Posted on 10/21/2004 10:26:22 AM PDT by DaveTesla
A letter sent home to parents Wednesday said there will
be no observance of Halloween in any of the district's
schools.
"We really want to make sure we're using all of our
time in the best interest of our students," Puyallup
School District spokeswoman Karen Hansen said.
The superintendent made the decision for three primary
reasons, Hansen said. First, Halloween parties and
parades waste valuable classroom time. Second, some
families can't afford costumes and the celebrations
thus can create embarrassment for children.
Both of those reasons seemed sensible to the parents
who spoke to ABC News affiliate KOMO-TV in Seattle. But
the district's third reason left some Puyallup parents
shaking their heads.
A Washington state school district is canceling its
annual Halloween celebration, and the explanation has
some parents baffled.
"Let them have their 30 minutes of dressing goofy and
having candy," Silas Macon, a father of two school-age
girls, said Wednesday outside Maplewood Elementary
School after learning that the grade-school tradition
of a party and parade in costume during the last half-
our of class before Halloween night won't happen this
year in the district.
The district said Halloween celebrations and children
dressed in Halloween costumes might be offensive to
real witches.
"Witches with pointy noses and things like that are not
respective symbols of the Wiccan religion and so we
want to be respectful of that," Hansen said.
Mmmm hmmmm. I get it.
Public schools no longer observe Christmas because they need to protect themselves from "evil" Christian religion.
Public schools will no longer observe Halloween because earth-loving pagan religions need to be protected.
Did I pass?
Now stamp my forehead and right hand.
"Witches with pointy noses and things like that are not respective symbols of the Wiccan religion and so we want to be respectful of that," Hansen said."
There is so much to say in response to this sort of inanity -- much of it has already been said by othjer FReepers here.
But let me just say this -- it is manifestly apparent that the "educators" who made this decision have never seen (or read) The Wizard of Oz. If they had, they would know that there are such things as "good witches" and "bad witches"
If some little girls choose to dress up for Halloween as "bad witches", why would the school want to stop them? And why would the school district not want to hurt the feelings of "bad witches"??
"The Wiccan faith has nothing to do with Halloween costume depictions. That would be like saying we should cancel Easter celebrations because it is disrespectful to barren women to hide eggs."
Easter celebrations are disrespectful to birds because they lay eggs. Ducks lay eggs. Ducks float. Witches float. So if a duck and a woman weigh the same, then she's a witch! Burn her!!!
>First, Halloween parties and
parades waste valuable classroom time.<
Why, we can't have these here chirruns having any fun, now, can we? Having fun is a waste of valuable classroom time.
Gee, I thought all the nuts were here in Calif. Were the black cats threatening to sue? (re: 9th circuit crt decision)
Halloween is disrespectful to its Catholic roots -- The Eve of All Hallows, All Saints Day on November 1st.
You Forgot Vampires....and you call yourself politically correct... pfft...
I'm Catholic and I don't see any disrespect at all. My daughter who attends Catholic Schools is going to a Halloween "boo fest" at the school. You might remember that Christmas was once a pagan holiday and that George W Bush was once a drunk.
Things do change...Thank God.
Actually, its originally a Pagan Holiday (Roman's Pomona Day and the Celtic festival of Samhain)..the Church's All Saints Day came after - to try to wipe the Pagan aspect out. It has nothing to do with Satan/devil...that aspect is pure 20th Century Hollywood nonsense.
LOL!
OMG...the stuff of nightmares!! (shiversssss)
Yeah, Yeah... and Christmas is disrespectful to bad little boys and girls..
This Wiccan enjoys the silly fun of Hallowe'en, and handing out candy to trick-or-treaters. Solemn Samhain ritual follows in the chilly autumn autumn woods. No conflict. No offense. And no child of mine will ever see the inside of one of these sick government schools.
At one time, Houston had a large wiccan population from what I've been told.
THROW WATER ON HER!
Pulled mine out about four years ago..
Wanted my stepson to cross dress during gay pride week.
My son and daughter could barely read.
All are fine now.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.