Attacks On Christmas Begin Early

Posted on October 3, 2006

Hasn’t this politically correct mentality gotten out of control enough? Talk about slippery slope…now kids can’t even celebrate the non-religious traditions of Christmas because it might make someone might associate them with Christmas? This has gotten beyond ridiculous!

For more than a week, Mary Anne Bender helped her 10-year-old daughter learn her Christmas pageant lines and daydream about what costume she’d sew for the after-school play at Windmill Point Elementary.

But on the second day of practice, fifth-grader Kayla Vance was told she can’t play Mrs. Claus in A Penguin Christmas because the principal has axed any mention of the word “Christmas” in holiday festivals.

Criticized last year by a parent who demanded strict separation of church and state issues, Principal Bernadette Floyd has decided instead to take a more generic approach to holidays, school district spokeswoman Janice Karst says.

“It was an unfortunate set of circumstances,” said Karst, noting the school’s music teacher was unaware of Floyd’s policy. “Any reference to a religious holiday has the potential to offend anyone who is not part of that particular persuasion.”

Although Karst said Floyd told her there will be “many opportunities” for Kayla to perform during holidays this school year, Bender said the principal told her there’s not enough time to reschedule a different holiday play or sing-along this winter.

“The only alternatives she told me about are in the spring,” Bender said. “I feel like I have the principal that canceled Christmas.”

Floyd did not return a phone call seeking comment, but Karst said principals across the district have moved away from religious-specific celebrations centered around Christmas and Easter and instead staged “winter wonderlands” and “spring flings.”

Windmill Point parent Heather Cowart, mom to third-grader Logan, said she was upset last year when Logan’s teacher demanded he not bring Santa cupcakes, candy canes or other Christmas-themed treats to a “holiday party.” Even donations of canned goods to the needy had to be wrapped in newspaper, not traditional wrapping paper, Cowart said.

Meanwhile, Parkway Elementary School had a Christmas tree in the front lobby last year, and other schools have enjoyed visits from the jolly old elf himself, the parents said.

“I don’t understand why these secular things are being taken away from our young children,” Cowart said. “Last year Logan got in trouble for saying ‘Christmas’ in class. Is that a bad word now?”

I have gotten several emails talking about sending Christmas cards to the ACLU. I understand the motive behind this, but maybe your money could be better utilized elswhere than to just throw it away on a symbolic gesture that is unlikely to cause any impact. This kind of mentality doesn’t even need the ACLU to push it anymore. It has sunk into the mindset of many schools and in trying to play it safe many over-reach. The Alliance Defense Fund usually send out letters to schools around the Christmas season advising them of their rights, what they can and can’t do legally, etc. Save the money you would waste on a stamp to send the ACLU a Christmas card. Maybe give the money you would have thrown away to a more worthy cause like the Alliance Defense Fund.

» Filed Under 1st Amendment, ACLU, Christmas, Church And State, News

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11 Responses to “Attacks On Christmas Begin Early”

kerwin_brown on October 3rd, 2006 8:47 am

Get parent protest groups going. If one parent can get the mention of Christmas removed then a group of parents should be able to get it put back. Demand the principle resign. If you tolerate it then you will get run over because that is the way the world is. It is also a teaching moment for the children as they can learn to protest and get petitions going. When Americans say it is enough and start doing more but grumbling then more will be done.
Sailnsouth on October 3rd, 2006 10:28 am

This again is another example where everyone gets hung up on schools. It is not unreasonable for children to have one neutral place in their lives where there is no form of proselytizing. Those same children can celebrate all they want at home, they can go caroling or dress up like wise men if they want to. Just keep schools a neutral place for children.

Also this will help reintroduce children and our society to the many non-Christian aspects of the year end season that all stem from celebrations of the Winter Solstice.

There were celebrations at the Spring equinox for thousands of years before the Christians made it Easter. It was celebrated as a time of rebirth and the time when new crops would grow which is why Christians chose that time for the rebirth of Christ.

Christmas is not just for Christians anymore.
Jay on October 3rd, 2006 10:39 am

Please read before posting. This case has nothing to do with the religious symbols of Christmas.
Sailnsouth on October 3rd, 2006 11:01 am

It has everything to do with keeping schools neutral. It is natural that school employees will have difficulty interpreting how the season should be celebrated, why make such a big issue of that.

