Education

OK, Children, do you know what today is? That's right! Dia de los Muertos!

For the second year in a row, my childrens' school, Selby Grove elementary in Pico Rivera, did nothing for Veteran's Day while celebrating that great American holiday "Dia De Los Muertos," a Mexican festival having to do with one's dead ancestors. My daughter spent two weeks on her DDLM project, but didn't write one letter to a veteran or read one story of military heroism in class. Heck, I'd have gone over if they'd have asked.

Now, wouldn't you think that an American public school would emphasize a unifying secular holiday over an ethnicity-based, quasi-religious observance from another country?

It's not even that "Dia De Los Mertos" bothers me. It's just that I hate to see a rare opportunity for national reflection go to waste. Oh, well. I guess that's what parents are for: to teach American history and patriotism.