With all that's wrong in the world today, I rather enjoy "the war on christmas" as a fun aside that brings a little laughter to my day. I am a teacher in the New York Public School System and this morning we were given the rules and regulations regarding Decorating for the holidays. The memo reads as follows:
New York City is a diverse multi-cultural community. It is our responsibilities as educators to foster mutual understanding and respect for the many beliefs and customs stemming from our communitity's religious, racial, ethnic and cultural heritage. In furtherance of this goal, we must be cognizant of and sensitive to the special significance of seasonal observances and religious holidays. At the same time, we must be mindful that the constitution prohibits a school system from endorsing or promoting a particular religion or belief system.
The following guidlines should be followed with respect to the display of cultural/holiday symbols.
The display of SECULAR holiday symbol decorations is permitted. Such symbols include, but are not limited to, Christmas trees, Menorahs, and the star and crescent.
Holiday displays shall not appear to promote or celebrate any single religion or holiday. Therefore, any symbol or decoration which may be used must be displayed simultaneously with other symbols or decorations reflecting different beliefs or customs.
All holiday displays MUST BE temporary in nature.
The primary purpose of all displays shall be to promote the goal of fostering understanding and respect for the rights of all individuals regarding their beliefs, values and customs.
As a Buddhist who chooses to celebrate Christmas b/c it is the most fun for the kids, I think these rules are fair and reasonable. My only question is whether a menorah is a religious symbol or not? Anyway, I'm sure the O'reily's of the world would shit their pants if they read these rules. I just wanted to share this with you before Fox finds it and uses it! Be well all and Happy Holidays!