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Barry Lynn Bullies Children at Christmas Topics: Arts & Media, Education, Human Rights & Persecution, Politics & Government, Religion & Society Barry Lynn, president of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, is bullying children in a school district to shut them up. In Tuscumbia, Alabama (population 8,734), the children in the local elementary school will be singing "Silent Night" as part of their Christmas program. That is too much for Lynn and his radical leftist gang. They are threatening the school district with a lawsuit in order to censor the song. A local news station quoted Lynn as saying, "I hope that cooler heads prevail and people understand that this is a significant constitutional issue and they don't go along with the idea of continuing the plans to sing this hymn as part of what should be a secular public school event." Obviously Lynn's head is so cool his brain is frozen. Let me get this straight: With over 312 million people in America, the fact that a tiny school in a tiny town will have a few children singing a traditional Christmas carol is, according to Lynn, "a significant constitutional issue"? Really, Barry? I realize you need to stir things up to get your supporters behind you, but this is what you came up with? In the 1984 Supreme Court case of Lynch v. Donnelly, involving the constitutionality of a city’s display of a Nativity scene, the Court ruled that the display was constitutional. In its ruling, the Court indicated that it assumed public schools were having students sing what it called "Christmas hymns and carols": "To forbid the use of this one passive symbol -- the creche -- at the very time people are taking note of the season with Christmas hymns and carols in public schools and other public places, and while the Congress and legislatures open session with prayers by paid chaplains, would be a stilted overreaction contrary to our history and to our holdings." (465 US 686) The local TV news station also reported that the folks at Americans United for Separation of Church and State told them that "this is the only public school they know of where a religious message is being relayed in an elementary school play. And they said that's why they've targeted this school. " Barry and his cronies need to get out more. If this is the only school they know of that sings traditional Christmas carols, they truly are not in touch with the American people. (Eric Buehrer is the president of Gateways to Better Education and an occasional blogger at the BreakPoint Blog.) |
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Comments:
At the same time, it is also clearly settled constitutional doctrine that the First Amendment does not require eliminating religious terminology from governmentally-sponsored activities. In particular, the Supreme Court has specifically stated that Bible reading in the public schools is permissible if done for educational rather than devotional purposes. Singing Christmas carols in a holiday concert, particularly if interspersed with secular songs or those of other religions, would certainly be no less protected.
As an educational matter, for a choir (particularly at the high school or college level) to avoid all songs with religious texts would be educational malpractice, since such a large proportion of the classical choral literature uses religious texts. And if schools are going to introduce kids to holidays all over the world (including those of other religions), how is it illegal to recognize our own holidays?
One wonders why Mr. Lynn is so obsessed.
Brent Thomas Davis
Every year there is a major holiday music concert that features the high school band, choir, and two orchestras.
Each of the performing groups plays a variety of music: some secular Christmas carols; some sacred Christmas Hymns, some classical sacred Christmas pieces and some Jewish Hanukka music. Occasionally kwanza music is thrown in for good measure. Every year, the program ends with a stirring rendition of Handel's Messiah performed by the choir, volunteer singers from the audience, and the combined orchestras. The program is moving and beautiful.
As a Christian, I have never been offended by Hanukka music. I have never heard that any of the Jewish people in my community are offended by the Christmas music. The agnostics and atheists haven't complained either. Everyone simply enjoys great music performed by the young musicians.
If Barry showed up in our community, I think the likely outcome would be that nearly everyone would resent his meddling. For the life of me, I have no idea why anyone would prefer a purely secular concert or why anyone would object to the multi-cultural performance.