Oct 21, 2011
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Public schools across the country are cancelling Halloween celebrations over issues ranging from candy corn to concerns that Americans are forcing their holiday traditions on new immigrants and many parents are angered by what they are calling political correctness.
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The principal at Buckman Elementary School in Portland, OR recently banned costumes at his school, calling instead for boys and girls to embrace a “spirit of equity.”
“For many reasons, the celebration of Halloween at school can lead to student exclusion,” Principal Brian Anderson wrote in a letter to parents. “There are social, financial and cultural differences among our families that we must respect.”
Anderson wrote that the “spirit of equity” has led most public schools in the city to “deemphasize the celebration of Halloween at school.”
The outrage among parents was profound and prompted a story in the Portland Mercurcy.
Anderson told the newspaper that any child who shows up to school with a costume will be required to change clothes. He defended his ban saying that Halloween at school excludes children.
“We’re pushing our traditions on an ever-changing population,” he told the Portland Mercury. “Halloween is, in many ways, personal to some people and to other people it’s very offensive.”
But to many parents, the idea of banning Halloween costumes is outrageous.
“This country’s obsession with the politically correct is really getting out of hand,” wrote Shannon Brazil on her blog.
Brazil noted the irony that students attending an arts school would not be allowed to be artistic.
“All this over America’s most creative holiday as it pertains to, of all places, an art school,” she wrote. “We just want the children at our arts school to be able to express themselves with costumes if they choose to do so.”
Halloween celebrations have also been banned in some schools across Michigan.
“Change is hard,” Carol Dawson told the Muskegon Chronicle. She’s the principal at Holton Elementary school – where candy corn and candied apples have been replaced with a fall festival focused on health and wellness.
Edgewood Elementary School in Fruitport, MI, decided to steer clear of both Halloween parties and costumes parades. The principal told the Chronicle she wanted to keep children safe and avoid hurt feelings.
“Emotionally, it is a difficult time for kids who don’t have costumes,” Amy Upham told the newspaper.
So instead of cookies and candy, the kids at Edgewood Elementary will get “fall-centered fun and educational activities.”
The decision upset parent Amy Schmidt.
“We walked outside (for a costume parade) every year when we were kids,” she told the newspaper. “And now we’re not having that for our kids, not having the memories and not having videos.”
In Springfield, NJ, elementary school principals banned costumes claiming it caused classroom disruptions.
Superintendent Michael Davino told the Springfield Patch that dressing up is not something kids should be doing at school.
“I do believe it is something you should do with your friends, believe it is something you should do with your family, and it is something you should do as an activity that has really nothing to do with school or about school,” he said.
The new policy has angered many Springfield elementary school students, some of whom attended a recent meeting of the Township Board to voice their opposition, according to the newspaper.
“We all still understand we can not wear masks or other things to cover our faces because it’s a safety issue,” one fifth grade student at Sandmeier Elementary School told the newspaper. “But I do not understand why we cannot wear costumes on Halloween.”
Costumes were also banned in Clear Lake Riviera, CA – until parents got fired up.
Diana Davidson, the principal at Riviera Elementary School, reversed the ban after she said it had become a “more emotional issue” than she had anticipated, reported The Record Bee.
She told the newspaper that the original intent of the ban was to include all children, noting that kids who don’t dress up get teased.
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Political Correctness comes full circle….some churches ban halloween because they feel it is devil worship…never thought I would see the day when fundamental Christians and liberals would be in bed together.
This is totally ridiculous. Halloween is fun, for me and my three kids. And in Rhode Island, we wear our costumes everywhere this time of year. The kids are allowed to wear them in school if that particular teacher allows it. For an American Educator, this superintendent, to say that it disrespects other nationalities by offending them is retarded. And the doing away with costume parades, that is retarded, too. People need to do more of those things, have fun with your kids and other families instead of ripping your neighbor for being a tea partier, or a leftist radical. Stop wasting your time with petty crap like trying to outlaw Halloween. This superintendent is a looser in my book.
