Teacher who rejected The Star-Spangled Banner faces fury as parents decorate the school area with US flags

By
Monica Pop
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Kristin Pitzen, a radical leftist teacher working at Back Bay High School, Orange County, California, enraged a huge number of parents as well as people from all over the country after she posted a video on TikTok explaining how she forced the kids pledge allegiance to the LGBT rainbow flag she put in her classroom before taking the Star-Spangled Banner down.

In the video, she could be seen laughing as she’s speaking of the incident. The school, however, didn’t find her action funny. On the contrary, the Newport-Mesa Unified School District removed Pitzen from the classroom as an investigation regarding the incident is being carried out.

“A personal post by a teacher about the American flag is causing alarm/concern,” the official account for the district stated. “Respecting our flag is a value we instill in students and is an expectation of our staff. We take this matter with extreme seriousness and are investigating and addressing it.”

In the one-minute video, the teacher explains that the American flag had made her feel “uncomfortable.”

“My kid today goes, ‘Hey, it’s kind of weird that we just stand and we say it to nothing.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh well, I gotta find it. I’m working on it. I got you,’” Pitzen says in the video while laughing. “In the meantime, I tell this kid, ‘We do have a flag in the class that you can pledge your allegiance to,’” she continues.

“And he like, looks around and goes, ‘Oh, that one?’” she says as she point the camera towards the rainbow flag.

The parents of the kids from Pitzen’s classroom, as well as other members of the community, decided to express their anger and disapproval of the teacher’s act by decorating the school area with American flags. They also included rainbow flags in an attempt to spread a message that they don’t have anything against the LGBTQ community, they only want the Star and Stripes to be respected as expected.

The follow up story was shared on TikTok by the same user that shared the video of Pitzen.

“I’m in full support of the Pride community, but I don’t compare the Pride flag to the American flag — they’re apples and oranges,” Stephanie Cox, one of the mothers who helped spread a huge American flag on Monday explained.

“Have the Pride flag, but we’re not saying the Pledge of Allegiance to it. That’s for the flag of the United States of America,” she added.

Another woman, Julieanne Papa, said: “We live in a free country, so people can do what they want, but they should be respectful of others. It’s like they’re pushing their own agenda on these kids, and it’s their personal view, nothing they should be teaching in school.”

Newport-Mesa school board President Karen Yelsey said she was very disappointed and outraged especially because this comes at a time when the nation is still mourning the loss of the 13 soldiers who lost their lives in the Kabul bombing.

Group of bikers lines up at girl’s lemonade stand after her mom helped them during crash

By
Monica Pop
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Many times, even the tiniest acts of kindness can go a long way, and although those who do good deeds don’t really expect anything in return, paying them back must feel great.

It was September 2, 2018, when a woman named Daryn Sturch from Chili, Indiana, was on the road with her daughter. As they were driving, they came across an accident on the road. Being a nurse, Daryn knew she needed to get out of her car and provide help to the injured passengers. She ran towards them as fast as she could and did all in her power to keep them awake until ambulance arrived.

“I told my daughter I need to help and ran up to assist,” Daryn recalled as speaking to WRTV. “I learned later that the victims were affiliated with a group called Miwaukee Iron.”

“I stayed with them and did the best I could to triage them and keep them awake and calm,” she told Yahoo Lifestyle.

Eager to learn if everyone was safe and sound, Daryn got in touch with the bikers through their Facebook group. Luckily, they all survived and were doing great. The best thing is that they all remained very good friends.

One day, around a year after the accident, the bikers decided to do something for Daryn and her daughter Bryanne. Namely, they learned that 8-year-old Bryanne decided to hold a lemonade stand in order to raise money for equipment for her horse. The bikers Daryn and told her they will be there for some lemonade on September 15.

Believe it or not, around 30 bikers got in a queue waiting to get a glass from Bryanne. It truly was a sight to behold. Needless to say, the girl was over the moon to have so many costumers that day.

“[Bryanne] was so happy and surprised, and afterwards she told me she thought there were nice people in the world,” Daryn said. “They came through and made her day.”

