True North

Yesterday I noted that, in her letter to the editor of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Minnesota state Rep. Mindy Greiling accused Star Tribune metro columnist Katherine Kersten of “reckless journalistic standards” and “gross distortion of facts” with respect to her two columns on the Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy.

Kersten's two columns on TIZA are accessible here (March 9) and here (April 9). Greiling's makes no case that supports her assertions regarding Kersten's columns about the school. Yet Greiling called for the Star Tribune to fire Kersten. Here is an overview of the statements Kersten made in her two columns:

The Facts:

1. TIZA’s strong religious connections date from its founding in 2003. Its co-founders, Zaman and Hesham Hussein, were both imams, or Muslim religious leaders, as well as leaders of the Muslim American Society of Minnesota (MAS-MN).

When I was a tadpole, long, long, (long) ago and went to public school we were taught a very simple concept: respect. Respect for the teacher. Respect for the principal. Respect for adults in general. But above all else, respect for our country.

We were taught real history back then. 1776, WWII, Alexander Graham Bell, Abraham Lincoln. We were taught (rightly) that this nation, this United States of America was a great and noble thing, something men had stood up and died for. Stood up and fought and died so that I would be safe and free to run around that playground and eat that nasty school lunch. And in order to help teach us little idiots respect we stood up every morning and recited the Pledge of Allegiance. We often sang My Country Tis Of Thee, as well.