Radical leftist school principal bans the Pledge of Allegiance, Christmas and Thanksgiving ... This is tolerance?

Monday, December 21, 2015 by: J. D. Heyes
Tags: First Amendment, free speech, holiday celebrations

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(NaturalNews) The mainstream media, Hollywood and academia constantly blame "right-wing zealots" for attempting to "push their values" on all of society, but the reality is, it is Left-wing zealots who are trying the hardest to push theirs. The latest example of this comes from a public school in New York City, where a Leftist principal is doing her level-best to eradicate traditional American cultural practices and norms this holiday season.

As reported by the New York Post, things have radically changed at Public School 169 in Brooklyn:

"Santa Claus is banned. The Pledge of Allegiance is no longer recited. 'Harvest festival' has replaced Thanksgiving, and 'winter celebrations' substitute for Christmas parties.

"New principal Eujin Jaela Kim has given PS 169 in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, a politically correct scrub-down, to the dismay of teachers and parents."

"We definitely can't say Christmas, nothing with Christmas on it, nothing with Santa," PTA president Mimi Ferrer said administrators told her, according to the Post. "No angels. We can't even have a star because it can represent a religious system, like the Star of David."

'Come to America and celebrate your faith – if we let you'

But why not? Does the First Amendment somehow not apply at PS 169? We don't know because, as the Post reported, Kim, 33, who is Asian, did not return calls or emails seeking an explanation.

To be fair, Kim is not alone in her quest to wipe all references to traditional America from the school. The Post said that a memo from Assistant Principle Jose Chaparro last month suggested a "harvest festival instead of Thanksgiving or a winter celebration instead of a Christmas party." And he chided staff to "be sensitive of the diversity of our families," adding, "Not all celebrate the same holidays."

True – so why ban any of them?

The Post noted that 95 percent of the 1,600 kids at PS 169 are Asian or Hispanic (apparently now a school where kids are overwhelmingly part of just two ethnic groups is labeled "diverse," while schools with mostly white children are "racist").

The NYC Department of Education recently sent a directive to all schools, saying that holiday symbols including Christmas trees, kinaras (candleholders for Kwanzaa), dreidels, Hanukkah menorahs and the Islamic star-and-crescent were permissible. In addition, the directive stated that displays that "depict images of deities, religious figures or religious texts" are prohibited.

So, only portions of the First Amendment are permissible in NYC public schools – and others around the country, to be fair.

PS 169 business manager Johanna Bjorken cleared up the Kris Kringle thing as well in a memo to staff, noting, "In case you are wondering about grey areas: Santa Claus is considered an 'other religious figure.'"

A mythical fat guy in a red suit who delivers presents is "religious" – how? Because he's associated with a religious holiday – the same one whose name shall not be mentioned?

As the Post further reported, however:

"Santa was a part of the holidays at PS 169 for years. Joseph Iorio, a longtime assistant principal and the acting principal who preceded Kim, recalled state Assemblyman Felix Ortiz visiting the school dressed as Santa 'many times.'"

"Iorio also said he tapped student leaders to lead the Pledge of Allegiance every Monday morning. When Kim arrived, the school-wide pledge ended."

Banning diversity is 'diversity?'

So this was all done because one principal made the decision that she was offended, or that others must be offended, or that the tradition must be broken, or ... who knows why. But yes, according to the Department of Education, such decisions are "at the teacher's discretion."

So much for "diversity."

You know, the Left is always railing against immigration laws that set limits, and political figures who agree with them, because, they claim, we ought to be letting anyone and everyone who wants to come to the U.S. in for the sake of "diversity." And yet, when they get here, authoritarian nannies like Kim refuse to allow them the constitutional right to observe, celebrate and express their diversity.

The First Amendment prohibits the Congress from making any laws that essentially establish a singular religion for the United States, but also from making any laws "prohibiting the free exercise" of religion. And with the Constitution's Supremacy Clause, that means regardless of what a local nanny thinks, he or she does not have the authority to supersede or prohibit this constitutionally guaranteed right.

That too many federal courts have sided with people like Kim is telling in and of itself, and indicative of just how far we as a nation have drifted from our constitutional moorings.

Sources:

Breitbart.com

NYPost.com

Law.Cornell.edu