Freethought & Rationalism Archive

kookiejar · 05-20-2002, 11:32 AM

For anyone who is interested, the graduation at Woodbine High School did commence (so to speak) without the Lord's Prayer being sung or spoken, but the Christians in the community staged a little protest.

The valedictorian of the class was told to sneeze on purpose in the middle of his speech. He did and the audience said "God bless you" very loudly, in unison. Morons.

yygke · 05-20-2002, 05:27 PM

Quote:

The valedictorian of the class was told to sneeze on purpose in the middle of his speech. He did and the audience said "God bless you" very loudly, in unison. Morons.

Yeah, tell me about it. The girls sued their school over a song. Morons.

The Other Michael · 05-20-2002, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Yeah, tell me about it. The girls sued their school over a song. Morons.

Next thing you know some black woman in the south will start complaining that she has to ride in the back of the bus. I mean, she gets to ride on the bus, what's her beef? It's not like riding in the back of the bus is against her (ir)religious beliefs or anything. Then she'll want to sue the city because they won't let her ride in the front of the bus. Moron.

Right?????

I expect to see a "oh, but THAT'S different" response shortly.

cheers,
Michael

GaryP · 05-21-2002, 02:32 AM

yygke--

Sometimes, a suit is the only way to make a point.

I know the ACLU and others have this reputation, but they don't really do it that often. They try to work it out without a suit.

A personal note; I went to my son's graduation in '98. The tickets referred to the ceremony as a "Commencement/Baccaulaureate"(sp). I called the school. They said, There won't be any religion.

I go. The HS choir sings,"The lord Bless you And Keep You". A soloist sings another hymn. Out of 3 vocal presentations, 2 are religious.

I write to all 6 school board members. I write to the superintendent. No replies.

I write to the local paper. People write back suggesting that my boys must be a danger to their fellow students.

I write 2 more times that summer. No replies.

I am reluctant to contact the ACLU or AU because my family had just endured a Nativity Scene blow-up in the media in which we received death threats. The ACLU was not involved.

The school never replies to my concerns although I wtite repeatedly. When my second son graduates in '01, the hymns are not there. I write thanking the schools but asking why they did not let me know. NO REPLIES.

Suing is sometimes the only option.

Oresta · 05-21-2002, 01:47 PM

Typically, bringing suit is not simply to bring relief to the plaintiff, or to intimidate the defendant. The intent is to to bring the defendant into Constitutional compliance.
That is the point yygke contiues to miss here. The plaintiffs are not "prideful" malcontents harassing the schools with a "nuisance suit." They are trying to set the school system straight with the weight of the court's decision behind their legitimate grievance.

PopeInTheWoods · 05-21-2002, 07:45 PM

Welcome back yygke. Would you mind answering my previous questions?

Quote:

<strong>Okay yygke, you claim that the two atheist girls do have a choice, either sing the xian song or refuse to sing and fail the class. But these girls have the protections from the establishment of religion as all US citizens do. Why should they be the ones forced to choose between the lesser of two evils when it's the xians who are actively violating their rights?

Just to make this more interesting, what if the two girls were Moslem and felt they were committing blasphemy by singing it? What if they were Catholics who disagreed with the Protestant version of that prayer (with the extra "for thine is the kingdom" crap at the end)? What if they were simply xians who took Matthew 6:5-8 seriously and did not believe that public prayer, or ritual "babbling like pagans", was proper xian behavior, and therefore sinful?

Andy</strong>

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05-20-2002, 11:32 AM	#51
kookiejar Regular Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: USA Posts: 104	For anyone who is interested, the graduation at Woodbine High School did commence (so to speak) without the Lord's Prayer being sung or spoken, but the Christians in the community staged a little protest. The valedictorian of the class was told to sneeze on purpose in the middle of his speech. He did and the audience said "God bless you" very loudly, in unison. Morons.

05-21-2002, 02:32 AM	#54
GaryP Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Lancaster, OH Posts: 1,792	yygke-- Sometimes, a suit is the only way to make a point. I know the ACLU and others have this reputation, but they don't really do it that often. They try to work it out without a suit. A personal note; I went to my son's graduation in '98. The tickets referred to the ceremony as a "Commencement/Baccaulaureate"(sp). I called the school. They said, There won't be any religion. I go. The HS choir sings,"The lord Bless you And Keep You". A soloist sings another hymn. Out of 3 vocal presentations, 2 are religious. I write to all 6 school board members. I write to the superintendent. No replies. I write to the local paper. People write back suggesting that my boys must be a danger to their fellow students. I write 2 more times that summer. No replies. I am reluctant to contact the ACLU or AU because my family had just endured a Nativity Scene blow-up in the media in which we received death threats. The ACLU was not involved. The school never replies to my concerns although I wtite repeatedly. When my second son graduates in '01, the hymns are not there. I write thanking the schools but asking why they did not let me know. NO REPLIES. Suing is sometimes the only option.

05-21-2002, 01:47 PM	#55
Oresta Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Detroit, MI Posts: 1,107	Typically, bringing suit is not simply to bring relief to the plaintiff, or to intimidate the defendant. The intent is to to bring the defendant into Constitutional compliance. That is the point yygke contiues to miss here. The plaintiffs are not "prideful" malcontents harassing the schools with a "nuisance suit." They are trying to set the school system straight with the weight of the court's decision behind their legitimate grievance.

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