RANT: School Principal says you cannot say Merry Christmas

Pizza Shop Talk The Think Tank
1

Ok…I thought that I would never post a RANT since I didn’t think I would have anything to post…BUT NOW I AM FUMING.

My 13yo daughter comes home last night and we are sitting around talking about her day and she says how she’s upset that the Principal at her Middle School told them that they are not allowed to say Merry Christmas since it might offend other students.

ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME??? :roll: :cry:

I have a very intelligent child who goes to school to learn…not inhibibit. At what point does it end? Who are you to tell a child that they are not allowed to say Merry Christmas? Well my daughter and their friends are NOT taking this sitting down and have posted on their facebook pages, as well as mine, and we are asking that people send Merry Christmas cards tovthis Principal. My child IS sensitive to others beliefs and quite frankly wouldn’t care if someone celebrated their form of the holidays at school. This is just pathetic AND A VIOLATION OF THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS.

Even the inference irritates me. I can completely understand the teaching of understanding others beliefs. For instance, when I was a child I clearly remember a kid who sat in the hallway during holiday celebrations such as Christmas and Halloween…his family was a Jehovah (sp) Witness. We never made fun of the kid, infact I clearly remembering feeling bad for the kid since he sat their all sullen in the hall on the steps.

But in this case the kids DON’T GET IT because they are not being educated why. I do believe that we can all get along and it’s for this reason we have so many freaking problems in this world.

What’s funny is this…when I was in the Gulf War the female American women had to cover up. When I greeted an Iraqi soldier I greeted them in their language. Can’t we all just get along?

YES we have commercialized Christmas but in some small part it’s situations such as this that are the cause. HOW? If all we can do is shop to celebrate then that’s all we can do in the confines of our home.

My son has severe food allergies and though we are the most liberal parents of a allergy kid we are still viewed as the ones preventing peanut butter cookies. Cravings vs. Death We say this, bring anything else you want and we will bring our kid something just like it…but safe. Not much difference here and how you view the holidays. Let our kids say Merry Christmas and you are more than welcome to say your celebratory words of your own belief.

Hate and ignorance is born of this type of stupidity and bread into children who don’t understand WHY.

I could go on.

Please send a card so that this woman understands that WE ALL celebrate the holidays in some way or form.

Ingomar Middle School
Ms. Heidi Stark, Principal
1521 Ingomar Heights Rd.
Pittsburgh, PA 15237

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Mandyspizza;
I know exactly what you mean, and how you feel. I wonn’t get on my soap box here, but I just want to add that at this time of the year I send out CHRISTMAS CARDS! If the recipient is offended, they can simply toss it into the trash, just like any other junk mail, but PLEASE, DO NOT ask me to stop sending out CHRISTMAS CARDS. The last time I checked, this was still a CHRISTIAN nation (see proclaimation on our money), with a provision that anyone may worship and believe as they wish so long as they do not infringe upon the rights of others.
You wil have to excuse me now, as I’ve got to get back to wrapping CHRISTMAS gifts.
Wishing everyone a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and Happy New Year!
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

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Have you met with or had a conversation regarding this with the Principal?

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So then you are okay with letting any group celebrating anything they believe in your school?..The 1st amendment cuts a lot of different directions…

