**Previously recorded by Phyllis Schlafly // June 2012 **
Most Americans are familiar with, and enjoy hearing, Lee Greenwood’s patriotic song that includes the famous line “God bless the U.S.A.” The Greenwood song had been scheduled to be sung by the kids at an assembly at Stall Brook Elementary School in Bellingham, Massachusetts. The school administrators decided to censor God out of the song and replace Him with “We love the U.S.A.” This is another example of the public schools’ effort to secularize America and remove all references to God from every public place and school event. An online poll taken by the local television station indicated that more than 80% of viewers were outraged by removing God from the song. Rush Limbaugh chimed in to defend the Greenwood lyrics.
After the parents objected to the school’s decision, the school officials issued a statement saying that no songs would be performed because of “political correctness.” After more confusion and protests, the superintendent released a statement that students would be allowed to sing or not sing “God bless the U.S.A.”, whatever each kid preferred. Meanwhile, Lee Greenwood issued a statement saying: “The most important word in the whole piece of music is the word God, which is also in the title, ‘God Bless the U.S.A.’ The song is played at every naturalization ceremony behind the National Anthem. If the song is good enough to be played and performed in its original setting under those circumstances, it surely should be good enough for our children.”
Christians had better wake up and realize the determination of the secularists to censor out every public and school reference to God. The First Amendment does not allow that, and we shouldn’t let school officials get by with such offensive decisions, saying they just want to be politically correct.
