Yet Another Decision Made in the Name of "Political Correctness"
Moms View Message Board: The Kitchen Table (Debating Board): Yet Another Decision Made in the Name of "Political Correctness"
I don't know if this belongs here, but I figured it would be better safe than sorry. I heard yesterday that the Tiverton, RI school committee has banned The Easter Bunny and Easter eggs, and any mention of the word "Easter" from school activites.
Apparently, the elementary school in Tiverton was having a craft fair today with a visit from the Easter Bunny and an Easter egg hunt for the kids. Well, the chairman of the school committee (who was raised Roman Catholic) has gotten the school committee to approve a vote to call the Easter Bunny "Peter Rabbit" and the Easter egg hunt just an "egg hunt". While some parents argued that neither icons have a "Christian" origin or meaning, the school committee said that calling them by the former names still promotes one religion over another. (I don't know how to post a thread or I would).
When is this nonsense going to stop? We claim that we want our children to be open-minded and tolerant, and yet we always have to make sure that we aren't "offending" someone. (And this wasn't even in response to a complaining parent, like some of these are). If they served Matzoh and had a study unit about Passover, I wouldn't be upset. I'm not Jewish, but I have always wanted my children to know about other cultures and belief systems. Knowledge and education is the best preventative against bigotry and hatred.
Had similar issues with the Christmas Program this year at our school.. The Junior/Senior choirs sing at a local Church the weekend before Christmas. (winter program is at the High school and they perform there too, but songs like Winter Wonderland, Sleigh ride...) This has always been a traditional Christmas/Christian based program.. Thus, just the Juniors/Seniors and conducted at a Church.. Well.. The county prosecutor decided this wasn't PC and he a Jewish man insisted that the board of education insist that the choral director change up the songs they had been practicing and add a couple of Hanukkah songs.. No problem, except... This is a traditional thing with the school, has been since the school started (Gosh knows how long ago) same church (built in 1800's) and we are talking weeks before they were to preform.. All good, but who benefited from it??? Not the kids, they don't even know what they sang as the songs where in Hebrew.. I believe in learning everything you can about everyone you can and about everything you can... But I don't think this served any purpose other than throwing his weight around.... Because if he truly was wanting PC he would have made sure the kids knew what they were sining... Otherwise, it just pleased him, which doesn't seem all together PC to me..
Clarifying, his dd is the only Jewish child in the Junior/Senior choir..
People are so overly sensitive now. I mean, should non-Catholics get offended that the death of the Pope was worldwide news, for days (weeks?), or Christians every time they see a Star of David displayed somewhere? Maybe we should throw fits because they sell Buddhas in kiosks in the mall, I mean why should your average person be subjected to looking at something that doesn't directly relate to them? Grow up, stop creating the horrible connotations towards every little object that defines groups, beliefs, and ideas as unique. All of that time spent worrying about sanitizing holidays could be better spent exploring other cultures and religions.
I do think the Easter Bunny thing was silly.
But, please remember, ladies, there is a big difference between school-sponsored events (which the craft fair and the choral presentations were) and the rest of the world. The thread underlying the Supreme Court decisions is that tax dollars should not be used to fund events which appear to favor or promote one faith over another. The Court, in its wisdom and knowledge of human nature, differentiates between what school children are required to participate in under the aegis of school authority using tax dollars, and what the average citizen is exposed to at a public mall funded by private dollars. The
Court's intent is not to keep people from being exposed to different religions and their symbols, but to prevent the use of tax dollars to promote one religion over another and to prevent people in authority from requiring "impressionable" children under their care to participate in something that promotes one religion over another. School children, especially, cannot realistically "opt out". By this, I mean that the choir participants, if they wanted to stay in the choir, had no choice but to sing Christian Christmas songs (not the secular songs they sang at the school performance) at a church - which does appear to favor one religion over another.
I would hope that the Jewish man whose daughter was in the choir first went to the choir director to discuss the matter before going to the school board, but still, from my understanding of the Supreme Court rulings, he is on valid ground. I suspect he could even have, legitimately and legally, demanded that the church presentation be scratched.
The Easter Bunny, however, has its roots in pre-Christian fertility traditions, and imo shouldn't, to any Christian, have anything to do with Easter. The modern Easter Bunny tradition, like Santa Claus and Christmas trees, appears to have its roots in Germany.
It's hard for school officials and others to draw the line between what's legal and what is PC silliness, and sometimes just one person who doesn't think things through and doesn't understand either the purpose of the Court's rulings or the event about which s/he is concerned, can persuade or push a group into something silly. I'm reminded of the New England prep school that didn't observe Mothers Day because not all of the children had mothers and would hence feel excluded.