Some of them were the victims of the accident that took place a year prior and Daryn was glad to see them.

It looks like that despite their rough looks, most bikers are just gentle giants.

“I think it’s a perfect example of how just because you don’t look the same way or dress the same way or have the same hobbies or interests doesn’t mean we don’t have the same core values inside us,” Daryn said. “We shouldn’t make assumptions about people, we should just love each other.”

What a beautiful story!

Virginia Supreme Court rules in favor of teacher who refused to refer to transgender students by their preferred pronouns

By
Monica Pop
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PE teacher Byron “Tanner” Cross was placed on paid administrative leave after he took a stand during a board meeting back in May and refused to refer to the transgender students by their preferred names and pronouns. Among the rest, Cross said in his speech: “I’m a teacher, but I serve God first, and I will not affirm that a biological boy can be a girl and vice versa because it’s against my religion.”

Once he was forbidden to step on the school’s ground, he sued Loudoun County Public Schools for violating his right to free speech and free exercise of religion as granted under the Virginia Constitution.

After Loudoun County Circuit Court ruled in favor of Cross, now the Virginia Supreme Court has done the same.

“Cross was opposing a policy that might burden his freedoms of expression and religion by requiring him to speak and interact with students in a way that affirms gender transition,” the 14-page justices wrote, as reported by The Washington Post. “Although the [Loudoun school] Board may have considered Cross’ speech to be ‘a trifling and annoying instance of individual distasteful abuse of a privilege,’ we believe Cross has a strong claim to the view that his public dissent implicates ‘fundamental societal values’ deeply embedded in our Constitutional Republic.”

Cross is now again able to do his job as a PE teacher as his lawsuit proceeds through county circuit court.

“Good news! The Virginia Supreme Court rejected Loudoun County Public Schools’ appeal, affirming the Circuit Court’s decision to reinstate Leesburg Elementary School teacher Tanner Cross,” Alliance Defending Freedom Vice President Michael Friel tweeted. The ADF is known for getting involved in lawsuits that question the rights of transgender people.

As reported by Fox News, Tyson Langhofer, ADF senior counsel, wrote in a statement that “teachers shouldn’t be forced to promote ideologies that are harmful to their students and that they believe are false, nor should they be silenced for commenting at a public meeting.”

For more on the story go to the video below. You can take a look at Cross’ speech from May this year here.

Parents give daughter hilarious gift for dorm room as she’s heading to college

By
Monica Pop
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A lot of parents have trouble accepting the fact that their children grew up and are no longer their little babies. And occasion when reality hits hard is when the kids are about to leave the family home and go to college where they experience what it feels like to be independent.

David and Whitney Scott of Arkansas made the most of it when their daughter Emma headed to college this year and decided to play around with her and make some incredibly precious memories along the way.

Being professional photographers, David and Whitney knew that Emma’s reaction to their surprise would end up with some cool photos, but what they didn’t know was that those photos will go viral for all the right reasons.

“As Emma heads to Harding University next week to begin her Freshman year, Whitney was looking for something for her dorm room that would convey love, provide reassurance as possibly embarrass her to her core,” David posted on Facebook on August 11. “I think we found it. And yes, she’s thrilled.”

Along with this caption came a hilarious photo of Emma posing next to an enormous blanket with a life-size photo of her parents and a pillow with her brother’s and her dog’s faces printed on it.

Emma probably expected something like this because her parents have always “teased” her, like when they yelled “I love you” at her from the school drop-off line. Of course, she doesn’t get angry at them, on the contrary, she loves their spirits.

“Since before she was born, we have looked forward to the teenage years when we could have a little fun embarrassing her with all our parental love,” Whitney told Fox News.

“It’s done,” David posted on August 18. “Our sweet girl is off on a new adventure at Harding University. It was a long day of travel, unpacking and decorating, but that’s the way we wanted it. Every moment is a blessing. She made it! We made/will make it. Most importantly, that blanket and pillowcase made it!”

Although Emma rolled her eyes at the unusual present, her mom and dad say she secretly loves it.

