Fighting Back On Christmas Tidings
The Washington Post By Alan Cooperman.
Christmas and religious expression has buffered from years of legal assult. Christmas plays and observance in public schools, public display of Nativity scenes and Christmas trees have been attacted from the liberal and secular left until people are fighting back at a political corrrectness that is spiraling out of control, and not without success.
All over the country suits are either being filed, or threatened, to win acceptance of Nativity scenes, Christmas caroling, concerts and Christmas trees. A backlash is growing and battles are being won. The left has gone too far and is hostile to Christianity and religion.
Christmas and religious expression has buffered from years of legal assult. Christmas plays and observance in public schools, public display of Nativity scenes and Christmas trees have been attacted from the liberal and secular left until people are fighting back at a political corrrectness that is spiraling out of control, and not without success.
All over the country suits are either being filed, or threatened, to win acceptance of Nativity scenes, Christmas caroling, concerts and Christmas trees. A backlash is growing and battles are being won. The left has gone too far and is hostile to Christianity and religion.
Last year, a school administrator stopped Jonathan Morgan at the door to his classroom because the "goody bag" he had brought to a school party on the last day before Christmas vacation contained candy canes with a religious message attached. Titled "The Legend of the Candy Cane," it said the candy was shaped in a J for Jesus and bore a red stripe "to represent the blood Christ shed for the sins of the world."
This year, the 9-year-old and his evangelical Christian parents went straight to court. They were among four families who persuaded Judge Paul Brown, of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, to issue a temporary restraining order on Thursday securing their children's right to hand out "religious viewpoint gifts" at school-sponsored holiday parties.
Kelly Shackelford, the Liberty Legal lawyer who argued the case, said in a telephone interview that Supreme Court decisions since 1969 clearly have established that students do not give up free-speech rights when they walk through the school door. Expressions of religious faith that would be unconstitutional coming from a teacher in a classroom are acceptable among students as long as they do not "materially and substantially disrupt" school operations, he said.
Though much of the restrictions placed by public officials is due to hostility, a desire to avoid contgroversy and sometimes ignorance of acceptable policy causes undue contention. They treat it more like an enviromental issue as if to keep the air clear of religious polution.
On Friday, the ACLJ persuaded officials in Pasco County, Fla., to reverse their decision to remove Christmas trees from all public buildings. Daniel R. Johnson, an assistant county administrator, said the removal had been triggered by a request from a resident to put a Hanukah menorah next to the Christmas tree in the public library.
A federal judge in Florida on Wednesday ordered the town of Bay Harbor Islands to grant a resident's request to erect a creche next to a local synagogue's menorah on public property.
In Maplewood, N.J., Christian groups threatened to sue over the school district's policy of allowing secular songs, such as "Jingle Bell Rock," but not hymns, such as "Silent Night," at student concerts. In Mustang, Okla., voters angry over the school superintendent's decision to remove a Nativity scene from a student play helped defeat a $10.4 million bond issue to build a new elementary school.
Maybe there is at least some semblance of sanity breaking through the out of control polical correctness that has griped our country in the past several years. Not only has the first amendment freedom of speach been trampled, but the "prohibiting the free exercise" of religion as well.
A nine year old child giving a gift to another child with a religious message attached does not establish a state religion. Children singing Silent Night doesn't establish a state religion, especially when no one is forced to sing. Displaying a Nativity scene on public property does not establish a state religion, when a menorah or Islamic crescent is also allowed.
Michelle Malkin has posted some good news for the Bogota, N.J area.
Update: Power Line has a good take on the dimensions of the fight and refers to a strong debate going on from both sides at BuzzMachine.
A nine year old child giving a gift to another child with a religious message attached does not establish a state religion. Children singing Silent Night doesn't establish a state religion, especially when no one is forced to sing. Displaying a Nativity scene on public property does not establish a state religion, when a menorah or Islamic crescent is also allowed.
Michelle Malkin has posted some good news for the Bogota, N.J area.
Update: Power Line has a good take on the dimensions of the fight and refers to a strong debate going on from both sides at BuzzMachine.
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