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Fifth grader’s assignment to report on winter tradition in another country angers his mom
Holly Sweetin is questioning why “American Christmas” was excluded from a wintertime tradition assignment in her fifth grade son’s class at Wright Elementary School.
Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2009 | 2 a.m.
Sun Coverage
William Wright Elementary School
When a fifth grade teacher instructed her students to write about any winter holiday tradition other than ones commonly practiced in the United States, she didn’t anticipate how the assignment might be perceived at home.
But the contention and confusion that has ensued demonstrates the murky waters local educators must often wade through when it comes to the holiday season.
Parent Holly Sweetin says that her fifth grade son came home last week from William Wright Elementary School in Mountain’s Edge, and told her he was supposed to write an essay about winter holiday traditions anywhere in the world — except “American Christmas.”
“I have great difficulty with the fact that American soldiers will be spending their time in a desert protecting our country and my fifth grader is forbidden from using the words American, Christmas, or Christ,” Sweetin wrote Paul Garbiso, academic manager of the Clark County School District service area that includes Wright.
Robert Hinchliffe, assistant principal at Wright, says the original assignment was innocuous, and Sweetin is the only parent who has complained. Students were asked, he said, to write about a winter holiday tradition outside the United States. “American Christmas” was never specifically banned, he says.
Hinchliffe said that oral instructions are common with homework and that from the teacher’s viewpoint it wasn’t a sensitive topic. Although it’s clear the assignment was poorly framed, “it’s not clear whether it got framed poorly by the teacher or the student telling his mother what the assignment was,” Hinchliffe said. “I feel like the teacher explained it very well.”
But Sweetin claims that during a follow-up meeting with the teacher and Hinchliffe she was specifically told that “American Christmas” was excluded from the list of acceptable topics. She says she asked whether a report on a Muslim holiday tradition would be acceptable and was told that it would be, along with Christmas traditions from other countries, such as Sweden or Germany.
Sweetin says she understands the value of exposing students to various cultures and was pleased to see her son’s class study Najavos and Hopis this year.
“What I have a problem with is multiculturalism with the exclusion of my particular country,” Sweetin said.
Given that there are many English language learners in her son’s classes, Sweetin said “I think that some children might benefit from learning what an American Christmas is about, possibly putting the word Christ in it.”
Sweetin said that following her formal meeting with school staff, Hinchliffe tried to win her over by demonstrating his conservative street cred, Sweetin says.
“He said, 'I’m right with you, I’m an (Fox News commentator Bill) O’Reilly fan,’ ” Sweetin said. “Then he told me their hands were tied because of the district regulations.”
Hinchliffe says he made reference to O’Reilly as a way of making casual conversation. He said he told Sweetin that district regulation makes it clear schools are to avoid any activity that might be interpreted as promoting a particular faith.
In fact, the School District regulation states religious holidays “may be observed only to the extent that such observances interpret the customs and traditions of a culture and may not provide opportunities for religious indoctrination.”
Given the diversity among the district’s students, when it comes to talking about holidays and religious occasions “teachers have to strike a balance,” says Clark County School Board Vice President Carolyn Edwards, whose campuses include Wright. “We have to be respectful of everyone’s differences.”
There’s an easy way for schools to avoid similar standoffs, said Allen Lichtenstein, attorney for the Nevada American Civil Liberties Union: Give students the assignment of writing on any wintertime tradition that is not one they celebrate at home.
“I would think that an assignment that says, ‘any tradition but this particular one’ would certainly raise some problems,” Lichtenstein said. “There are ways to do this without being discriminatory.”
Similar situations have occurred over the years when parents have raised concerns about religious activity in the classroom but it’s not a common complaint, Lichtenstein said. Typically the parents and school staff are able to work out their differences.
As far as the ACLU’s concerned, “the basic rule of thumb is that schools can deal with religious issues if they’re dealing with them for educational purposes and not devotional purposes,” Lichtenstein said. “If you’re talking about using Handel’s 'Messiah' in a winter concert, I would say that’s a great piece of music.”
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Globalization is a serious threat against national identities and sovereignties.
I don't know why Europeans goverments are behind of such efforts and motivations.
USA is the number 1 target.
