Death Records Now

The commissioner of New Jersey’s Department of Education ordered a review on Friday following the posting of a YouTube video depicting school children singing the praises of President Obama.

In a statement to FOXNews.com, Education Department spokeswoman Beth Auerswald said Commissioner Lucille Davy has directed the school’s superintendent to review the matter. Auerswald said Davy wants to ensure that students can celebrate Black History Month without "inappropriate partisan politics in the classroom."

"In addition, it is our understanding the teacher in question retired at the end of the last school year," the statement continued.

Auerswald declined to indicate exactly what the review would entail or possible ramifications.

As critics of the video claimed it amounted to "indoctrination," the tension at B. Bernice Young Elementary School escalated to such a degree Thursday that the school was placed temporarily on lockdown after its principal received death threats over a YouTube video that showed nearly 20 children being taught songs lauding the president, though back-to-school night events continuing as planned Thursday night at the school.

Video of the students at the Burlington, N.J., school shows them singing songs seemingly overflowing with campaign slogans and praise for "Barack Hussein Obama," repeatedly chanting the president’s name and celebrating his accomplishments, including his "great plans" to "make this country’s economy No. 1 again."

One song that the children were taught quotes directly from the spiritual "Jesus Loves the Little Children," though Jesus’ name is replaced with Obama’s: "He said red, yellow, black or white/All are equal in his sight. Barack Hussein Obama."

The video has set off some families in Burlington, who said they were horrified that their children at the being "indoctrinated" to view the president like a cult figure.

"I’m stunned — I can’t believe it’s our school," said Jim Pronchik, who told FOXNews.com his 8-year-old son Jimmy was one of the 18 students in the video. "We don’t want to praise this guy like he’s a god or an idol or a king or anything like that. That’s the wrong message to be sending."

Click here to see the full lyrics to both songs.

Pronchik said he and his wife were never informed about the lesson, which the superintendent of Burlington Township schools says was held in February as part of Black History Month "to honor the contributions of African Americans to our country."

But Andrea Ciemnolonski, the parent of another one of the students in the video, said the song was part of a second-grade project on a variety of topics related to the month of February, such as Groundhog Day, Valentine’s Day and Presidents Day.

"They did songs about President Washington, Lincoln, and they did do one about President Obama," Ciemnolonski said. "My daughter was in the class that did the songs about Obama. It was black history month. … It was something for the kids to celebrate."

Ciemnolonski said she "just can’t look at it as indoctrination," though she added, "The comparisons made were a little exuberant."

Superintendent Christopher Manno said in a written statement Thursday that the taping itself was out of order, but failed to address whether the lesson was approved. "The recording and distribution of the class activity were unauthorized," he wrote in a note to parents and the media.

Other families arriving at Bernice Young Elementary to pick up their children said they were outraged at the songs, which also tout a fair-pay bill Obama signed in January: "He said we must be clear today/Equal work means equal pay."

"I felt this was reminiscent of 1930s Germany, and the indoctrination of children to worship their leader," said Robert Bowen, father of two children at Bernice Young Elementary.

"I thought that if this was a civics class in say high school or upper level middle school, in might be appropriate to discuss policies or politics, but as far as children in first grade, second grade — those types of levels — it’s inappropriate to discuss how a president is changing the world after only six weeks in office."

Parents said the songs were performed in Elvira James’ second grade class. James, who refused to comment to FOXNews.com, retired at the end of the previous school year on a full pension in New Jersey.

Bowen said he thought there should be consequences for having provided such a one-sided lesson to impressionable students there.

"It’s something that there should be serious repercussions for … the administration here, and I think the school board needs to be answerable to the parents of the community," said Bowen. School board members did not respond to requests for comment.

Though the school was not planning to address the tape during back-to-school-night events, many parents were heading in with with a lot of questions about the tape.

"This video is disturbing," said a grandparent name
FOX NEWS PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!

wow i live in NJ and had no idea

CNSNews.com) – Attorney General Eric Holder has directed prosecutors in a federal conspiracy and murder trial not to seek the death penalty for three El Salvadoran men who are in the United States illegally.

The three are accused of robbing and shooting Claros Luna on July 29, 2009 in Alexandria, Va., just a few miles from the Justice Department, as Luna transported a prostitute from Maryland to Virginia.

The suspects, Eris Arguera, Alcides Umana and Adolfo Amaya Portillo, admitted to being members of the MS-13 gang, court documents show. They were indicted on Nov. 24 on federal racketeering and murder charges.

A Justice Department spokeswoman told CNSNews.com that the department would not comment on Holder’s decision not to seek the death penalty in the case. She directed CNSNews to an online “resource manual” stating that the attorney general’s decision-making process and final decision on whether to seek the death penalty is confidential.

But the manual also states that no information on the process can be disclosed outside the Justice Department “without prior approval of the Attorney General.”

According to court documents, in a letter dated Feb. 3, 2010, Attorney General Holder “authorized and directed” U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Neal McBride “not to seek the death penalty against Alcides Umana, Adolfo Portillo and Eris Ramon Arguera.”

McBride filed a corresponding document – Government’s Notice of Intent Not to Seek the Death Penalty – on Feb. 16.

Peter Carr, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Virginia, told CNSNews.com that Holder, as U.S. attorney general, makes death penalty decisions in federal cases. “The decision to pursue or not pursue the death penalty in a death-eligible case resides with the Attorney General, not the U.S. Attorney,” Carr said.

Court documents indicate that the death penalty at one time was being considered in the Salvadorans’ case.

Early on, a court-appointed attorney for one of the defendants was dismissed because he did not have the proper certification for a trying a death penalty case. Also, attorneys for one of the defendants entered a motion on Feb. 18 seeking to use a questionnaire that would eliminate jurors who might discriminate against Latinos. That questionnaire alluded to the death penalty.

Another motion by defense attorneys sought to keep gang affiliation from being part of the trial because of the possibility that it might bring a death sentence.

(Other questions for potential jurors included, “Do you believe people born in Central or South America deserve a lesser standard of justice or greater scrutiny because they are probably not really supposed to be here in the first place?” and “Do you believe people born in Central or South America deserve harsher punishment if they commit a crime because they are already accustomed to being uncomfortable and deprived?”)

An FBI press release issued the day after the three men were indicted by a grand jury stated that the case was under investigation by the FBI, Alexandria Police Department, Fairfax County and Arlington County Police Departments and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

ICE spokeswoman Cori Bassett said the immigration agency filed paperwork to begin deportation proceedings in case the men are not convicted or if they are released on parole. If that happens, the Salvadorans would be remanded to ICE custody.

“We do not have any record of ICE encounters with the individuals prior to 2009,” Bassett added.

The trial is set to begin on May 10 http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/63534

Will Napolitano sent them a thank you card…………w/ a personal note “welcome to Amercia, here’s how to get on the gravy train.“

Dee gangs weel keel heem.