One thing is certain, this girl is lucky to have David and Whitney as her parents. They rock, don’t they?

Woman known for her incredible fudge leaves famous recipe on her headstone

By
Monica Pop
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Why people engrave epitaphs on their loved ones’ gravestones is because they want to leave words of wisdom, share the most important values of the deceased, or simply summarize their life. We have seen unusual gravestones over the years, but that of a couple named Kathryn “Kay” and Wade Andrews is not only uncommon, but truly beautiful too.

During her life, Kay used to make her special fudge for her family for every occasion, whether it was a celebration of some sort or just a quiet and relaxing day at home.

Source: Tumblr – Peter Morwood

When her husband died in 2000, she and her children decided to engrave images which reflected milestones from his life on the gravestone. That is when Kay decided to share with her family how her gravestone should look like. She asked them to place her famous fudge recipe on it. When she died, her five kids did exactly that.

Now everyone who visits her and Wade’s grave can see the famous recipe.

Source: YouTube Screenshot – FOX 13 News Utah

In case you wonder what it takes to make the perfect fudge, according to Kay’s gravestone, that’s two squares of chocolate and two tablespoons of butter. Once the butter melts on low heat add in a cup of milk and bring it to a boil. Next, add three cups of sugar to the milk and butter, a teaspoon of vanilla and a pinch of salt. Then beat the mixture while it cools so that it acquires a smooth, creamy consistency.

For the chocolate, cook it to a softball stage and place it onto a marble slab. Next, simply “cool, beat, and eat,” exactly as Kay’s gravestone says.

Source: YouTube Screenshot – FOX 13 News Utah

Kay and Wade fell in love with each other the moment they laid eyes on one another. At the time, she was studying fashion design in New York and he was serving in the Air Forces. And although they were forced to be at different places, they knew they were meant to be.

When the war ended, they got married and raised five beautiful children together.

Source: YouTube Screenshot – FOX 13 News Utah

Their legacy will live forever through their gravestone which describes the lives they lead.

For more on the story go to the video below.

Air Force veteran honors fallen troops with 13 empty seats at Texas Roadhouse

By
Monica Pop
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American troops first stepped foot on Afghan soil some 20 years ago. They fought not only for liberty, but for freedom from terror too. The military operation officially ended on August 30, one day earlier than planned. Unfortunately, in an attempt to flee the country, civilians died and many didn’t even manage to take any of the flights that were supposed to take them to better places.

Sadly, 13 American service members were killed in a suicide bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan, just five days before the troops were about to live the country entirely. Among those killed in the attack was a 20-year-old marine who was born when this war started and died when it ended.

According to the official Overseas Contingency Operations report’s casualty summary, since the start of the military operation, 20,727 members of the U.S. military were wounded and a total of 2,475 lost their lives in combat.

The world watched in shock as the Taliban got complete control of Afghanistan.

As anger and grief filled the hearts of every American, one veteran from Port St. Lucie, Florida paid tribute to the 13 soldiers in his own way. Air Force veteran Jordan Vanderflier reserved a table for 14 at Texas Roadhouse. One place at the table was for him, and the rest were for the fallen soldiers.

“The initial reaction was let’s accommodate. So it was immediately all hands on deck, there were four of us scrambling. Pouring beers, getting the table set up,” said Rick Kirk, managing partner at Port St. Lucie’s Texas Roadhouse.

Jordan lost a very good friend in Afghanistan in the past and he could feel the pain of the families of the soldiers killed last week.

“They deserved the true respect and recognition to be able to have something like this, you know, as a reminder of, ‘Hey, you’re at this restaurant right now because these guys are away from their families, you know, risking their lives for us every day,’” he said.

Credit: Twitter

Jordan’s photos went viral and people were thanking him for his act. As a result, the restaurant decided to have the table reserved in the next 13 days.

Rest in peace, soldiers, you died heroes!

Man transforms an old school bus into the ultimate home on wheels

By
Monica Pop
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When it comes to choosing the perfect place to live in, different people have different desires. While some dream of huge houses and mansions and work hard to afford such places, others prefer smaller homes.