Isn't it politically incorrect to think that people from other countries can't decide if they should celebrate a holiday or not? Also, if there is an issue of not being able to get a costume, why don't these schools ask parents to donate old gently used costumes for these kids to be able to use or to be able to deconstruct and make into a new costume. This is just pure silliness.
Just not sure I get it. Not that I'm a fan of Halloween, but to me this is another sad way to tell the public that they can't do anything that may come across as offensive to another. Don't say Merry Christmas, say Happy Holidays. Don't dress up because someone new to the country may be offended? This country seems to be about losing every freedom we have so that we don't offend someone else. Does anyone care that this is offensive to me?
My small town has banned Halloween activities at the schools and other things around the community due to them believing it to be evil. This frustrates me so much since Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday. These small minded idiots actually believe that "It's the devil's birthday" or "we are celebrating the devil when we participate in such a holiday". I have fought with the people around here year after year and nothing happens. They've even moved the day to actually trick or treat (which by the way I am surprised is even still allowed) because it had fallen on Sunday or Wednesday and they didn't want it to interfere with people going to church. Costumes in our children's school are banned of course, as well. It's ridiculous. If people actually read up on the history of the holiday, they would maybe have a different opinion. It started off as a harvest with beliefs that had been Americanized and is all in fun. If people that are new to our country are unfamiliar with the concept of Halloween, they need to read up on it or ask somebody. I do not understand how Halloween can be offensive to anybody unless they are just ignorant.
I love how this is being blamed all on immigrants when there are probably a lot of Christian children who are being raised in families that don't regonize Halloween, who are benefiting from this and not feeling left out.
This pisses me off. What's next? STOPPING Halloween altogether? Stopping Christmas? Seriously…if you give the immigrants an inch and ban costumes at school, they will want to see ZERO trick-or-treaters next thing you know. The kids will have to trick-or-treat in their own houses with mom and dad opening up doors throughout the house to pretend they are actually trick-or-treating. LOL. Wow. United Suckers of Ass is what I say this country should be called now.
A couple of years ago, a school in the northwest part of the country banned witch costumes as not to insult the "Wican" religion…….come on folks, it's halloween! What's next? banning zombie costumes to keep from insulting zombies? LET KIDS BE KIDS! I can see banning bloody gory costumes for obvious reasons……
Smarten up people..America is being taken over by lefty losers!
Dollar says this dude's house gets egged.
seriously? we have to put up with any tradition for anyone who comes here from another country, and change ours because one of them may be offended? because it's something they don't do in their own country? well, if you don't like it, go back to your own country. Easy. I can't go to your country and demand noone follows their traditions because it offends me.
Funny how Americans must now conform to the immigrants way , instead of them comforming to the American way.
Is this not the "United States of America" If the immigrants complain, well they came here. Does Mexico forgo Cinco De Mayo because of Americans. No, they celebrate it in here. This country allows others to come into this country, then takes away from us celebrating certain holidays cause it could offend someone. Hello….. what's wrong with this picture people! Goes back to a California High School making students turn their t-shirts inside out that displayed the American Flag on Cinco De Mayo due to respect to the holiday. COME ON!
these statements are too true for comfort..we need to take back america !!!!
these statements are too true for comfort..we need to take back america !!!!
If people that move here do not like our holidays and traditions , fine.Do not participate in them.But why should we have to give up things that we have been celebrating all of our lives because a few people think that it is more important to be politically correct than to have common sense.If they are so horrified by something like halloween or thanksgiving or christmas, then they can always move back to where they came from.( then they can tell all of their friends that they did not like it here because we have holidays ) If they did not come to this country to be part of this country, then why did they come here?
Face it… the average school administrator is a public employee that if thrown onto the free market would sink like a stone under the weight of their own ignorance.
LOL
So Goddammmmm sick of this PC shi+!
Good Job! Keep goin' Oregon, Cali, and other f'n progressive states! Hope that both Cali AND Oregon drop off into the ocean AND SOON. What a pathetic excuse for a principal. Probably loves Obama too.
Again, if you illegals don't like our traditions, GO THE HELL HOME.
