Stupid folks...

Mild rant ahead... which may become more than mild...


It came to my attention this morning that a single public school in Newton has decided to cancel their usual Halloween activities, which included the kids and teachers dressing in costume, having a costume parade, and doing Halloween-based arts and crafts.
The reason?
Some parents feel offended that the school celebrates Halloween, because they feel it's a day with religious overtones.
Religious overtones... let's step back a moment and take a look at that statement.
Apparently, there are parents in Newton whose children attend this school that believe that Halloween is a day for Satanic practices, and that exposing their children to Halloween celebrations will lead their children down the Dark and Evil Path.
Oh yeah. Those kid dressed up as Strawberry Shortcake and the Power Rangers are certainly tools of Beelzebub.
These folks felt so uncomfortable with the school allowing the costumes and arts and crafts that they would keep their kids home from school. WtF??? Since when is dressing up like a Hobbit and drawing pictures of Halloween offensive?
Last I heard, the kids were not sacrificing a goat to call up Asmodeus during assembly.
No one has raised a ruckus because a guest speaker at Career Day was Anton LeVey.
And as far a I know, a second grader isn't going to walk into a room and see a bunch of kids in typical Halloween costumes and cry out, "This room is way to Satanic for me! I'm out of here!"

And how is the school making up for it? What's the bone they're throwing? The Friday after Halloween, the teachers can plan activites to celebrate the fall season. WtF????
No longer are they celebrating actual holidays. Now you're not learning about Chanukah [sic] or Christmas or Kwanzaa... you celebrate the winter season.
Shall we just let the Politically Correct and Religious WrongRight tell the schools what then can or can't do? Last I heard, we had a separation between church and state. This is a public school, not a private religious-based school. They should be able to do what they want, within reason. Catering to the whims of a select few should not be a high priority.
Political correctness has once again reared its ugly head, and is winning. All in the name of a few people who feel that Halloween, which has become more of the American culture than a religious holiday (for most), is Evil.
If you dont' want your kids involved, fine, then take them out of school for a day and do your own thing. Don't deprive the other children and teachers who enjoy doing this their fun.
Where does this end? Shall we not allow children of other beliefs to express themselves about their practices and holidays? Oh wait, they're already sort of doing that.
It's boiling down to ignorance, which will lead to (I just know it will somewhere here) religious discrimination, because I believe some Wiccan or neo-pagan will poke a head up and decry the accusations of the day being a Satanic holiday. Shall we sit back and await the coming shitstorm?

Let kids be kids. Don't suck away their innocence and fun just because something might give you the willies.

Oh, there was a parents' meeting about the situation at the school this morning. I can't wait to hear about the aftermath of that. Perhaps some cooler and more level heads will prevail.
Then again...


Crossposted to my LJ and to friday_fu