Still, why is a school having an Easter Egg hunt as part of a craft fair? The one has nothing to do with the other, except for proximity on the calendar. Why doesn't the local church sponsor the Easter Egg hunt, if people want this activity? I am guessing that this was someone's last minute idea solely because of the calendar proximity, to amuse the children. Frankly, having seen some Easter Egg hunts and the chaos and hurt feelings (and sometimes hurt children) that often results, that is the last thing I'd want to have on school grounds.
Clarifying, his dd is the only Jewish child in the Junior/Senior choir..>>>
I would sort of see this as a reason to go the extra mile and include her relious tradition in the event.
It's also a great opportunity for the church. I mean heck, where do christianity's roots lie? Aren't those roots worth celebration?
As for the OP, I'm with Ginny on the OP I think.
Except, it wasn't school sponsored beyond the deciding what songs to sing out of the choral records, during school hours and it isn't required (winter concert however is)... The kids and the choral director practice at the church out side of school time and for free, they are family/self driven to all events related to this. No funds are given to the church and they print the hand outs as a contribution to the function.. Thus no school tax dollars were spent... So unless it is because it was a Junior/Senior Choir, I can't see where said rules would apply and beyond our county I can't see where he would have anything to say about this Christmas concert, as far as taking legal steps to prevent it that is. Basically, It was seen as the powers that be appeasing the man they might have to stand against in time.. cushing favor... His own daughter was the one to complain to the kids about it and tell them what was going on.. The Choral director just stepped up to the task, as I am sure there would have been issues if she hadn't..
And No he didn't talk to her about it, he talked to the men on the school board and waited to do so knowing for months it was coming.. It came down on her through the chain of comand... I only know that part because I am an active choir mom.
Dawn, these are Juniors and Seniors... They know where the bases of Christianity started.. They actually learn that in Diversity, for those that would happen to have made it to 16 -18 years old not knowing. They learn about all Religions in this class, when they started, who started them and what their bases of belief is..
That is beyond the point.... the point is, someone took a tradition and twisted it up and made it about exclussion..
Ditto Hol's last paragraph and Crystal. It's getting O-L-D. As a former teacher, we could talk about Santa Claus, Kwanzaa, and Jewish holiday traditions but a mention of "Jesus" was out of the question completely. WHAT?!! The Easter Bunny has NOTHING to do with religion, so if you talk about the Bunny you p*** off the Christians and if you don't talk about the bunny you p*** off everyone in-between. You cannot win.
I personally want my child to be aware of different religions and how they celebrate (or don't celebrate) holidays. I have friends who do not celebrate Halloween or the Easter Bunny aspect of Easter, and they couldn't care less what the school is discussing. They know what THEY are teaching their children to believe and they are confident in that. I have so much respect for that attitude because it's the truth! Furthermore, if my friend felt strongly that she did not want her child to attend an Easter party at school with a focus on the Bunny and chose to pull her from the party, I have respect for that as well. That is her right and her belief. The ONLY problem here is when people insist that their wishes are catered to, and what is that teaching their children? Nothing good can come from that as an example for your child. JMHO.
When you realize your child is playing with a neighbor who is a bad influence, you don't ask the kid to move. You keep your child from associating with the neighbor as much as possible. You make a conscious decision to remove your child from situations with the neighbor, causing as little stir as you can in the best interest of everyone.
This political correctness of religion is just so old and played out. Talking about making people intolerant - this is exactly the way to do it IMO.
Hol, i completely 100% agree with you.
*didn't have time to read the other posts here*
Emily had a classmate, who was a Jehovah's witness. Her mom just kept the child home, until 10am, the day they had the special breakfast, for Dr. Seuss' birthday. I didn't have a problem with that. She didn't make the party stop, just because her child couldn't attend.
Amen Dawn! Same here, had a friend in school who was also JW and she just didn't participate in certain things. They never seemed mad at anyone about it, or like they weren't being treated fairly. They held a certain belief and they just stuck to it by removing the girl for 2 hours.
That happens in my sons class. I don't know their faith, but since pre-k there is a little girl who colors when they sing Halloween songs and I always hear them call her for early dismissal the day of the Halloween party. They don't have a halloween party anymore, its a "fall festival". Now that I think about it, our mall has had peter rabbit instead of an Easter Bunny since I've been a mom. I never thought it had to do with religion, I thought they just changed the display since I was a kid.
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