A Maine high school has reversed its decision to prevent a math teacher from keeping a pink Hello Kitty Christmas tree in her classroom.
Bangor High School officials had said Catherine Gordon had to remove the tree. The superintendent said the tree needed an educational component.
But WABI-TV reports principal Paul Butler said Tuesday that the school is now satisfied the tree highlights the “universal nature of holiday celebration.” He says the tree is appropriate for a school setting.
Gordon wrote on her Facebook page earlier that “everything offends everyone all the time” and that it “just sucks the joy out of everything.”
News of the tree’s removal had taken off on social media. Republican congressman Bruce Poliquin said the school went too far in ordering its removal.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
If that is what the superintendent said, I suggest that Christmas trees be adorned with ornaments depicting the birth of Jesus and children be educated as to why we celebrate Christmas. But you know the superintendent then would not stand by what he said and he would disallow that too. I am sick and tired of everyone complaining all the time that they are offended! Fortunately I don;t know people like that, but I read about them all the time and I am sick of it. Tell those folks to get a grip!
Now where does the Constitution declare that it will be set aside for anyone that may be offended. There is nothing in the Bill of Rights about being offended. Our rights are there whether some person is offended or not. Freedom of religion doesn’t go away simply because some jackass is offended by our beliefs. If any politician violates your right to freedom of expression, file a lawsuit. Porn is free speech and protected? Christians are not? Porn stars are paid prostitutes taking money for having sex. What is wrong with the leaders in this country?
Exactly….The Constitution does not say…NOR IMPLY that you will not be Offended….Liberals need to FIND A REAL LIFE….and GET OVER THEMSELVES….
No one is offended.
It has nothing to do with anyone being offended.
Insisting thats the issue will not make it so.
I’m with you Genierose, I also am sick and tired of all the politically correct B.S. and anything that these bleeding heart liberal na-sayers complain about. This is part of a continuing assault on destroying this country from the inside by those who believe life will be better if they have it their way. We need someone to really shake up this country and turn the establishment in corrupt Washington D.C. area upside down. I believe this country is ready for a
Donald J Trump to do exactly that. 2016 will be a major turning point for this country and Trump is the right man at the right time to make major longstanding changes to shake the world and country up for the better. Go Trump Go!!
no one’s “offended”. You people need to stop harping on that word. Thats not the issue. No one, and certainly no secularist/atheist/agnostic has ever been offended over anything to do with christmas. You’re painting it that way and its disingenuous.
The issue is there are lots and lots of different religions, as well as non-religion, practiced by the people of the United States, and in order to have a government that doesn’t favor one over any of the others, the government rightly doesn’t favor any of them at all.
Its a part of your Constitution and a matter of legal responsibility on the part of the school administration – the superintendant will go to prison if he doesn’t remove it.
There is no nefarious “they”, and even if there were, They aren’t attacking christianity or christians, and certainly not out of “offense.” It is the EXACT same law that keeps Islamic or Jewish or Hindu or whatever artifacts from school grounds. One rule for everyone.
The school is funded with tax payer money, the tax payers are the government (we the people and all that jazz), the government can’t appear to support, or actually support, any religion at all.
There ARE places in the world that do not maintain this separation, for example, Saudi Arabia, Iran, anywhere in dark ages Europe. These are not places you want to emulate.
Its for the good of everybody, we are all safe and free to practice our beliefs – any beliefs at all – as long as tax payer money isn’t involved. If you can agree that you’d be against tax payer money going toward buying draydels or hijabs or for putting up murals of the hindu pantheon, then you can agree tax payer money has no business going toward promoting christian symbols.
Did the tax payer buy the pink Christmas Tree ? I don’t think so.
the tax payers pay the school’s bills and the salary of the people who work there.
can a federally funded institution legally have religious symbols in them? didnt think so.
It would violate the Constitutional separation of church and state if taxpayers paid for the tree. A better approach might have been to poll the class beforehand
to see whether any religious representations of the holiday season should be allowed in the classroom.
If one is allowed, all should be allowed. Conversely, if
one is not allowed, none should be allowed. Fair is fair, and freedom of religion would be supported thereby. We have enough problems, without creating more for ourselves. Remember that we share more in common with each other than not.
When I went to school the pledge and a prayer every day before we started school and it was reading writing and arithmetic a little science,and history now it is sex speak mexican hand out condemns what a mess you kind of people have made of America I am not and never will be political correct it is just a way of saying Lie, we need truth truth morals and common sense, don’t like it than go to Europe they like the ungodly, the queers, and immoral. And Ian tired of this gov. Trying to turn us into Europe that is one of the reasons we our fathers fought them.
Check you pocket. Doesn’t the coin say “In God we trust”?
Why do the liberals always get their way?
“It has been said that for evil men to accomplish their
purpose, it is only necessary that good men do nothing.
I am Sick and Tired of the Liberal Democrats Telling All of Us That We Must Not Say This, Not Say That, Not Display This, Not Display That, In Order to NOT OFFEND Those Who Do Not Believe in or Celebrate Christmas!!! If One Of Those Assholes Was In My Presence, You Better Watch Out, You Better Not Cry, Because Pat’s Here to Attack Every Liberal Viewpoint That You Possess!!!
That’s why I’m a charter member of P.O.O.P.!
People Offended by Offended People.
I know it could be “People offended by OFFENSIVE people – but WE had it first!
Sign me up!
SEND IN THE MARINES REASTABLISH THE FOUNDING FATHERS CREED, AS LINCOLN SAID, WE ARE A GOVERNMENT ,OF THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE AND, BY THE PEOPLE, SO HELP ME GOD. PLEASE GOD COME BACK TO AMERICA, WE HAVE LOST OUR WAY, ONLY YOU CAN STOP THIS DECLINE OF AMERICA WE NEED YOU NOW. ROBERT HOYING UNITED STATES MARINES 1950 SEMPER FI
Real marines don’t go shouting it in people’s faces that they’re a marine. Real marines don’t expect extra privleges or special treatment or to be “more correct” because they are a marine.
Twerps who steal valor, do those things.
NONSENSE ! Someone just wants to CONTROL! l
It is a knock off on Christmas. Like a knock off of a Guicci bag or other product. Trying to eliminate Christmas from Christmas does not make it “universal”. I don’t celebrate holidays. I celebrate Christmas and a boycott of sores, oops stores, that are encouraging holidays should begin at once and continue. Is the 4th of July only a holiday? If the pagans want to have a celebration that is fine, but don’t try and commandeer other’s celebrations. And they should work on Christmas and take the day off on their holiday. There is no law that forces anyone to celebrate Christmas as Christmas.
It seems amazing to me that parents keep sending their children to such benighted institutions for their education. Don’t take a bite out of the corner of a Pop Tart, it might be mistaken for a pistol by the teacher. 3X5 isn’t equal to 5+5+5, oh no, it is only equal to 3+3+3+3+3. Where did these loonies come from and how do we get the real educators back?