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I am with you all on this one! This story repeats itself in the news everyday it seems. I have close friends from every ethnic background there is. We have participated in Jewish, Korean, Muslim, African-American, etc…etc…etc… religious and cultural events. From the simplist of dinners to some of the most elaborate weddings or holiday celebrations. I am also privileged to have extended family from all of the above listed cultures and it gives myself and especially my 4 year old exposure to the many great offerings that each one can bring to this world. The world has been at war with each other from the beginning of time. There will always be people with different views and beliefs. I do believe that it is getting better overall but still has a long way to go. With younger generations taking a stronger hold on how cultures interact and the “old-schoolers” literally dying off… and truth behold… technology helping this all along the way. All that said… the idea of having to sugar coat every comment and wear the white gloves when talking about anything from any culture is really screwed up. I am personally sick and tired of watching people try to catch their comments or having to apologize for saying something perfectly ok. I am sick and tired of any person that uses their religion or ethnicity to try to get the upperhand on anything. This country is still divided for the most part because a very small group of people profit significally from keeping it that way. No racial or religous problems means no money coming in for a select few. This is all total BS and needs to be ended. There are millions of people of all backgrounds that are suffering around the US and the world. There are also millions that are doing very well off. There is no perfect fix all answer but the more we address the real problems and not make the problem race or religion itself…the faster we can fix the real issues. There will always be the handful that will only make the arguement of how they are being held down or back or passed over because of their looks or beliefs…and yes sometimes it happens… but those numbers are fading. Step up and admit it is your lack of education or experience that is holding your back. Yes some do have it easier than others but if you really want to you can make it happen. You can do what it takes to get that upperhand by working hard for it and not demanding a handout because you think you deserve it because of your race or religion! Yes all cultures have made mistakes in their histories but the US is the only country that is actively revisiting every piece of it everyday. 99.9% of people out there are not offended by someone saying “Merry Christmas” or some other remark about a holiday or event. Those that are can go back to their secluded lives and gripe at themselves in the mirror. Get over yourselves. I am also highly offended that it is basically white Christians that are silenced in almost all of these instances. I, the soon to be minority white man, am tired of this crap! Sorry for my adding to the rant but people need to step up and start taking responsibility for their own lives and their own success and failures and stop blaming everyone else for it all! The longer we keep moving this country in the direction of a handout nanny state the longer it will take to correct this mindset and return us to the strong, thriving, and generous people that makes the United States what it truly is.

In ending… MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR to all. :!:

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Tom, I am in agreement with nearly everything you have said, and I believe any religous holliday should be respected by the acceptance of a simple greeting such as Merry Christmas or Happy Hanuka. But your assertion that this is a Christian country is simply not the case, as witnessed by the constitutional insertion of a sepearation of church and state inclusion. Moreover, I checked my money and found no reference whatever to Christianity or any other religion, although there is a statement that In God We Trust. A belief in God should not be regarded as an exclusive tenant of any religion.

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Not to dig the hole any deeper than it already is but:
One nation under God, with librty…
At one time an oath was made using the HOLY BIBLE in courts (ain’t politically correct anymore I guess).
Ten Commandmants outside of the court house.
In God we trust.
All circumstancial evidence that the U.S.A. has its roots as a Christian Nation.
That’s my last comment on the topic.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

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Tom I am more concerned with the fact that you are wrapping gifts and have yet to even ask me what I wanted this year! :!:

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Note Christmas is a secular holiday declared so by the government of the USA. It is a National Holiday.

No particular religion has a claim on the “US declared holiday” Christmas. It is a national holiday same as the 4th of July.

Any one can celebrate Christmas or not.

I don’t think it proper for anyone to tell others not to wish people Merry Christmas

George Mills

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Can you imagine the same requirement being put on practitioners of Islam or Wicca?

Mike, obviously you did not make Tom’s list.

Tom, thanks for the new dough rounder,it arrived yesterday with a big red bow. The crew is very anxious for me to get it set up so we don’t have to do dough by hand anymore. I am sure the other think tankers will be happy with their gifts as well. :smiley:

Rick

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Totally wrong, IMO. Is there a punishment for saying Merry Christmas?

If you don’t have time to get a card to her before CHRISTMAS Day, I found this.

hstark@northallegheny.org

PD

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Rick I know I am on Tom’s naughty list but I am pretty sure that George is the real Santa…so I am keeping my fingers crossed! :slight_smile:

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George’s beard has mine beat by a long country mile, and (George, I hope I am not insulting you) he looks the part better than I do too.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

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I am also put off by all then genericizing (may not be a word yet) of “Merry Christmas” while at the same time ignoring the insensitivity of the “Happy New Year”, for example. Several groups of people living in the US recognize different Calendars except for the federal government requirement for taxes and fiscal year designations.
We should express our seasonal joy to others as long as we don’t beat people up with it.

Santa Claus is a fictional character created by a poem, and then humanized by a couple of department stores to goose seasonal sales. The tradition of gift giving has little to nothing to do with the Christian holy day they call Christmas to celelbrate the bith of Jesus. The Feast of St. Nicholas of Myra on Dec 6 got ripped off and merged into Dec
25 for commercial advantage. Now, American Christians are all confused about the whole thing . . . . Jesus wasn’t even born in December. Bottom line is that modern Christmas activities are only marginlly related to Christian lore, ceremony and religion.

