American.

  • This is an American public school, and American public schools were created to make better Americans.

  • If you wish to affirm here an ethnic or racial identityor a national identity other than

  • Americanyou will have to attend another school.

  • This includes after-school clubs.

  • I will not authorize clubs that divide students based on identities such as race, ethnicity,

  • sexual orientation or whatever else may become in vogue in our society.

  • Those clubs cultivate narcissisman unhealthy preoccupation with the selfwhile the purpose

  • of education is to get you to think beyond yourself.

  • This school’s clubs will be based on interests and passionsclubs that transport you

  • to the wonders and glories of art, music, astronomy, languages you do not already speak, and more.

  • If the only extracurricular activities you can imagine being interested in are those

  • based on ethnicity, race or sexual identity, that means that little outside of yourself

  • really interests you.

  • Second, I do not care 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.

  • Furthermore, I would be remiss in my duty to ensure that you will be prepared to successfully

  • compete in the job market, if you leave this school without excellent English-language skills.

  • We will learn other languages hereit’s deplorable that most Americans only speak English

  • but if you want classes taught in your native language rather than in English,

  • this is not the right school for you.

  • 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.

  • There will be a dress code at this school.

  • And you will address all teachers by their title, not by their first name.

  • They are your teachers, not your pals.

  • Fourth, no obscene language will be tolerated anywhere on this school’s property.

  • By obscene language, I mean the words banned on radio and television, plus epithets such

  • as the b-word, even when addressed by one girl to another, or the n-word,

  • even when used by one black student to another.

  • It is my intent that by the time you leave this school, you will be among the few your

  • age to 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 waythe only way self-esteem

  • can be attainedby earning it.

  • One immediate consequence is that graduating classes will have 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 racism, sexism, Islamophobia, homophobia, global warming,

  • tobacco, or gender identity.

  • No more classes will be devoted to condom-wearing and teaching you to regard sexual relations

  • as no more than a health issue.

  • And there will be no more attempts to convince you that you are a victim because you are

  • not white or male or heterosexual or Christian.

  • This school will have failed if any of you graduate without considering him or herself

  • inordinately luckylucky to be alive and lucky 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.

  • I’m Dennis Prager.

If every high school principal gave the following speech, America would be a much better place.

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