You can thank your liberal friends and neighbors. When you give a little, they take a lot. Remember girls and boys, don't do anything cause it may offend some poor soul. lol
Here's a young couple in politically-correct costumes:
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01299/Al-Jolson_1299042c.jpg
So Halloween is offensive to some? And because of that they are banning it in school? What about the other Holidays that those same school children are forced to observe and learn about.. Like Christmas, and Kwanzaa, Easter and Thanksgiving. I'm not saying it is wrong to include these holidays into activities thru school. What I am saying, is enforce it across the board or not at all.
What about those whose parents choose an alternative religious path, such as Wicca, or another Earth Based Religion? All Hallows Eve is a pretty major holiday for them. If schools were to impose such a mandate on say…. Christmas……I wonder what the public reaction would be…….
Believe me, it's coming. Christmas has already been replaced with "Happy Holidays"; Thanksgiving, according to another article by this same author, is on its way out of the school system. We have become so politically correct we have lost our identity! Enough of this BS!
Principal Brian Anderson wrote in a letter to parents, “There are social, financial and cultural differences among our families that we must respect.”.
By ignoriing them? By pretending they don't exist? Call me stupid, but I would think the "spirit of equality" might mean that we invite them into our cultural celebrations, that we would include them in the fun of Halloween; that we would help introduce them to the traditions of their host country, rather than calling everything off just because they are here.
“We’re pushing our traditions on an ever-changing population,” said Anderson.
Pushing? Who's pushing? We're just doing what we do. Are we also "pushing" our constitutional freedoms on them, too? I mean, these people came here for a reason. Surely it was not so we would all change their home of choice into something that means nothing to anyone.
It's not about being the "melting pot" any more, it's all about multiculturalism – which failed miserably in Europe. Seems like the powers that be cannot seem to learn the lessons of history: Communism – failed; Socialism – failed; multiculturalism – failed; gun-free societies – failed! Yet, all those things are on the Liberal agenda for America. So this really is the great experiment and in 50 years the next generation will read: "Liberalism – FAILED"; but it will be too late for this generation!
Kids get embarrassed in school, they also get teased in school and it does not not matter what day of the year it is. Its part of life tuff shit, I guess we just need to make a new policy that all public schools require uniforms, no makeup, no hair products, no jewelry, oh also all parents need to drop their kids off in the same type of vehicle and backpacks must match… hmm pretty stupid. Nonetheless kids would still be embarrassed at times, get their feelings hurt and also get picked on occasionally. I'm not sure this article even makes sense.
The article makes sense – the concept doesn't!
OK fine! Lets hang Santa and shoot the Easter Bunny! This ain't America anymore! It's a polotically correct cesspool!
Rest assured, a politically left/liberal agenda is just behind the principal's door. Our public schools have been major socio-political battlegrounds all these many years. The action ramps up, as the number of "liberal-minded" educators worming their way into our school system grows alarmingly and virtually unnoticed. You'd expect otherwise, where we see such blatant moves like this, by officious, often imperious school administrators and teachers across the nation–craftily teaching revisionist and "select" history, challenging parents in control of their children, practicing "social engineering," and generally bashing, marginalizing, and openly and brazenly working at eliminating all "things American" past generations have cherished. Let interested parents have every child in that school show up in a Halloween costume on a given day, to drive home their point. Because, if a dead Halloween comes, can a dead Thanksgiving and dead Christmas be far behind?
Offending "new immigrants" aka M U S L I M S.
Time to stop muslim immigration if we want to keep our traditions, culture and values.
Time to vote accordingly next year. It's your decision.
The problem with public schools is that the employees have forgotten just who they work for. From my point of view most school administrators think the public works for them They need to be fired and parents need to take back their schools. gt rid of most of the useless administration personall and you would have more money for important things like hiring good teachers.
Morons..
