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TUESDAY: Hot Potatoes

CHRISTMAS: SHOULD WE STAND BACK AND LET THE GRINCH STEAL IT?

Today’s schoolchildren would be amazed at what they’re missing. Christmastime used to feature a whole season’s worth of bulletin boards, manger scenes, classroom giving trees, carols at Christmas programs, Christmas parties with traditional Christmas themes like candy canes and Christmas trees, and the exchange of gifts and cards between students and teachers.

But nowadays it’s not unusual for a classroom to be totally empty of any decorations, activities or references of any kind to Christmas. Field trips to see “A Christmas Carol” on stage have been canceled for alleged offense to certain members of the community. Kids have gotten hauled into court for handing out candy canes to their classmates because that is considered outrageously too religious. You can’t even say “Merry Christmas” in some schools – you have to substitute the tepid and impotent “Happy Holidays” instead.

Some schools have even stripped their Christmas programs of any references to Christmas – which would be funny, if it weren’t so sad – leaving music directors to struggle with the drivel of “winter songs” instead of the beautiful music of the ages that relates to Christmas, which generations of American children have enjoyed before.

Of course, we can’t have schools endorsing or promoting one religion over another. Nobody wants that. But what we do want is for our schools to have the freedom of expression and free speech guaranteed to each of us in the U.S. Constitution. And it’s crystal clear that observing Christmas in public schools is perfectly legal.

The whole thing has gotten pretty ridiculous, especially since the very first right guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution is the right of freedom of religion. That’s in the First Amendment. The Constitution in no way, shape or form requires school officials to censor Christmas or intimidate or silence those who would celebrate it. There’s no call for suppression of free speech in the doctrine of the separation of church and state. The vast majority of schools are violating their own students’ and teachers’ constitutional rights, and it’s sad to see.

For an excellent booklet of background information to share with school board members, principals and others who may not be aware of their own legal rights and those of their employees and students in this important area, see www.AllianceDefenseFund.org and download “Seasonal Religious Expression on Public Property.”

For more on the anti-Christmas side, see www.aclu.org