Comrades - Merry Christmas in the best American fashion, and, a Happy New Year. Let's all hope for higher Social Security checks and more and better Medicare and let's pray the State comes through with some really wonderful unemployment benefits. Thanks.
Why is the name of the teacher not mentioned? The teachers salary is paid with our tax dollars and her/his identity should be made public.
Keep all holidays (Holy Days) out of the public schools. Teach religion in the home and in your house of worship. The schools can't teach basic education let alone theology!
Kuddos to the teacher for an assignment meant to spread the notion that not all people of the world celebrate Christmas!!! Last year my daughter was forced to write a letter to Santa in her 5th grade class, even though she told the teacher that she was not Christian. Schools have Red & Green days, make entire days out of watching & reading Polar Express (which has a strong Christmas message), and do endless Christmas art projects.
On another note, parents like Mrs. Sweetin are the reason I had to spend HOURS fighting the school district so that my children could watch the Presidential address in school this past September.
Give me a break. This is the sort of idiocy that we have to deal with daily. Someone needs to tell this mother that the point of education is to educate.
Her child and the children in the class - regardless of their backgrounds - live here and know about Christmas traditions here. This is meant to TEACH and EDUCATE them, which is the point of a school!!!!! Good for the teacher for TEACHING. American children are so enormously ignorant of anything outside their realm of existence that it's frightening. Give the teacher a bonus holiday check.
This kid has the entire rest of the world to choose from, but not good enough for this narrow-minded mom. STAND UP TO HER, please, CCSD, as you should do. Stop the parent terrorism that is rampant here and one of the reasons so many teachers quit.
This is an absolutely legitimate, intelligent assignment that is meant to broaden the horizons of these kids, that is, to TEACH them. Tell the mother he can choose to take an F if the entire world except his own country isn't enough choice for her taste.
This garbage makes me want to vomit. The job is bad enough without this narrow-minded, counter-productive nonsense to deal with. If the CCSD had a better track record on dealing with ridiculous, overly-demanding parents, we wouldn't be constantly having to fight these battles. But CCSD has a hard time standing up to this type of silliness.
How much of this teacher's precious time is being wasted dealing with this situation now? Tell the woman it's a legitimate EDUCATION assignment - THE END, GOODBYE.
Holly Sweetin is making a big deal about nothing.
Her son was asked to explore more then Americans going greatly into debt proving they are good Christians by buying more then the next guy.
To bad the paper felt the need to give her space in the paper showing just how shallow she really is. I feel sorry for her son having to deal with a mother like this.
The teachers name was not mentioned to prevent xenophobic nuts and religious kooks (hi,jib) from harrassing him/her. And btw, does Ms. Sweetin realize she's standing in front of a PAGAN symbol in the picture? Jeebus never had a pagan shrine in his living room, Ms. Sweetin, especially one all lit up like that.
Burrito: It's time for an eye exam, amigo.
Perhaps the reason the teacher told the children to write about other winter traditions is to get them to learn something that their parents hadn't already taught them?
Great job Mom, go ahead and show your kids your ignorance.
I am all for fighting the 'powers that be" when the issue is worth figting for, but this issue doesn't even register on the worthiness scale.
What a joke these parents are. I mean seriously, the assignment was clearly meant to teach and expose the children to other cultures...yet here we have Mrs. Xenophobe taking things 100 steps too far and turning into some anti-American, anti-Christmas agenda. Sigh. My sympathies go out to the poor teachers who work hard, get paid little, and have to deal with ignorant parents like Mrs. Wellin. You couldn't pay me enough.
Incidentally, about the mother's comment about our soldiers abroad - how putrid that she would try to buy sympathy from such a remark. One of my close family members spent last Christmas in the Middle East, and there is NO RELEVANCE to her argument. It's an insult to this young man and all the other American troops that she would use them to try to get her narrow-minded way. I think she should apologize for trying to imply that the assignment is unpatriotic. This makes me even more sick than I already was.
I'd like to live in a country where people are not hugely ignorant, but we have a long way to go.
I agree with vegaslee about feeling sorry for the kid. Every year I see a few of these micro-managing, controlling, "I want my absurd way" parents, and I always feel sorry for their kids - and for school personnel who have to deal with them.
Mom, you owe our troops an apology for trying to use them to manipulate and get your way. And I bet they all could tell you how valuable it is to learn about different ways in the world.