Allrighty then, let's call this what it really is………….political correctness run amuck again. What they are really afraid of isn't the food police here, it's the let's not pick on muslim police. Let's face it, if the schools were concerned about hurting the feelings of Christians, then there would have been a ban on holloween decades ago.. so now that one is out of the way. They have been more concerned about hurting those on the left than those that are conservative. As Novella pointed out The Great Melting Pot is no more. I think that it leans back to not offending the muslims in this country. We as a nation must remember that until about 50 years ago most immigrants before that time looked forward to assimilate into our society and be defined by said assimilation. Now it is, America must assimilate into whatever culture arrives from abroad. This is America and not europe! nor south america, africa, russia, china, india nor any other country. Why should we assimilate to their culture. We send foriegn aide to most of these countries and we give them aide in this country. Why then should we become like them when they should become like us. This is how our nation is falling in global dominance, because we cater to those that claim discrimination and unfairness. In most of those countries how fair would they be to us? We need to get off the equality band wagon. Put America first, if these classes of people refuse to assimilate into American culture then, Easter will be next, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas and New Years, the last would be Presidents day as when that day comes a dictator will be in charge and not elected officials.
this is so stupid- if the immigrants don't like it, they can leave the country.
Since God has been kicked out of our schools it seems right that the Devil be banished as well. If I have to send my kid to a private school to be taught that there is a God, then you should have to send your kids to a private school to be taught evolution and Haloween, the celebration of death and evil. Our public schools are teaching the athiestic state religion, it's all part of" seperation of church and state" right?
There are ALL kinds of churches with all kinds of beliefs, Gay churches, Wiccian…just no tolerance for Christianity. Just my opinion, which I DO have a right to…right?
Why should one persons celebration be ridiculed because another does not believe. The chance for children to learn that his beliefs are not shared by othersshould be A LEARNING EXPERIENCE! Express YOURSELF, and accept others beliefs in the process. WELCOME TO AMERICA!
I think the rest of the sane people in this country need to declare war on the PC @ssholes in schools and elsewhere.
I am a born and raised American as were my parents. In fact my parents choose to celebrate Halloween. My Husband and I and our children do not. It is against our beliefs as Christians. I never understood as a child the practice we have in America of gong to church and giving lip service to God, then going home and doing as we please! For a country that wants to keep religion out of schools, letting Halloween in schools is wrong. It is a VERY religious holiday. A evil one but religious none the less. But oh that's right they only want God out of schools so I guess then allowing Halloween does make sense! If you choose to celebrate Halloween that is YOUR choice but forcing it on others in a COMMUNITY setting where there are people from all walks of life & beliefs is WRONG! This is not a PC issue this is a "to each their own issue". I don't let my kids go to school & shout from the roof tops THERE IS NO SANTA! Yet I feel that is exactly what is done to them by forcing Halloween and Santa in their faces at school!
1 Thessalonians 5:21-22.
"Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil."…
James 1:27
"Keep oneself from being polluted by the world".
3 John 1:11.
"Do not imitate what is evil".
Romans 12:9
"Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good."
Deuteronomy 18:9-14
"Do not learn to imitate detestable ways, including spiritists, sorcerers and witchcraft."
Ephesians 5:11-12
"Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness" / "live as children of light."
1 Timothy 4:1.
Don't "follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons".
1 Corinthians 10:31.
"Whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God".
Matthew 18:6
"If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin…".
Ephesians 6:11-18
"Take your stand against the devil's schemes."
Look at this as a teacher, been there done that. You have parents who do not want their child exposed to this. We never dressed up for Halloween in our school. We did have a small party with treats, which I might add some parents did not approve. Let my child sit in the hall while you do this, they can not participate.
Halloween is something that parents should do with their own children. Please do not put all of this on the school districts. Have you ever been chewed out by a parent for certain holiday celebrations? Parents can be hostile when it comes to what they believe.
"forcing their holiday traditions on new immigrants " Well let's see… you go to their country and you don't like the celebration can we call that forcing their traditions on us you think they would cancel the celebration… ummm no they wouldn't if you don't like how we do our AMERICAN traditions then either stay home or get out of our country and go back to where you came from we don't tell you , you can't do your traditions. Our traditions are part of who we are just like yours are of you so if you don't like it get F out of our country!
