Colorado students protest changes to history curriculum that promotes patriotism

Hundreds of Colorado students, upset over their school district's conservative-led school board's proposal "to focus history education on topics that promote citizenship, patriotism and respect for authority," walked out of classrooms today in protest, The Assosciated Press reports.

Students marched with American flags and signs with the slogan, "There is nothing more patriotic than protest."

The Jefferson County school board proposal would establish a committee to review course materials in history classes to ensure they "promote citizenship, patriotism, essentials and benefits of the free-market system, respect for authority and respect for individual rights" and don't "encourage or condone civil disorder, social strike or disregard of the law."

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Tori Leu, a 17-year-old student at one of the schools affected, said she regards the proposed curriculum as "censorship." "We should be able to know what happened in our past," she said.

Julie Williams, a member of the elected board who issued the controversial proposal — the vote on which was put on hold last week — said, "There are things we may not be proud of as Americans. But we shouldn't be encouraging our kids to think that America is a bad place."