School Says Halloween Disrespectful to Witches

ABC News ^ | 10/21/2004 | ABC News

[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.

[ladylib]

It might be unrecognizable in as little as four.

[BaBaStooey]

hooray

[RockAgainsttheLeft04]

TO ALL:
First off, it's true that the Public Schools are NO PLACE to have an American tradition like Halloween overturned by a bunch of whiny liberal cultists. These Wiccans may be bat-s**t crazy, but that doesn't bother me as much as a small minority of the comments here do. It bothers me more when I have to deal with the nutballs on my own side every year than when I battle the traditionally wacko forces of "multiculturalism" that have attacked this school. If I hear one more "Halloween is for the devil....ahh, you're evil if you trick-or-treat" fruitbat in my lifetime, it'll be three too many. Get a life and leave me to my Oct. 31, you organ-grinding losers.


TO KIRKWOOD: Oh, and I sure hope you're joking about Potter, or else you don't know what the hell you're talking about. So-called children's books or not, some of the most magical, surprising, entertaining adventure stories of the past decade were Harry Potter books, and I've had a great time reading them to my little brother and sister when I visit them.

[Junior_G]

Halloween is evil because carving a pumpkin makes me want to carve someone's face.

LOL!!!

[Chad Fairbanks]

It amkes me want to drive down there, with a carved pumpkin, set the pumpkin in front of their door, stick a knife in it's face, that holds down a note that simply says "YOU!"...

Then ring the doorbell and run.

[ArGee]

But Willow would kick her ass, and I'm still annoyed with WB for cancelling Angel.

Still, Willow could barely do anything to touch a vampire, but hold up a cross, or holy water, or a Bible and BAM.

Wonder why there were never any Christians on those shows.

Shalom.

[ArGee]

She's a witch! Burn her!!! Burn her!!!

How do you KNOW she is a witch?

Shalom.

[ArGee]

OK, so Bill, Hillary, and Algore suddenly find themselves in Oz.

Hillary looks around and says, "So, this is Oz. Cool! You know what? I think I'll go find the Wizard and see if he'll give me a heart."

Algore looks around and says, "That's a great idea. I think I'll go with you. I want to find the Wizard and see if he'll give me a brain."

Bill looks around and says, "Where's Dorothy?"

Shalom.

[DaveTesla]

Under the desk.

[Kirkwood]

TO ALL: First off, it's true that the Public Schools are NO PLACE to have an American tradition like Halloween overturned by a bunch of whiny liberal cultists. These Wiccans may be bat-s**t crazy, but that doesn't bother me as much as a small minority of the comments here do. It bothers me more when I have to deal with the nutballs on my own side every year than when I battle the traditionally wacko forces of "multiculturalism" that have attacked this school. If I hear one more "Halloween is for the devil....ahh, you're evil if you trick-or-treat" fruitbat in my lifetime, it'll be three too many. Get a life and leave me to my Oct. 31, you organ-grinding losers.

TO KIRKWOOD: Oh, and I sure hope you're joking about Potter, or else you don't know what the hell you're talking about. So-called children's books or not, some of the most magical, surprising, entertaining adventure stories of the past decade were Harry Potter books, and I've had a great time reading them to my little brother and sister when I visit them.

Well, at least you're not a witch... YOU'RE A TROLL!!! Really, you need to learn to develop a sense of humor! I take it you've never seen any Monty Python, have you?

[RockAgainsttheLeft04]

A Troll? Now you're just being silly. Take a look at my 6-month voting history before you make such ridiculous allegations.

Oh, and I have quite a sense of humor when the mood strikes me. Check my tagline for proof (you can't possibly see Team America without laughing your b***s off). And I have seen a little bit of Monty Python in my time; the machine that goes *ping* from 'Meaning of Life' is my favorite bit.

This is just a misunderstanding. Sorry that I overreacted, but you fooled me with your 'Potter' post. I'm glad you've got your sanity, Kirkwood, because my point is that not all Freepers do. Do a search for Harry Potter threads and you will find that quite a few holier-than-thou pipecleaners are known to reside on this website. Another jerk would be the guy who tried to prove that Halloween was evil by quoting extremely vague Bible verses that don't even address Halloween.

Good day to you.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

Thanks, Jack. : )

[Libertina]

I read this D., some things make me so angry that I just have to turn them off. Let me see, the rats have taken away Easter (now Spring Break) Christmas ( not even a tree) and finally Halloween. (Christians can esad, but heaven forbid a "wicked-en" should be "marginalized or offended." The great outdoors can no longer be touched, only gazed upon. What we eat is being attacked, we should kill our unborn babies and "euthanize" our elderly. Liberals are carrying out evil and don't even realize it is Satan's plan.

[AFreeBird]

This comes partly from the liberal teachers loving Harry Potter books.

What do liberal teachers have to do with Harry Potter?

I like the HP books they're really pretty good. In some cases the characters and settings of HP tie into Holloween portrals of wiches. Not all mind you, but Rollings doesn't dress em all up like the good witch of the west or the Charmed girls (not that that's a bad thing mind you ;-/ ).

In fact, given that Harry and the gang seem to deal with the issues of Good vs. Evil, where evil is slain unless you wish to be slain or corrupted, and where self reliance, honor, duty and personal responsibiliity, it is a wonder the liberal teachers would be so enamoured with the books.

[AFreeBird]

portrals=portrayals

[Kirkwood]

Why is it that people who read Harry Potter books have ZERO sense of humor??? Did I ever say that conservatives don't enjoy the books? Did I say that I didn't enjoy the books too? I said that liberal teachers love these books. That is the truth. What is wrong with saying that? If I found a series of books that kids loved to read, I would love to get all of the kids hooked on them as well.

[shezza]

I also think that Halloween is incredibly insensitive to zombies, werewolves, and mummies.

I notice you didn't mention vampires. You got something against vampires?

[AFreeBird]

Woa dude, I have a hell of a sense of humor, a little dwry sometimes but its there. I wasn't attacking you, I was just making a coment on liberal teachers and how they relate to this issue.

[rdl6989]

PC gone way too far.

[demkicker]

Here's the all time best witch!