Santa = Swastika in MA School

[Alpha Mare]

Parents: Chelmsford school holding firm on holiday gift-shop restrictions

After meeting with members of the Byam Elementary School PTO, two mothers asking to put the holidays back into the school's annual holiday gift shop say Byam isn't budging.

Kathryn McMillan and Kathleen Cullen, who both have children at Byam, asked school officials to allow all holiday items at the gift shop following a ban on Santa, candy canes, stockings, and all Christmas, Hanukkah and other "religious items."

But a meeting with some PTO parents on Thursday night grew heated as emotions got in the way.

Red and green tissue paper to wrap presents was also crossed off the list because it looked too "Christmasy," McMillan said.

"One of the parents said, 'If we allow Santa, what do we say if a child brings in a swastika? Do we allow that too?' " McMillan said. "All I could think of was, are you kidding? You're comparing a Christmas ornament to a swastika? It seems as if reason is lost somewhere and I just hope we can find it again."

http://www.lowellsun.com/todaysheadlines/ci_13786186

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

So much for "consent of the governed".

[littlelamb]

The Santa shop is something my kids always look foward to all year they save up their allowance so they can do shopping for the family.

[DumbAss Tanker]

The Santa shop is something my kids always look foward to all year they save up their allowance so they can do shopping for the family.

I think the kids and I would be going to the mall that night if we had lived in that school district and they pulled that sort of stupidity.

[Randy]

I think the kids and I would be going to the mall that night if we had lived in that school district and they pulled that sort of stupidity.

Along with a new private school. That is after the School Officials and the School Board had heard wayyyyyyy more from Dad than they'd ever thought or wanted to hear. 

[Thor]

I sure wish that instances like these would bring forward a civil rights lawsuit. The 1st Amendment does NOT promise  or guarantee us "freedom FROM religion". It also grants us the freedom to practice one's religion. Then there's the freedom of speech issue that goes along with this type of censorship.  These government entities are violating people's rights, plain and simple, all in the interest of "political correctness".

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.