Kudos for Mrs. Sweetin! Our children have every right to learn about American traditions. It's really time for all of us to step back and consider what is happening in education. Some are working so hard at being "politically correct" that they only confuse the students. My children go to a school where all traditions are taught, even American ones! I am lucky to have a good CCSD school and qualified, experienced teachers. This was a very poor choice of a homework assignment which has sent the wrong message to students and the community.
"Holly" is Wacko & Selfish.I feel sorry for the rest of her family.
Well said, Teacher. To equate learning about another culture with the victimization of your own is truly idiotic. Unfortunately, this is standard procedure for the American Taliban and their new Talibunny leader, Sarah Palin.
Heaven forbid this young lass be a little multicultural and learn something about something she's not familiar with!
Note to the CCSD, parents and students, Christmas is a United States Federal Holiday, enacted by Congress and signed into law by President Grant in 1870.
This woman has managed to make a mountain out of a bloody mole hill. I fully understand being patriotic and proud, but for crying out loud, woman! . I guess it never occurred to her that the teacher may be trying to expand the kids' horizons by teaching things they didn't already know, or were exposed to daily? For example how the holidays are spent somewhere else rather than at home?
Also ""I have great difficulty with the fact that American soldiers will be spending their time in a desert protecting our country and my fifth grader is forbidden from using the words American, Christmas, or Christ," I'm getting sick and tired of right wingers turning almost anything within arms reach into something that is unpatriotic or against the troops.
Lady, you've totally missed the point of what the teacher was trying TO TEACH your kid!
Good for her. If that's me, I tell my kid: "Don't do the assignment. You have my permission to skip it. Make them give you an E for blowing it off."
jlb101 & rejco100, talk about your insane wackos!
These guys oughta remove themselves from society altogether, maybe start their own country on a deserted island in the middle of nowheresville.
Shame on the Sun for giving another Nutjob a platform...that is what Faux News is for. This is the most absurd women around. She basically wants her politics and religion taught in school. She should put more energy in to a proper education for her children. Its doubtful they are straight A children given the stock they come from so they need all the help they can get. They can get their religious training when she sends them to Liberty (i wish i was a real)University. Holy Sweetin please move back to Alabama ASAP!!!
The real question is whether the children were forbidden from watching A Charlie Brown Christmas.
oh noes!!! think of the children!!
I am TIRED of the sanctimonious people who are "religous" and want to force their agenda on everyone else.
Our family is multi-cultural, poly-religous, and guess what....we adapt and survive, hell we even thrive.....all without having to force any of our beliefs over anyone else.
Until people can get over being so self-centered, this crap will continue. Our forces are out there protecting our rights so that we can say whatever we want....not to force one agenda over another.
Ignorance is bliss.
@ teacher: I agree with you 100%
So who has fought the hardest to get "Merry Christmas?" taken out of our culture?
Don't tell me!
Parents like Ms. Sweetin are nerdy, pseudo-educators like to spend their time hammering on teachers and telling them how to best teach any subject, especially those that they have little personal knowledge or skill.
This is exactly the type of parent that demands their child not be given homework on weekends, complains vigorously about the amount of homework interferring with extra-curricular activites like sports and cheerleading; they are the vigorous guardians of a No Work=50% grade policy also. They always know exactly what the lesson entails, what the learning goal was and how it was to be used in context with other topics. Parents like this are always the experts on education even if they know nothing about the topic or have never set foot in a real classroom.
This exmple of parental zeal and ignorance is exactly what is destroying education. Parents like this are anti-eacher and use every opportunity to malign and lambast teachers for any situation that offends them or their chldren.
Teachers no longer have any real say in what they teach, how, where, when or why a topic is taught. Its about the parents, not the students,nor the subject; they insist on the micromanagement that is occuring in our schools and quite frankly destroying it.
Teaching is a profession I have given 30+ years of my life to. I loved it more than anything else, but I would discourage anyone wanting to be a 'real teacher' from entering this profession. It is a dead-end career with few opportunities for creativity, initiative or real teaching.
The problem is the woman ends up on the front page and this just encourages others to find anything to become hysterical about so they get in the news. This should have been simply handled by the school and this student excluded from an assignment that might broaden his mind. He should been made to do some other boring assignment instead - just to keep all the other kids from thinking their complaining will result in not having to do the work.