  1. “separation of church and state” appears nowhere in the Contitution and was quoted from letter written by Jefferson and/or Madison. The only mention of religion is the 1st AMMENDMENT that prohibits a state sponsored church akin to the Church of England. De facto separation fo church and state does not exist in 21st century America.

  2. GOD is a word used only by Christian denominations to identify their supreme deity. To claim otherwise would seem revisionist history. When that decision was made in the US, the only significant religion practiced by the white males who got a vote was Christianity. If the others get to vote, they would claim Jehovah, Allah, and myriad other names for their religious deities. You’ll find that it’s Christians, who already have the high ground, are the ones arguing that “In G/od we Trust” doesn’t mean just THEIR God, but everyone else’s too.

3… “One nation under god” was put into the pledge as a political assault during the cold war. It doesn’t have anything to do with devotion, but a cynical use of same by politicians to smoke out the Reds and Commies.

FINALLY, as long as they spend those “In god we trust” dollars for pizza and it’s accoutement, then we can all stay in business another month!! :slight_smile:

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Glad you guys have caught up with us. Here in the great land of Oz we have been going through this BS for the past 3 or 4 years. Schools aren’t allowed to do Christmas Carols etc, saying The Lords Prayer is out at many school assemblies and Easter is also a no no.
It’s very sad when the country you grew up in and celebrated all these times (and I am not from a Christian upbringing) are being dictated by the efforts to not upset a certain middle eastern religon.
Do gooders the world wide are stripping down the basis coutries were built on as to not offend anyone, especially those from non Christian countries who are wanting to join “our” societies but do not want to “when in Rome”.
My Christmas wish is to dis-assemble the UN and rid us of all the stupid ideals they have forced on the new world of political correctness.
If I offend by writing this I don’t care … MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ONE AND ALL

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Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral celebration of the Winter solstice holiday practiced with the most enjoyable traditions of religious persuasion or secular practices of your choice with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all.

I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2012, but not without due respect for the calendar of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make (insert your country name here) great and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee .

By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms:

This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her/him or others and is void where prohibited by law, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. The wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year or until the issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.

Best Regards (without prejudice)

Name withheld (Privacy Act).

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The bottom line to all of this is that all the PC BS has gotten so out of control and past any reasonable level that people feel the only answer is to silence all comments and gestures. Wait… now the funny thing. They only really try to silence the mainstream Christian items for the most part. They are afraid to do the same for any other religion or ethnic item in fear of being called out on it. So they are damned if they do and damned if they dont. It is so pathetic that the world has come to this. Everyone needs to shut up and just let people live their own lives and be HAPPY! So long as you are not forcing your beliefs or ideals on me or anyone else… I don’t care nor do I feel threatened. I am not offended by hearing a “Merry Christmas” or any other holiday or religious phrase. I am not offended by Christmas lights or signs that people use to show their enjoyment of any occasion. Give it a rest and just enjoy life while you can. It is too short to let these limitations be placed on anyone for any reason. What I am offended by are people like that Westboro church group that protests at funerals of soldiers. I understand and support free speech but I think common decency and respect of others should come into play. These are all hard issues that will probably never be resolved…but as I said earlier… the younger people of the world are more open minded and more forgiving that a lot of the older generation. I guess only time will tell. Till then… God bless us all… whomever and whatever you might believe. :twisted:

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I think we may be in deep sh1t at our store over the lead up weeks to Christmas.
Our staff are wearing santa hats with flashing lights, with drivers wear elves ear hats and Christmas Eve I’m wearing my Shriek outfit including a santa hat on the big green head.
Now I know why sales are only up 40% for the quarter instead of 50%+. We are driving all the PC correct, non believers and other religous persuassions away.
I forgot (too lazy) to put up Christmas decorations this year so sales might have only been up 30% if I did.
Dave

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http://www.explosm.net/db/files/Comics/Rob/merryhappy.png

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Gratuitously ripped off en toto and reposted to my Facebook status. No name was attached, so no one to credit :twisted: