Nice try, bub/bubbette
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeerwas almost grounded at Murrayville Elementary School this week after a parent complained about the classic Christmas song’s inclusion in her daughter’s upcoming kindergarten concert.
The objecting parent was upset about the words “Christmas†and “Santa†in the song, feeling that they carried religious overtones.
That prompted the song to be pulled from the upcoming holiday concert, which in turn upset more parents.
But Rudolph will be shining bright next Tuesday after New Hanover County school administrators and lawyers determined the song was just, well, a secular song about a make-believe reindeer.
“They’ve determined that it signifies just a day in time, Dec. 25, not the promotion of a religious symbol,†said Ed Higgins, chairman of the county Board of Education. “So Rudolph is back in.â€
By all appearances, it looks like the school reacted – it is hard to say “overreacted,” considering the hyper sensitive nature of schools and the Christian religion nowadays – then someone in the adult category said “what the hell is the matter with you people? Put the song back in. The children do not care, they just want to have fun doing a freaking Christmas play, not a holiday concert. Sheesh!” Then Ed Higgins made some shat up to placate the Christmas haters.
However, the complaining parent does have a slight point
The mother, who is Jewish, said she was trying to have a Hanukkah song added to the musical lineup but had not received a return phone call about it from school officials by mid-afternoon Friday.
If it is a holiday concert, yeah, maybe it should be including.
The objecting parent said that she spoke to Duclos about keeping the program about education and having fun, without any religious references. She sees the beauty in the Christmas celebration, she said, but believes religious holidays have no place in a secular public school setting.
Despite having done it for decades and decades, heck, probably since the school was founded. BTW, I hope the parent is not pulling her child out of school for HER religious holidays. That is not meant as a knock at Judaism, I grew up around plenty of people of the Jewish faith, who would often have days off that I wasn’t getting. I simply mean that if the parent doesn’t want others to combine religion and school, then she shouldn’t let her religious holidays interfere.
“I don’t mind Christmas or anything Christmas-related at all, so long as you’re not imposing it on my child,†the objecting parent said Friday morning.
So, don’t have your kid participate. But, sure looks like you do mind.