I don't care what religion anyone is They are ALL (religions) a farce. All religion has done around the world is spread death and destruction.
This mother is simply stupid.
Dumb.
Child services needs to take her kid.
Retards should not multiply. Here's proof.
I did a double take this morning, thinking I had inadvertently clicked on the RJ's website instead of the Sun's. Has the Sun morphed into a conservative mouthpiece in the wake of last week's employee layoffs? Has it lost its identity and sense of purpose? Why is the paper giving this ignorant woman, and her xenophobia, the time of day? If I want this kind of story, I'll watch FOX News.
Holly obviously needs something to keep her busy.
"Burrito: It's time for an eye exam, amigo."
Today's line of the day brought to you by Okra.
Thank you, "Me". You wrote exactly what I wanted to say after reading through all these posts.
People like this Sweetin broad are afraid their precious snowflakes may learn something outside their little bubble and might start questioning their narrow beliefs. It's a big world out there Ms. Sweetin, let the child LEARN about it. It's sad people like this reproduce.
Slow news day if this wacko makes the front page. If you want to indoctrinate your children by only presenting information that "increases the faith" you should put them in a christian school. God forbid they learn anything about the world.
Interesting that the anti-American anythings are chastizing someone for standing up for a christian tradition by suggesting that Americans would gain by learning about a holiday in a different country.
IMO The article is a non-starter... but... the responses to it are a part of the disturbing trend that is turning the 'comment' section into a testimony of what's really wrong with America today.
I don't think Mrs. Sweetin got the point of the assignment. We are not the only country with soldiers abroad fighting for democracy. Get your head out of the American flag, lady.
oh god. this is so pathetic. heaven forbid we learn about the cultures of other people. how narcissistic can you people get?
Teacher: I agree with you completely.
VSestini: Those are the reasons I am no longer teaching.
I know Mrs. Sweetin didn't get the point of the assignment. She is obviously a very small minded woman....just sayin.
I want to add one thing though. I do commend her for being involved in her childs education. Alot of parents wouldnt have even known their child had an assignment much less what the assignment was. That is a good thing. I think her complaint is silly but at least she is involved.
Wow, it's really ironic that someone advocating for Christ/Christmas would have a pagan symbol so prominently displayed in her photograph. Hey
Holly, you should check out the origins of your decorated tree.
Also: it's rather ironic that all the lights in her Christmas tree are all white.
What is this lady going to do when her kid has to take world history? What a joke this is...
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Holly Sweetin = TOO MUCH FREE TIME!
Please do everyone a favor and go find something productive to do instead of hassling a teacher that is trying to challenge a child to use a computer for something other then YouTube...
Oh and BTW still hahahahahahahahaha!
If you don't want your precious little snowflake to learn about stuff like this (what other cultures do, what other religions do, etc.), then home school them. The diversity of a public institution isn't for you.
No one told her kid their religion was wrong, or their way of life is wrong, or they should change to be like someone else. Its simply to learn that other countries celebrate Christmas differently. And that's fine, we can all celebrate it different ways (or not at all, if that's your thing). By fifth grade you know pretty well how its celebrated here, so go do some research and find out how its celebrated somewhere else.
As far as invoking the troops, "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel" - Samuel Johnson.
Five bedroom, five bath, 4600 square foot house... send the kid to private school, Mrs. Sweetin.
"jlb101 & rejco100, talk about your insane wackos!
These guys oughta remove themselves from society altogether, maybe start their own country on a deserted island in the middle of nowheresville."
gmag39 & ilk -- maybe they should to escape your will being forced on them. The world does NOT live by "American values" even though our troops are out there globally forcing them on other countries.
I for one refuse to march with you shouting your pseudo-patriotic/christian slogans. I will always oppose you.
teacher, Siromega, et al. -- right on!!
All, I'm sure Mrs. Sweeten means well. She is just misguided and needs of a bit more tolerance and understanding. Too much one sided politics tends to narrow ones focus (Fox News?).
Gmag39- If Intelligent productive people such as myself move to another country, who will pay the outrageous taxes necessary to support you and your stupid parasitic friends?
