When the American colonists grew tired of being unfairly taxed and bullied by the British empire, they decided to fight back by declaring their independence. During a special program at Cornwall-on-Hudson Elementary School last week, students were taught some American history while learning how to stand up to bullies.
The Patriot Program, put on by the Wallkill Legion Post 1181 Coalition on Patriotism, aims to instill, in the youth of America, the values that made the United States “The land of the free and the home of the brave.”
The program started in 2015 in the wake of an Orange County school reciting the pledge in Arabic. It created a furor in the veteran community and a meeting with the district’s superintendent didn’t resolve anything. Jim Scali, the program’s founder, thought something needed to be done, so he created a video about the Founding Fathers and the American Revolution.
“I want students to remember how they got to live in a free country and who is responsible for it,” said Scali.
The program has since been put on in 72 schools in three counties.
Scali began the May 23 program by riling up the crowd of students. He asked them to say,” Liberty, freedom, and equality,” to which the children echoed back exuberantly. They cheered when Scali told them they were the most powerful force in the world today because they are the future of the greatest country on Earth.
After introducing himself and the other Legion members, Scali showed a brief video which explained what a veteran is and the branches that make up the nation’s armed forces.
The video touches on the 13 colonies, the Founding Fathers, and their pursuit of independence leading up to the drafting of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
As it states in the Declaration of Independence, all men are created equal. Scali told the students they should all be kind to each other. Those who break the rule are considered bullies. To put an end to bullying, Scali advised students not to laugh at what they say and do and instead tell an adult.
“Nobody has the right to touch you, take away your personal things, or call you names.”
Scali asked the potential bullies in the audience to think about what they’re doing. He said, “You’re going to lose all your friends because nobody likes a bully.”
The program concluded with a lesson about the origins of the flag, what the red, white, and blue represent, and why it originally had only 13 stars.
