A school in Redmond, Washington reportedly replaced its annual assembly to commemorate Veterans Day with a “Peace Assembly,” according to a report from Seattle outlet KTTH.
Reportedly, Benjamin Rush Elementary in the Lake Washington School District holds a Veterans Day assembly every year. But, this year, the school’s administration decided to recognized the “International Day of Tolerance” instead (via KTTH):
Families did not have much time to learn about the change, which was jarring to those who expected a Veterans Day assembly. The “Peace Assembly” appeared in the school’s newsletter on October 29 and November 5, but it did not explain what it was.
“I was extremely disappointed and yet not surprised,” one Benjamin Rush Elementary father told The Jason Rantz Show on KTTH. He asked for anonymity to prevent reprisals for speaking up. “For years the Veterans Assembly has been a highlight at the school and one of the few midday assemblies that gathers a fairly large audience of parents to come hear the speakers.”
The school ditched the patriotic songs for those centered around the assembly’s theme of Tolerance, Acceptance and Kindness. Some of the songs to be performed are “Live in Peace,” “Peacebuilder Pledge Song,” “Amani Utupe Na Ustawi” and “Namaste.”
“Students will spend most of the assembly singing songs, with each grade level performing two songs that they learned while attending music classes at the school,” a district spokesperson said of the Peace Assembly in a statement to The Jason Rantz Show on KTTH.
To the father who reached out to The Jason Rantz Show on KTTH, this seems like a slight of veterans who fought those who threatened peace.
EXCLUSIVE: A Seattle-area elementary school canceled an annual assembly to commemorate and honor Veteran’s Day, replacing it with a “Peace Assembly,” leaving some parents “disgusted” by the decision.
— Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) November 9, 2023
Read 👇🏻https://t.co/wb92CZUX1c
The father who spoke to KTTH host Jason Rantz explained that in recent years, the school administration has “moved strongly away from pride in our traditions and American history.” He added that “we should be taking the time to show our children and our community that we have brave men and women who are willing to stand up and fight for our freedom and the peace that other places in the world can only dream of.”
At least ten other schools will host their annual Veterans Day assembly. Reportedly, Benjamin Rush Elementary is the only one breaking from the tradition.
“I remember three years ago, sitting next to a parent who had recently moved to America from Germany,” the father explained. “She was sitting there with tears in her eyes. Afterward, she explained to me that she was blown away with the patriotism and American pride.”
The father added that that kind of experience “will now be missed.”