Children will have fun at this time of year just in other ways. You have every right to send a Christmas card to whomever you please.
Jay on October 3rd, 2006 12:19 pm

I think it is the secularist that make this into an issue.
Jay on October 3rd, 2006 12:20 pm

Once again I suggest reading before making statements showing you don’t even know what issue we are talking about. This has nothing to do with anyone’s “right” to send Christmas cards either.
Sailnsouth on October 3rd, 2006 2:27 pm

This thread is also made up of the comments to it. Your first commenter wants to eliminate the principal involved and get the students involved in protests. To some readers that represents intolerance to change and dangerous talk. Why is it that we should eliminate those who don’t do what you want them to do.

The title is “Attacks on Christmas Begin Early” At the least this is an ongoing whimpering about someone stealing Christmas from America usually the ACLU is the scapegoat. Sorry if I missed any of the deeper meaning of this post.

The fact is the US is becoming more secular anyway and rather than having something taken away it is just reflecting peoples changing beliefs including the beliefs of some to have nothing at all.

However Christmas is alive and well. It isn’t really attacked merely privatized.
Jay on October 3rd, 2006 2:30 pm

No one’s beliefs are changing towards Christmas. People are just being told to shut up about their beliefs.
loboinok on October 3rd, 2006 3:38 pm

Just keep schools a neutral place for children.
It is obvious that you have no clue as to what you are talking about.

You are not advocating neutrality when you suggest… Also this will help reintroduce children and our society to the many non-Christian aspects of the year end season that all stem from celebrations of the Winter Solstice.
You, and many like you, want to replace one religion with another religion. There is nothing neutral about that.

If you support the homosexual agenda being pushed in our schools, you are not neutral, you support replacing Christianity with Humanism and Paganism, thats not neutral.

It is not unreasonable for children to have one neutral place in their lives where there is no form of ~~proselytizing~~ homosexuality. Those same children can celebrate all they want at home, they can go parading or dress up like ~~wise men~~ transvestites if they want to. Just keep schools a neutral place for children.
Does that work for you, Sailnsouth?

There were celebrations at the Spring equinox for thousands of years before the Christians made it Easter.
So what. This country was born 230 years ago of Christianity not paganism.

With Christianity, you are constitutionally free to believe in and practice paganism or whatever else you like. The reverse is not true. The attempt now is to push out and kill off Christianity which you advocate in your own statements.

Christians didn’t make Easter, Easter made Christians.

which is why Christians chose that time for the rebirth of Christ.
That’s just an ignorant and non-sensical statement.
kerwin_brown on October 3rd, 2006 4:25 pm

SailnSouth,

“It is not unreasonable for children to have one neutral place in their lives where there is no form of proselytizing. ”

Do you realize that neutral would allow everyone to proselyte in a free speech format and not a place where their free speech is and religious expression is oppressed.

I learned about classical Greek and Roman religion in school even though they called it mythology. I have to admit that calling it mythology was biased.
FREEDOM-FIGHTER on October 3rd, 2006 8:09 pm

Please Read below:

ACLU’s Communist founder, Roger said…”We are for socialism,disarmament and ultimately for abolishing the state itself. We seek the social ownership of property and the sole control of those who produce wealth. Communism is the Goal.”

Now how many of you are familiar of what else Communism abolished in the past in Russia for example and for some time China? Do some homework and you will see why the ACLU is attacking anything that relates to Christianity in any shape or form.

Children should be happy in what ever surroundings they are in and this includes the looking forward to celebrating Christmas. To those who would be offended I say… “IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT EITHER DENOUNCE YOUR CITIZENSHIP AND LEAVE THE COUNTRY AND TO THOSE WHO WISH TO CRAM THEIR BELIEFS OR THE LACK OF IT DOWN LEGAL AMERICANS THROATS WHO WANT TRADITIONAL CELEBRATIONS AS CHRISTMAS TO DESTROY YEARS OF AMERICAN TRADITIONS GO BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM. AND DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO AND STAY THERE”. TO THE ACLU I SAY BUTT OUT BEFORE WE WE BUTT HEADS.