School principal to 10-year-old: No free speech for you!

Molly Shoul has been told by her principle that she will not be allowed to sing Pink’s Dear Mr. President at a school talent show because it is “inappropriate and too political.”

"This is a fifth-grade student that wants to perform a song filled with lyrics about drug use, war, abortion, gay rights and profanity," said district spokeswoman Nadine Drew. "This is an elementary school that includes kindergarteners and pre-K students."

Oh it’s “filled with lyrics about drug use, war, abortion, gay rights and profanity,” is it? Let’s take a look at those lyrics:

Dear Mr. President / Come take a walk with me / Let's pretend we're just two people and / You're not better than me / I'd like to ask you some questions if we can speak honestly

What do you feel when you see all the homeless on the street / Who do you pray for at night before you go to sleep / What do you feel when you look in the mirror / Are you proud

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry / How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye / How do you walk with your head held high / Can you even look me in the eye / And tell me why

Dear Mr. President / Were you a lonely boy / Are you a lonely boy / Are you a lonely boy / How can you say / No child is left behind / We're not dumb and we're not blind / They're all sitting in your cells / While you pave the road to hell

What kind of father would take his own daughter's rights away / And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay / I can only imagine what the first lady has to say / You've come a long way from whiskey and cocaine

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry / How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye / How do you walk with your head held high / Can you even look me in the eye

Let me tell you bout hard work / Minimum wage with a baby on the way / Let me tell you bout hard work / Rebuilding your house after the bombs took them away / Let me tell you bout hard work / Building a bed out of a cardboard box / Let me tell you bout hard work / Hard work / Hard work / You don't know nothing bout hard work / Hard work / Hard work / Oh

How do you sleep at night / How do you walk with your head held high / Dear Mr. President / You'd never take a walk with me / Would you

I see absolutely no reference to abortion, nothing about “gay rights,” and no profanity aside from the word “hell” used in the way anyone who attends church would hear it be used. As for reference to war, well, we’re at bloody war, and as for drug use, talk to the user-in-chief. If mentioning that is inappropriate in school, then request a change in the lyrics, don’t ban the song. Molly’s mom suspects that if the song were pro-administration, there wouldn’t be a problem, and I suspect she’s right.

Molly said Thursday she thought the song was "really cool" because it spoke about important subjects like war and homelessness.

Molly said she liked the way the song addressed the president directly.

"He should try to listen to what other people say, not just himself," she said.

Out of the mouths of babes.

Here’s the most pathetic part:

Assuming the decision stands, Molly said she plans to select a new song for the show later this month with a message she thinks school officials wouldn't object to: A hip-hop song about two girls fighting over a boy.

Yeah, that’s a much more appropriate message for the pre-K kids. Of course, something tells me that’s exactly the point Molly’s trying to make, clever girl. I’m suddenly having flashbacks to age 12, when I challenged a minister on the church’s position on women and got, “You’ll probably be a high school dropout and pregnant at 16!” as a response.

(Hat tip to Simply Left Behind, passed on by Shaker G.)