Wal-Mart Has Police Remove Kids for Singing God Bless America to Honor 911 Victims

PEMBROKE PINES (CBSMiami) — Coconut Palm Elementary Principal Terri Thelmas, 75 students and their parents were kicked off Wal-Mart property Wednesday evening. Were they protesting the high price of school supplies? Nope. The Miramar principal and her students were simply trying to sing “God Bless America” to honor the fallen heroes of 9-11. According to Thelmas, the store manager gave her approval the week before to sing the one-minute song inside the Wal-Mart, located at Pines & Flamingo in Pembroke Pines. Around 7 p.m. Wednesday, the group showed up and the manager-on-duty told them they were a “liability” and that the kids would not be allowed to sing. So, the kids went outside the store to sing. That’s when things got ugly: the manager called Pembroke Pines police to have them removed from the property. Thelmas doesn’t understand why, on a day reserved for patriotism and reflection, Walmart was more concerned with lawsuits than exemplifying its commitment to the local community.