A dumb story for dumb people. Do you know how many Christians I went to school with (in the 70's) that were opposed the slightest reference to Halloween? All this false outrage over a single quote is hilarious. I couldn't wear a costume to school either. Nobody was pissed off in the 70's about that. Were all you folks freaking out when Pat Robertson said Halloween was the "Day of the Devil?" Of course you weren't! That was reported at Media Matters in full context.
"Americans are forcing their holiday traditions on new immigrants" Whaaaaa? We live here, this is our country. If they don't like our traditions, THEY CAN F U C K OFF BACK TO WHERE THEY CAME FROM!
I lived in Greece and Germany. Both of those places I respected and enjoyed their traditions. Anyone so rude and obnoxious they move to a country and feel like that country is "forcing their holiday traditions" on them, they are ignorant and should be deported.
Dressing up for Halloween should be banned in all school districts so the real focus.
of the schools in providing graphic sex education as in New York will not be diluted.
by outside considerations of imagination, creativity, and role playing.
Welcome to the future of OUR country. Political Correctness is being afraid to call something what it truly is. Illegal immigrants have more rights than citizens.
The overwhelming majority of attempts to ban Halloween for years have come from evangelical Christians, not those advocating politcal correctness. Why didn't Fox have a problem then?
I'd bet these same people will force kids to celebrate Mexican holidays… All the schools are in high Hispanic areas.
If school leaders are truly concerned about kids who can't afford costumes and might feel left out, what do they do the rest of the year when those same children cannot afford the kind of clothing their classmates wear? Don't they get teased and feel left out all year long? Is it time to consider school uniforms across the board? As for the Halloween costume issue – maybe it's time to say 'no' to store bought and ask the kids to get creative and make their own. After all, our kids need a creative outlet since art programs are non-existent at most schools. Wouldn't it be great to see kids dressed up in unique, homemade costumes like we used to wear?
If any of us lived in another country, we would be forced to endure their weird traditions and holidays, right? Soon we won't look like America at all.
I personally don't celebrate Halloween, but when people move to another country they are expected to do things the way that country does them, however, I am living proof that you can live here and not celebrate Halloween if you don't want to. These days people deliberately try to scream discrimination and "I am offended by your customs or your religion". Well so what? I bet they offend people too.
Christmas was ban over 30 years ago from the schools in California, the teachers were not allowed to sing traditional carols if Christ's name was mentioned in them, songs could be sung of Hanakuk but Christ. All of this has been coming for a long time, although we have lived in two countries in the last 8 years and both of them love Halloween and they dress to the teeth in costumes. What happen to rights for the majority, I think it is time the majority stood up to be counted if we don't pretty soon it will be to little too late!
I can understand their not wanting poor children whose parents cannot afford an elaborate costume to feel left out. But Halloween in some form or other is celebrated all over the world. How could it offend anyone? Besides if someone doesn't like it they can stay home for the day!
Our parade was cancelled at Rockburn elementary as well but on Howard County Times I am being crucified for speaking up and even having my daughter start a petition to try and change the principals mind. Now we are not even supposed to have an opinion that is not politically correct.
This is OUR freaking country. And we are stopping OUR traditions for those entering OUR country? What on earth is going on here? This is ludicrous! Absolutely ludicrous! I have had it up to my freaking eyebrows with this crap! This principal. Brian Anderson needs to be fired. Good freaking grief man!
US Army Garrison in Baumholder, Germany – Smith Elementery School is not letting our children dress up. Our own soldiers, fathers and mothers of these children, are deployed fighting for freedom. The children are placed in another country and forced to sacrafice many things. Then (with no information given to me that they were not allowed to dress up) my crying son was forced to place his mask in his bag. The assistant principle sat there and said "Uh! Come on now!" all irritated. MY SON IS 4 you unprofessional, uncarring, under educated, and over paid repressor of individualism and creativity! I am very, VERY upset about more government and more rules suppressing the people and NOW OUR CHILDREN!