Ridiculous that any parent would be upset about their children learning about traditions and customs in other countries. Her child knows about celebrations here, perhaps he is sent to schopol to LEARN something? Shame that folks can be so narrow minded.
The CCSD is a mess and needs a good house cleaning but this self centered trouble making nit wit of a mother is an idiot who is an embarrassment to her family and Americas troops. The real victim is the child of this nit wit who will grow up to be a self righteous,self serving selfish adult. I would suppose the father is in hiding somewhere.
Why do adults try to politicize what our children learn in school? There was no need to read Right-Wing politics into this, but that is exactly what adults have done. Why not include so-called "American" Christmas? Here's why:
BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT THESE CHILDREN ARE EXPOSED TO EVERY YEAR AT HOME!
The purpose of school is to teach that which children do not know, and "American" Christmas, whatever that may mean, is what they ALREADY KNOW.
Time for the people in this country to learn about what other people are like-that way we can comunicate and do business easier in the future. Or are these Right-Wingers now so hopped-up on their own passion for ignorance that they are against learning about other cultures in order to improve business?
Ha! Why not do a paper on Christmas in Brazil, that's (South) American!
"Also: it's rather ironic that all the lights in her Christmas tree are all white."
Wow....only a liberal from San Francisco would even suggest such a comment. Incredible.
Holly Sweetin has to have nothing to do. I think it was a great assigmnet. The children would then discover the beliefs of all people on this earth. We are trying to understand each others cultures are'nt we? Mrs Sweetin jump in bed and cover up your head.
Gee, Noindex. Do you always brush people with such a wide brush or only those who want to participate in adult conversation? Also you apparently don't know the definition of "irony". Have I touched a nerve?
Disgusting. People like this woman are why conservatives have a horrible name. Economic conservatives would be smart to distance themselves from these xenophobic nimrods. I guarantee that Ms. Sweetin has never been to college and has never read the Constitution.
Well, we know who the president of the local Sarah Palin fanclub is now.
"Teacher" said it perfectly.
This woman is just one example of why the rest of the world thinks Americans are self-centered idiots.
LOL@ Fosimmons.
whenever I feel hopeful about the future of this nation, I click on a Sun comment stream and that nasty hopeful feeling goes away fast....
To Mom: You want your kid to write about Christ and Christmas? Choose a Christian country and go for it.
To this child's teacher: I can only imagine what will happen when this child has to pick a state other than Nevada to research as part of his geography assignment to learn that the world doesn't end at stateline.
"Robert Hinchliffe, assistant principal at Wright, says ... Sweetin is the only parent who has complained." That does not discount her right to complain. Perhaps Sweetin is the only critical thinker in a pool of parents who are, no doubt, "Jaywalking Allstars."
A perfect subject would be the traditions that have been established by our troops during the six or seven years that they have been occupying Iraq and Afganistan.
"I have great difficulty with the fact that American soldiers will be spending their time in a desert protecting our country and my fifth grader is forbidden from using the words American, Christmas, or Christ,"
Really lady? Really? At what point did the teacher say your son couldn't say the words American, Christmas, or Christ? When? This is just one of many assignments your child will be doing this year, and the teacher was just trying to get the students to think outside of the realm of what they know. God forbid your son learn something about somewhere else. How is that unpatriotic? We are a melting pot. If you want your son to research American Christmas traditions so badly, why don't you have him research it on his own free time? Why don't you help him? Don't rely solely on school to educate your child- if you want him to know something about Christmas that is not being covered in class, teach him yourself! I know for a fact this teacher is not unpatriotic. You obviously have NO idea what you're talking about. Hope you enjoyed your 5 minutes of fame! Was it really worth it?
okra...Yes, I recognize the pagan artifact. Quite rare actually. I located one at a pawn shop once and it turned out to be a male bed pan from thousands of years ago. The one is the picture is very colorful. I wonder if the lady knows it true worth.
I am glad to see that some of you are smart enough to question the level of emphasis that the media puts on this nonsense. How about the fact that each time the governor opens his mouth about the budget, the same religous right wing morons blame the crisis on over paid state employees. Improve the services (including schools) by moderate property tax raises. For those who don't like that, pack up and move to where you came from with taxes that were double what you pay to send your kids to these schools. I have an idea; have the kids write about how "model" Christian John Ensign will be spending his holiday season this year! Seperation of Church and STATE.
