Posted: 8/15/2007 6:38:40 AM EDT
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I repeatedly question the paradox of the actions of school boards and other .gov agencies based upon the complaint of one person vs. the public outcry and clamoring of many. They're so concerned about the complaint of the one person, that they ignore the subsequent complaints by hundreds??? |
Not that I don't think the annual menorah litigation stuff isn't silly, but the Constitution protects individuals' rights against the whims of angry mobs. Course if you want to apply that standard around here your kids would have to learn the Stations of the Cross to graduate.  I bet the first time junior comes home to tell mom and pop about the "Statue of Mary" on the teacher's desk there would be plenty of "Christians" who would have the phone ringing off the hook at the local ACLU coven.
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on the other side, there are people who claim only Christians can celebrate Christmas /shrug it takes all kinds |
No one in retail. 
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You're missing the point. I agree about all the constitutional protections, yaddie yaddie. I'm simply referring to the reaction of the school board when a solitary parent complains about something that has been in existence since the school was founded -- hardly something whimsical that is being forced on one's kid at the hands of an angry mob. Instead of simply ignoring that which offends you, and not attending or sending your kid, you threaten something that impacts the overwhelming majority of the student base. Yet, when the obvious clamor of the masses sounds the alarm to fight against changing that which already exists, the outcry of hundreds of voices goes unheard. They're worried about POSSIBLY being sued by ONE parent, but they are not worried about being voted out of their seat by hundreds of parents? |
I think that a lot of people (not you specifically, I have no idea) who think that the sole whiner should keep his trap shut because everyone else wants something would be the first to bitch if the school did something that supported another religion or sect over their religion or sect. "Waaah how dare they mess with the Christmas Pageant" is often followed with a second "Waaah they taught my kid about (fill in the blank muslim holiday) at school or Waah the post office has a stamp about (fill in the blank muslim holiday)." thread. The desire to allow religion in schools is directly related to whose sheep is being shorn. As far as the school board, schools are RIDICULOUSLY litigation averse to the point of bizarre paranoia. Remember that school in Pennsylvania that started requiring teaching creationism as science? They were even in front of a judge who would normally have been considered a "religion friendly" conservative and they got their asses handed to them after a long and expensive (for the district) court battle. I would guess (and could be wrong) that the holy roller board members who were behind that idea are not going to have their seats back. I think there has been a fair number of those menorah cases downstate and the school districts get hit with some regularity (although the decisions seem pretty contradictory) so I would not be surprised that they are gunshy and I am a little surprised they had the stones to let the Christmas stuff continue. |
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I understand the very rehashed position of the silent minority vs. the holy roller majority. However, if you, as the minority, don't agree with the overwhelming majority of self-determining folks in a locality; and, you cannot simply ignore the fact that the majority chooses to do something different than what you believe -- move to a community which reflects more of your own values instead of trying to change the traditions of a community who sees things very differently on a wider scale. Don't try to push water uphill in a place where you likely won't reside for very long anyway after crying foul. |
Personally I'm not big on "Run away!!" I wonder if the evangelicals who were booted from the Dover school board after sucking the school district into an expensive and losing lawsuit left town in shame when they were shown to be an uncared for minority? www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/09/AR2005110900114.html |
There's a difference between teaching doctrine as part of an education curriculum, and calling something a CHRISTMAS musical because... it's in relation to the CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY. One is mandatory, one is elective. Again, the Dover voters reflected the wishes of the majority of the community in Dover. |