I'd almost expect barring the kid if he was dressed as Saint Joseph or an angel or something...but Santa??
Posted on 12/24/2004 4:16:36 PM PST by freespirited
OF ALL THE sapheaded excuses we have heard for expelling Christmas from a public school, the lamest came from right here in New Hampshire last week. At Hampton Academy Junior High, a seventh-grade student was refused entry to the holiday dance when he arrived in a Santa Claus costume. The reason? Allowing him in would be unconstitutional.
Principal Fred Muscara was quoted in the Hampton Union as saying, "It was a holiday party. It was not a Christmas party. There is a separation of church and state. We have a lot of students that go to Hampton Academy Junior High that have different religions. We have to be sensitive to that."
Thomas Jefferson would be dumbfounded to hear that a school principal believes that a seventh-grader attending a school dance while dressed as Santa Claus constitutes the establishment of an official state religion by the federal government.
Given the poor state of historical and political literacy these days, Principal Muscara's explanation, as stupefying as it is, is less shocking than the excuses given by SAU 21 Superintendent James Gaylord and Hampton School Board Chairman Nancy Serpis. They both said a Santa costume was "inappropriate" for a holiday dance. They did not say when a Santa costume would be appropriate. Presumably at any time other than "the holidays" (previously known as Christmas).
This type of outrageous trampling of individual rights on the part of public schools has got to stop. Perhaps a sane public interest law firm such as the Institute for Justice can draw up a legal primer for school administrators that explains exactly what the First Amendment says on religion and why it is not unconstitutional for a child to dress as Santa at a school dance. And perhaps school administrators could lighten up and let kids be kids. Is it not part of their job to kindle creativity and self-expression instead of stamping it out?
Our 7th grade principal wore a Santa hat to the dance last week. Shh, don't tell the ACLU.
That's some great, humane principal, open to all kinds of diversity, eh? I think he sounds more like someone looking to get ACLU street cred. From now on, in his mind, he's a civil rights champion equal to Rosa Parks.
If stupidity were judged by failure to use the search option to find articles (yours has already been posted 6 or 7 times) then you would be crowned King!
Why do some people find it necessary to point out every post that has been posted before?Some people are not on this board 24/7.Give us a break.
Actually I searched the title. Came up empty.
Other articles about the incident have been posted before. According to the search results, this editorial had not been.
Others have already said a lot about this as it has been posted several times, but stupefying pretty much covers it.
So, some questions are in order for this unbelievably stupid Principal.
1. Uh, which cross was Santa Claus crucified on?
2. Where was Santa Claus crucified?
3. Is "Santa" an expanded version of "Saint?"
3a. And when did the general public accept that "Santa" is synonymous with "Saint?"
3b. When we read something referring to St. Christopher or St. John, are we now to read that as Santa Christopher or Santa John?
4. Since "Santa" now constitutes a "religion," can the Principal be more specific as to which religion Santa represents?
4a. Can the Principal direct me to any given Church run by the priests or priestesses of St. Claus?
4b. If there is a church of St Claus, or St. Santa of Claus, can the Principal explain to me what its central precepts and teachings are?
Oh, and one final question, which cereal box did Principal Fred Muscara get his credentials from?
I didnt post that to you.Read up.
I'd almost expect barring the kid if he was dressed as Saint Joseph or an angel or something...but Santa??
Apparently it is OK to come to the party in a clown suit. What kid, even in another religion, has ever been offended by Santa Claus? It's the parents that Principal Fred is afraid of. The parents and their evil elf lawyers.
Until our principals study the Constitution and grow some stones, this kind of BS will continue.
Merry Christmas Fred. Or is it Ebenezer?
Don't you have anything better to do than this? JimRob has people who get paid (the Mods) to determine what stays and what goes. Let them do their job and mind your own business. I'm totally sick of all you self-appointed post police.
And by the way, calling someone stupid is a violation of board policy.
You're not a Moderator? You see something you don't like? STFU and move along to another thread.
You're lucky this is Christmas eve; if it weren't I would really unload on you.
STFU.
Beat my by () that much. Thank you, MERRY CHRISTMAS
Very well said yooper.Merry Christmas!
The inmates are running the asylum.
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