Why would anyone want to know about a culture outside of the United States? After all, we can do anything and everything by ourselves, and everyone in the U.S. was born here, and all of our ancestors were born here.
I do want to say, it's too bad that, according to the mother, the administrator referred to watching O'Reilly. That may suggest that all conservatives are this ignorant, or that O'Reilly is a conservative when he is, in fact, an idiot and a charlatan. To throw around the word "conservative" in this way denigrates what was once a useful and thoughtful ideology.
Comment removed by moderator. Offensive language.
Comment removed by moderator. Offensive language.
Clearly Ms. Sweetin is a bigot; an ethnocentric bigot. No other culture has merit in her eyes, why should her child learn anything about other cultures? Very sad that what her child is learning from this is how to hate others.
Did any other parent object to the assignment? While I admire Sweetin's interest in her boy's schoolwork I question her zeal. Sweetin is injuring her child. She is narrow minded and wants her child to be the same way. What would it hurt to examine other cultures?
The teacher is merely trying to broaden the childs horizons.
Don't leave the christmas out, bring it into your heart. Grands, they know christmas, it didn't come to a america first.
Holly Sweetin....GET REAL !! WE are not in the world alone...there is something and someone beyond our shores.This has NOTHING to do with THIS so called war,this has nothing to do with our boys overseas has nothing to do with waving the flag....this was a homework assignment,plain and simple....so get over it. EDUCATE your son and teach him tolerance and understanding,open his eyes to the world and all that is has to offer. So stop with your BS....and get over it.
AMEN !!!
There are two faces to this story, GOOD and BAD
Dear Ms. Sweetin,
The answer to your question is simple. As we live in America it is generally accepted that American children will be more than familiar with American winter holidays such as Christmas, in fact it would probably be safe to say that most children know more about Christmas in America than the average adult. We send our children to school to learn and be educated. We hope that our schools will enlighten them to make them better citizens of not just America but the world. It is a pity when a child is asked to explore other cultures that their cynical parents should immediately become defensive and hostile. Learning about another culture is not a direct assault on your own. Parents in America need to stop demonizing everything that is taught in the schools and take more of an active role in their children's education. This kind of "outrage" is pitiful, especially at this time of year. Heaven forbid we should learn to love thy neighbor by learning about the neighbor's culture. Merry Christmas everyone! I'm offended so I'm going to teach my children to rant and rave, call the newspapers, go on Oprah, email every network in the country. How dare these schools exclude "American Christmas"! Do they think it's my job as a parent to teach my children anything? Thank you Ms. Sweetin for dragging your bizarre resentment into what should be a holiday that closes the year with best wishes for everyone in the world. Deck your halls American style with boughs of Best Buy and Walmart and whatever you do keep the kids away from an encyclopedia. We wouldn't want them to learn anything that doesn't involve plastic Christams trees and inflatable snowmen.
If you want a multi-cultural world, then teach every religion (including the US). It's enough that the schools teach Roman/Greek, Egyptian, Nordic, Buddist, Hindu in public schools. But they don't teach our culture. People wonder what happened to our culture since we no longer teach it.
I will demonstrate my religious beliefs by thanking God that the majority of my fellow citizens it appears agree that Holly Sweetin is an idiot and there is hope for our city after all. It is time that we fight these type of people at every turn. Her mind set is the same that held back mankind for a thousand years during the dark ages.
...To "Sergio_the_Prophet:
I gotta say you have never failed (in my book) to have excellent postings on some of these articles, not say some of these others haven't but alot of your postings are interesting, and informative and rarely lash out or discrimanatory towards other posters..
As for you're above posting, I'm kinda into this stuff too with events and people that are come to pass in the last hour when the s--t progressively hits the fan, kinda scarey when you think about it.....Just me thinkin out loud, I got it offa my chest.....
This woman needs a hobby apart from watching Fox News. Please, someone buy her a build-a-ship-in-bottle set for ChristmaChanuKwanziFestivus.
Wow...what a bunch of mean spirited liberals you all are in Las Vegas. I'm in the process of bringing my business to your fair city - and 100 to 150 jobs with it. But, if my fellow libs are this hateful towards someone who is practicing her rights as an American (be she leaning to the right or the left)...I may be looking elsewhere.