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Video: HS band barred for playing hymn, crowd sings it instead
Hot Air.com ^ | August 23, 2015 | JAZZ SHAW

Posted on 08/23/2015 9:48:02 AM PDT by Kaslin

Just when you’re starting to think that the entire country is going down the tubes sideways, a story comes along to remind you that it all just might work out in the end after all. Todd Starnes at Fox news uncovered one of those small town stories of political correctness infecting the courts and running completely off the rails this week. At Brandon High School in Mississippi, the traditional Friday Night football game was missing their halftime show. The school’s marching band had been ordered off the field because their presentation included the hymn How Great Thou Art. That may sound strange, but it was the result of a court order. (Fox)

In 2013 a student sued the district over a series of Christian meetings that had been held on school property, the newspaper reported. The district later settled the lawsuit and acknowledged they had violated the student’s First Amendment rights.

In July, U.S. District Court Judge Carlton Reeves ruled the district had violated the agreement after a Christian minister delivered a prayer at an awards ceremony.

Judge Reeves, who was appointed to the bench by President Obama, came down hard on the school district — ordering them to pay thousands of dollars in fines. He also warned the district that future violations would cost them $10,000.

“Defendants are permanently enjoined from including prayer, religious sermons or activities in any school sponsored event including but not limited to assemblies, graduations, award ceremonies, athletic events and any other school event,” the order reads.

I suppose the marching band playing a hymn out on the football field falls under the category of “prayer, religious sermons or activities.” So the band was benched and it looked like it would be a quiet and significantly less joyous halftime. That is, as Starnes described it, until one person stood up. Then another. And another. And before you knew it, this is what happened.

Brandon High Football fans sing "How Great Thou Art" at halftime.

Starnes describes the event beautifully.

And what they did — would become known as the musical shot heard around the world.

During halftime of Friday night’s game – a lone voice began to sing the forbidden song.

“Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee,” the singer sang.

Brittany Mann was there and she witnessed the entire moment of defiance.

“We were just sitting there and then one by one people started to stand,” she told me. “At first, it started out as a hum but the sound got louder and louder.”

She said it was a “truly incredible” moment to watch hundreds of people singing together in the stadium.

People often scoff at the idea of a “slippery slope” in politics, but this is probably one of the prime examples of how real the premise can be. When the courts decided to ban prayer in school it opened the door to a virtual extermination of religion on school grounds. It’s simply ludicrous to believe that there is some threat being posed by a school band playing the instrumental version of a hymn. It also reinforces the politically correct idea that, beyond freedom of religion, your freedom of speech somehow includes the idea that you are protected against hearing any speech you disagree with. If we found a school where children of other faiths were being forced to participate in a prayer to a different god than the one they worship, I’d be right on board with criticizing them. But the idea that you can never be exposed to a different religion is insane.

And while we’re on the subject, how did we wind up at the point where it simply applies to schools? The basis for that argument was that the schools were funded with taxpayer money, but wouldn’t the same rationale then be applied to any government function on all government property? How is it that the President can attend the National Prayer Breakfast every year? For that matter, when the current president was inaugurated, how is it that we could have an invocation, a benediction and the playing of the Battle Hymn of the Republic on government property? There’s a big disconnect in these rulings and this Mississippi judge is a prime symptom of what’s gone wrong.



TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: 1stamendment; antichristian; antichristianlawsuit; carltonreeves; christiandefiance; christianhymn; christianpersecution; defiance; education; halftimeshow; howgreatthouart; hymns; inspire; marchingbands; pc; politicalcorectness; politicalcorrectness; prayer; publicschool; religion; usantichristian; waronchristianity
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1 posted on 08/23/2015 9:48:02 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

Awesome.


2 posted on 08/23/2015 9:54:51 AM PDT by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light..... Isaiah 5:20)
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To: Kaslin

This is incredible! So glad someone took a video. Thank you so much!


3 posted on 08/23/2015 9:55:16 AM PDT by mlizzy (America needs no words from me to see how your decision in Roe/Wade has deformed a great nation. -MT)
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To: Kaslin

Islam has not been banned...............


4 posted on 08/23/2015 9:56:11 AM PDT by yoe
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To: Kaslin
How is it that the President can attend the National Prayer Breakfast every year?

