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Posted on 12/22/2009 10:44:47 AM PST by MsLady
LEBANON — “Silent Night” was not on the program at Pioneer School’s concert Tuesday, but it was sung anyway — by the audience after the kids were done.
Shortly after the children started rehearsals this fall, Principal Mark Finch had scratched the number after a parent complained that the carol’s emphasis was “too single-religion.”
Superintendent Rob Hess, in attendance Tuesday, said he didn’t see who started the carol but thought approximately 100 of the more than 700 people in the audience joined in.
Sam Long, a Pioneer volunteer and the grandmother of a Pioneer student, said the only reaction following the song was applause and cheers.
“I’m very proud they stood up for what they believe,” she said. “I am so proud, because have a godson fighting (in Baghdad) for our rights and to keep us free, and if we can’t sing just a little song, what’s he over there for?”
Dale Koger, an administrator, said Lebanon schools were reminded that it’s legal to sing about, or decorate with, the cultural trappings of a Christian holiday as long as those trappings are part of larger, nonreligious celebrations. Individual school administrators make their own judgment calls on the details.
Finch had said he made the program change in an attempt to create “a win-win for everybody” and no one complained about his decision at the time. He did not return messages asking for comment following the concert.
School Board members Mike Martin and Russ McUne said Thursday they felt Finch had overreacted.
“There were 18 songs on the program, of which one has a sacred theme to it and 17 don’t. Really, the complaint should go the other way: The program was too darned secular,” said Martin, who was in the audience. “To change that program for one person is almost a violation of everyone else’s rights.”
Board member Liz Alperin disagreed, saying she believes, if anything, some of the other songs should have been changed to reflect the celebrations of other cultures, to make sure all children felt included.
“It’s a holiday program, but it’s only celebrating one holiday. There are other holidays out there,” she said.
Way to Go!!
Good for the audience!
I served on the Lebanon School Board, and was disappointed when the principal removed Silent Night from the program. Even though I am not on the board anymore, I received a lot of calls on this incident. The end result was even better.
God Bless those people singing! Tyranny of the minority did their best but lost out to our Lords Amazing Grace!
“Dale Koger, an administrator, said Lebanon schools were reminded that it’s legal to sing about, or decorate with, the cultural trappings of a Christian holiday as long as those trappings are part of larger, nonreligious celebrations. Individual school administrators make their own judgment calls on the details.”
Where does the law say that it’s legal or illegal to sing Christmas Carols in school? This BS....plain and simple.
Is she suggesting adding a song about EID and changing the words so we all feel included? Is she considering adding a song about Kwanzaa and changing the words to include everyone? I somehow don't think that is what she means.
Good for them!
AMEN!!!! I think it is so awesome the spontaneity of it all, that’s a God thing, God moving in people’s hearts. You can’t stop that :)
Yea! Why no Stars and Stripes Forever (4th of July), reciting the Gettysburg Address or Washington chopping down a cherry tree (Presidents Day) etc. there are a lot of holidays out there. /sarc
What a dufus.
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“To change that program for one person is almost a violation of everyone else’s rights.”
I have felt this way for a very long time. I get so frustrated that we have igonred the wants of 700 people in order to bend to the will of 1 person. We even put the needs of a few terrorists above the welfare of American citizens. We need to take the country back.
This is FRICKIN’ AMERICA!!! OUR culture celebrates CHRISTMAS at this time of year!
Exactly right!!!! And calling it the trappings of the holiday???? What the heck is that about. Dale needs to be shown the door.
The easiest thing would have been to include a more religious Hanukkah song. I’d vote for dropping The Dreidel song and some drivel like Up on the Housetop if they ran out of time.
I don’t like the audience’s solution. We sing Silent Night in church on Christmas eve; not having any other religious song performed made that an unkind gesture IMHO. Maybe it because I come from a school district with a high Jewish population. We always sang religious Christian and Jewish songs at our winter concert. And the chorale always ends with and outstanding rendition Handel’s Messiah where the recent grads home from college come up on stage too. I always got a kick out of seeing the random boy wearing a kippah in the tenor section.
I love it when people get fed up at stupidity.
Did they actually have any student children of these so called "other cultures"?
By the demographics the answer is not likely, meaning that Liz Alperin is making up a problem that didn't actually exist.
But then again the liberals always enjoy offending everyone else to keep from offending the one, sometimes imaginary, person with a problem.
Many of my fellow New Yorkers and Americans also celebrate Hanukkah at this time of year, my friend.
The best result would have been to find out WHICH “one parent” complained and
SHUN THEM.
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