Home > Newsletter > January 2002

AND BACK TO AMERICA

In Vermont this past December, school children were prohibited from saying "Merry Christmas." They were told to say 'Happy Holidays" instead.

Some California schools prohibited drawings of Santa, and in Arizona the state banned Santa, nativity scenes, decorated trees and the Star of David from public property.

In New York City, nativity scenes were prohibited from all public schools because they were deemed too "religious". However, menorahs and the Muslim star and crescent were allowed because they were declared "secular" by the chancellor of schools. This was the same guy who wanted to allow Muslims to be excused from class daily to pray during Ramadan. He reversed the order when he learned he would be forced to allow Christians to pray as well.

And here are more outrages, some of which I can't even figure out:

Two middle school students in Rochester, Minnesota were disciplined for wearing red and green scarves in a Christmas skit in drama class and saying, "We hope you have a merry Christmas." In Plymouth, Illinois a teacher was prohibited from reading to second graders a Christmas book that was actually in the school's library. The Covington, Georgia school board removed the word "Christmas" from its school calendar.

However, in San Antonio, Texas a ten-year-old Muslim student was allowed to make a presentation to her class about her religion. As part of the presentation she showed what was basically a recruitment video for Islam. Would a Catholic or Baptist student be allowed to show a video made by their church about their faith in the same school? Probably not.