Thursday, November 19, 2009

Another attack on Christians, and Jews

November 18, 2009 HOLIDAY GIFTS BANNED IN SCHOOL GIFT SHOP Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on the latest war on Christmas: The Byam Elementary School in Chelmsford, Massachusetts recently asked parents to donate holiday gifts to its holiday gift shop; the shopping days are December 1-4. Shopping guidelines informed that “Seasonal items such as snowmen, mittens, snowflakes are a big hit.” But it also had a list of “Items NOT Permitted.” The school was very specific about which items it considers taboo: “No Christmas, Chanukah or religious items,” and “No Santa, candy canes or stockings.” How snowmen made the cut but stockings did not was not explained. The school, of course, is observing Christmas by closing, yet it is not allowing Christmas gifts to be sold in its holiday gift shop, thus making it inexplicable why gifts celebrating the holiday being celebrated are banned. Some may see this as simply absurd. We don’t. We see it as pernicious: in the name of diversity and inclusion, the multicultural tyrants get to do what they have always wanted to do—censor Christmas. Parents upset by this authoritarian decision are meeting soon to overturn the ban. Give them support and let Dr. Jane Gilmore, the school’s principal, know how you feel. Contact her at:
gilmorej@chelmsford.k12.ma.us >



Dr. Gilmore

I am writing to you as a Catholic American who is wholly offended by the absurd and preposterous ban your school has placed on Christmas. What logic could you or your peers possibly be using? As I am sure you are well aware, this country was founded on religious freedom, that means freedom to witness and/or express your faith openly without bans or irresponsible rules prohibiting some religions why bending over backwards to honor others. This seems to me, to be nothing more than a pitiful and ignorant attempt to placate those who either do not believe in God at all or choose to worship Allah based on the teachings in the Quran over the Holy Bible meanwhile those same Islamics honor Jesus Christ and Moses. I have seen Muslims putting up Christmas trees , or Chanukah bushes. This country was founded predominantly by Christian men, built up by Christian and Judaic men and women...defended in countless wars by Christian and Judaic men and women. After hundreds of years of co-existance of these religions, and acceptance of each others ideas, why now have they become offensive? Is it because that .6% are now dictating to the rest of the United States of America what should or should not be? Are these religions really so offensive that they need to be obliterated in public schools altogether to pacify the select few? The public school system exists because of the tax payers, the parents whose children you are effectively discrediting for believing in Santa Claus and/or the birth of Christ, or the Jewish celebration of Lights?(chanukah) Why can’t they purchase or enjoy symbols of their faith? Who are you to make that decision, when these people pay your salary? Remember who it was that settled in Massachusetts,
whom the Pilgrims were, and who set up civilization. The agnostics, and atheist will always jump at a chance to put down GOD, or any happy celebration. At the same time space is provided for Muslims to celebrate their holidays, and yet they are only .6% of our country.
I thought that in our country Majority Rules. The Liberal thinking in this country, is not the Majority of the people in the USA, and though the people in charge of the schooling system appear to be Liberal, they are not the Majority in America, or Massachusetts. Has any vote been taken by the Majority of Massachusetts parents ? Why is it that our Minority is ruling, and the Majority of parents of children in this school are not heard? As an educator you should know full well that the words “separation of church and state” do not even appear in the First Amendment. What it does say is: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” The First Amendment gives citizens the Freedom to Worship God without Government interference (Public schools being the “government interference” in this case). What you are doing, is basically violating the constitution, and our first Amendment rights.
The term "Separation of Church and State" can be traced back to a letter that Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1802. In October 1801, the Danbury Baptist Association of Connecticut wrote to President Jefferson, and in their letter they voiced some concerns about Religious Freedom. So, in January, 1802 Jefferson wrote a letter to them in which he added the phrase "Separation of Church and State." In reading the full letter, it is quite clear that Jefferson was simply underscoring the First Amendment as a guardian of the peoples religious freedom from government interference.

"I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between church and State." - Thomas Jefferson

Jefferson simply quotes the First Amendment using the metaphor, "wall", to separate the government from interfering with religious practice. It is interesting to note that the First Amendment puts restrictions only on the Government, not the people! Quite unfortunately, the Warren Court re-interpreted the First Amendment, thus putting the restrictions on the People! This is quite different from the wall Jefferson envisioned, protecting the people from government interference with Religious practice. The idiocy that continues in public schools based on this misinterpretation is rather incredible! People who claim to be educated and who, likewise, are entrusted to “educate” America’s youth are more often than not, the very individuals trampling on the most basic rights we hold dear. Is this what our children being taught?
Finally, statistics prove that about 78% of our country classify themselves as Christian, 4.7% Jewish, 1.6% Atheist, 0.6% Muslim, so how is it that the minority rule over the majority? I fear that if your school is permitted to perpetrate this ridiculous arbitrary rule, more will follow. This type of nonsense needs to be stopped before Americans lose their identity and America loses its heart and soul.

Contrary to what our inept president will have people believe, the United States of America IS still a predominantly Christian/Judaic nation.

I sincerely hope you will consider reversing this ludicrous decision.

Sincerely
Itzik Janowitz

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