Craig Gordinier, 28, served in US Coast Guard for 8 years. However, after he left the service, he had a hard time settling in and finding a job. The pandemic struck and many business closed, so he was left wondering what to do with his life. At the time, Craig was living with his parents who were more than happy to offer him a place to stay. However, he wasn’t happy sleeping on their couch and decided to take things in his own hands.

“March, April, and May was just so difficult. Because of COVID, I knew I wasn’t going to find a job. The way that life was looking, I had everything taken from me,” he told Insider.

Namely, while serving, Craig met a friend who was living in an RV, so he thought that adjusting a huge vehicle to a home was a good idea and now his loft on wheels is gathering the attention of many.

“There was always that one guy who either lived in a van or in an RV who was saving a bunch of money,” he said. “I never really wanted to do it until last year when I started actually planning out my life and I got to the end and I realized how much I actually would like it.”

Finally, after an exhaustive search, Craig wound exactly what he was looking for. “I started looking at sprinter vans and trailer and tiny homes and buses, and I finally found the perfect bus that was in South Dakota. I flew out there, and I bought the bus,” he explained.

With a lot of hard work and creativity, Craig managed to turn the bus into the perfect living space. The first thing he did was push up the roof about 20 inches in his “living room” and deck out the lower storage area in order to make some space for his motorcycle. He also installed solar panels and a roof deck. Inside, he built a nice kitchen with an espresso-bar and a nice bathroom with a shower.

“Just because houses have rooms does not mean that a bus needs to have rooms,” Craig told Insider. “It feels like a mansion on wheels.”

For a tour inside this perfect tiny home on wheels take a look at the video below. We can definitely see ourselves living in this bus.

Jane Fonda’s outfit from the Golden Globes attracted the attention of many

By
Monica Pop
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The name Jane Fonda speaks of success and fame probably more than any other female name in the film industry. Her career spans six decades, time during which she gave her fans many memorable roles.

Some may say that being the daughter of the legendary actor Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda didn’t have to work hard for what she has, but that is certainly not the case with the now 83-year-old actress.

Shutterstock

She was born in New York city on December 21, 1937, and her mother committed suicide when Fonda was only 12 years old. This was something that affected her deeply. She and her dad were close, but he wasn’t a man of many words. Speaking of him, Fonda told Oprah, “My father didn’t verbalize much, but I knew he had regrets, and I don’t want to.

“I want to have people around me who really love me, whom I really love. And I know that you can’t collect those chips unless you’ve earned them during your life. What that said to me was that I had one act left to make sure I didn’t get to the end with regrets.

“What would I regret the most? My big regret would be if I’d never had an intimate relationship. But if you never grew up with intimacy, if you were never with parents who really loved each other, and you never saw that and absorbed it as a kid, it’s hard to know how to do it.”

Known not only for her films and the great number of awards she has received, among which many nominations and two Oscars, for her 1972 movie Klute and the 1979 movie Coming Home, but also for her charity work and her courage to speak her mind, Fonda is loved by many. However, during one occasion, she made people angry after she posed for photos next to an anti-aircraft gun in North Vietnam during the height of the anti-Vietnam War protests.

This year, during the Golden Globes Award Ceremony, Fonda received the Cecil B. DeMille Award given annually to an “individual who has made an incredible impact on the world of entertainment.” Among those who were honored with this reward are stars like Tom Hanks, Oprah Winfrey, Meryl Streep and Lucille Ball.

According to Page Six, Fonda said she knew her father would be proud of her. In her speech, she addressed the issue about the lack of diversity inside of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which votes on the awards.

Shutterstock

Another thing that attracted the attention of the wide public was Fonda’s choice of outfit. Some years ago, she told Ellen DeGeneres that she would never again buy a new piece of clothing, and she stood by her words. During the recent Golden Globe Ceremony, she was dressed in a white suit that she wore before.

During the 2020 Oscar’s, Fonda was dressed in the same outfit as at the International Cannes Film Festival in 2014.

What we can all agree on is that Fonda looked absolutely stunning and classy.

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