[kattracks]

In fact, no such thing is happening. This story has gotten attention because it's unusual, not because it's becoming a norm.

Just this Monday night, a hundred miles south of Maplewood, the Jersey township of Egg Harbor reversed an earlier decision and reinstated "Silent Night" to the Egg Harbor schools' annual holiday sing-along pageant.

But before they reinstated it they banned it. Just another "unusual" occurrence.

[DustyMoment]

But, before it was reinstated, schools were more than welcome to include such holiday favorites as:

I Wish You a Merry Jihad
Allah Rest You Merry Martyrs
Silent Fight
We Three Infidels
and, of course, that wonderful holiday favorite, Blow up the Jewish Settlement (They stole the Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer tune, however)

[Conservatrix]

A bunch of churches should get together out there and stand in front of the school during the annual holiday pageant and sing Christmas carols. With the name of Jesus in them.

Can they get arrested for that? They are just caroling! OR do it across the street in someone's yard... but do it.

"Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day,
To save us all from Satan's power when we were gone astray;
O tidings of comfort and joy!"

[Tax-chick]

Students should hear "Silent Night" for the same reason they should learn about the Festival of Lights, the principles behind Kwanzaa and Ramadan and Winter Solstice rituals. They will learn about their own culture, other cultures and the common ground between, and the more that happens, the less we will all regard the rest of the world with suspicion and fear. Is it vital that those who teach material with a religious component not promote that religion? Absolutely. Is it important to structure the teaching in a way that doesn't make "Silent Night" exclusionary? Sure.

Hogwash. This is (one of many reasons) why our public schools, in the aggregate, are a failure. Just teach the poor children to read, write, and do math, already, and then they can go to the library and check out books about all the interesting religions and cultures in the world.

[little jeremiah]

Moral Absolutes Ping.

A little editorial about taking Christmas out of Christmas. I don't agree with everyting he says, though. He thinks that stories of removal of everything Christmasy out of Christmas are overblown, apparently. I see it as a tidal wave.

And regarding "Kwanzaa", it's a made up nonsense by a murderer. No one in Africa celebrates it or ever has. Kwanzaa doesn't actually exist.

Let me know if anyone wants on/off this pinglist.

[jordan8]

There is an accepted phrase for this process: cultural genocide.