The only reason we still have that function is so Øbongo can promote islam.

5 posted on 08/23/2015 9:56:37 AM PDT by rockrr (Everything is different now...)
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To: Kaslin

“In July, U.S. District Court Judge Carlton Reeves ruled the district had violated the agreement after a Christian minister delivered a prayer at an awards ceremony.”

Seems to me that Judge Reeves needs a “visit” from the citizenry!

https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=judge+carlton+reeves&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

Might have known, “judge” Reeves is a “Holder’s Person!”


6 posted on 08/23/2015 9:58:05 AM PDT by vette6387
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To: Kaslin
From halftime during a football game to every street in the country, may this land and its people unify against an oppressive regime, and a phony RHINO party led by Bonehead Boehner and Turtle Face McDumbo Mitch, unwilling and afraid to do what the voters put them there to do—push back against the feckless one, the EPA and the RATS!
7 posted on 08/23/2015 9:58:38 AM PDT by Fungi
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To: mlizzy

Make it viral!


8 posted on 08/23/2015 9:59:05 AM PDT by Don Corleone ("Oil the gun..eat the cannoli. Take it to the Mattress.")
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To: Kaslin

Kudos to those singers!


9 posted on 08/23/2015 10:00:35 AM PDT by American Quilter (The urge to save humanity is nearly always a cover for the urge to rule. - H.L. Mencken)
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To: Kaslin
Obama appointee

On April 28, 2010, President Barack Obama formally nominated Reeves to a judgeship on the Southern District of Mississippi....Ten to One this judge's Momma is not happy with him.

10 posted on 08/23/2015 10:05:21 AM PDT by yoe
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To: vette6387

The school district should not have ever paid one dime of the fine in defiance of such an unconstitutional judgement.

Let the judge send federal Marshalls to arrest them, if he can find any. Be sure the cameras are rolling to expose religious persecution in America.


11 posted on 08/23/2015 10:08:48 AM PDT by Westbrook (Children do not divide your love, they multiply i)
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To: WKB; onyx; wardaddy

MS ping.


12 posted on 08/23/2015 10:09:51 AM PDT by Black Agnes
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To: yoe
I would expect this from a White judge with long hippie hair, but not a
Black Judge who most likely was brought up Baptist by a mother who cared
enough to send him into College. And though hard work finally got a
Judge position that he no longer deserves...

He's living the American dream and burning down the dream at the same time.

The Crowd was inspiring, God bless them all.

13 posted on 08/23/2015 10:12:28 AM PDT by MaxMax (2008-Now, Obama's fault)
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To: Kaslin

What say, we the people join the chant to bar those such as Judge Reeve? What a waste if space this ‘esteemed wise man’ is.

Push back, fight back. WE ARE DONALD TRUMP now and we will not be silenced!!


14 posted on 08/23/2015 10:13:34 AM PDT by V K Lee
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To: vette6387

U.S. District Court Judge Carlton Reeves:
See the pix of that black robed bozo? He might explode from all the pork chops, potatoes and and gravy he’s been eating


15 posted on 08/23/2015 10:16:52 AM PDT by dennisw (The first principle is to find out who you are then you can achieve anything -- Buddhist monk)
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To: vette6387

“Carlton Reeves is the judge. You know, I hope his wife feeds him lots of eggs and butter and he dies early like many black men do, of heart disease. Well, that’s how I feel. He is an absolutely reprehensible person.”


16 posted on 08/23/2015 10:18:25 AM PDT by Captainpaintball (Immigration without assimilation is the death of a nation -- FUJB!!!)
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To: Kaslin

A Google search shows the Judge to be a minority hence part of the coalition attacking Western Civilization’s traditions.


17 posted on 08/23/2015 10:21:51 AM PDT by AEMILIUS PAULUS
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Comment #18 Removed by Moderator

To: vette6387
who was appointed to the bench by President Obama

Nuff said

19 posted on 08/23/2015 10:52:59 AM PDT by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him, and he got them. Now we all have to pay the consequenses)
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To: MaxMax
Well he was appointed by that arrogant pos occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

So am not surprised one bit

20 posted on 08/23/2015 10:55:21 AM PDT by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him, and he got them. Now we all have to pay the consequenses)
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