Monday, December 26, 2005

The War on Christmas: The Chicago Front

Cross-posted on Marathon Pundit.

On December 17, Chicago attorney Andy Norman wrote the op-ed, Misunderstanding Constitution leads to censorship at school, decrying the secularists' attack on Christmas.

An excerpt:

Historically, students and teachers across America have celebrated the Christmas season by decorating classroom bulletin boards and Christmas trees, learning songs for the annual Christmas program and exchanging Christmas cards and gifts with classmates.

Yet, in recent years, misconceptions have arisen about the legalities of Christmas celebrations in public schools. As a result, many school officials have removed nearly all references to this historic day, including references to Jesus and the history of Christmas, and have begun new "traditions" that violate the Constitutional rights of students and teachers by prohibiting seasonal religious expression.

Daniel Elbaum of the Anti-Defamation League, disagreed, as he explained in his retort to Norman on December 22.

Here's an excerpt from his letter to the Sun-Times. (Note, this letter is no longer available as a free link on the Times' site.)

In ''Misunderstanding Constitution leads to censorship at school'' [Commentary, Dec. 17], Andy Norman overgeneralizes an important area of constitutional law and denigrates efforts to make our schools inclusive to students of all faiths and backgrounds. Norman writes that public school officials are not required to ''obliterate religious observance and expression.'' True, but the Supreme Court has made very clear that schools must not cross ''the laudable educational goal of promoting a student's knowledge of an appreciation for this nation's cultural and religious diversity, and the impermissible endorsement of religion.''

In a Marathon Pundit exclusive, below is Andy Norman's response to the ADL letter:

Dear Mr. Elbaum,

I enjoyed reading your letter in the Sun-Times yesterday, which responded to my op-ed piece. You have a legitimate perspective and I agree with most of what you wrote. However, I'd like to correct two misimpressions. First, I am not simply dealing with isolated examples of political correctness run amok. There is a concerted attack in our country to drive the free exercise of religion completely out of the public square and even some private settings, which is highly offensive to many of us who were raised in the Judeo-Christian tradition. In the (false) name of separation of church and state our religious liberties are being eradicated. This is a critical issue because our country has always embraced and accommodated religion. Moreover, there is no better time to raise this than now, at the time of Christmas and Chanukah, when people are listening.

Second, I disagree with your "heckler's veto" implication for the same reason you accuse me of citing isolated examples of political correctness. Jewish children adjust easily to the concept that they are a minority and we should not fear such minor offenses. I am Jewish and grew up in East Rogers Park, a mixed neighborhood, in the 1960's. Yes, I was uncomfortable because I did not know the words to the Christmas carols we sang and did not celebrate Christmas. But it never occurred to me or any of my Jewish friends to complain, or try to stop the Christian celebrations. I knew then as I know now that we live in a Gentile culture and they are entitled to commemorate their faith; indeed God chose us for His people because we were small and nondescript, and knew that we would be minorities in the Diaspora. Deut. 7:7. It is my belief that the "heckler's veto" approach taken by the ADL over-emphasizes the Establishment Clause to the point of endangering Free Exercise Clause freedoms. This is a dangerous imbalance which we will continue to fight against.

Chanukah Sameach v' Baruch HaShem.


Andy Norman

There is a book by Fox News' John Gibson--I read the first 50 pages of my niece's copy last night--about similar scenarios, and it's called The War on Christmas.

7 comments:

pathickey 1:00 PM  

John,

The New Yorker had a pretty interesting piece on the war on Christmas; they pulled out the old Henry Ford chestnuts - that beauty was a stoned anti-Semite; not to mention anti-labor thug.

The essay in Talk of the Town pp 43-44 ( Dec. 26-Jan.2 2006) parades the many manifestations of the 'assault on Christmas.'

While Christmas is a pretty sad target for dopes with too much time on their hands, the good guys too often play into the hands of the crumbs - Like H.F. of Fox News.

In the largest sense, they hurling spitballs at a dreadnaught. Christmas is here to stay. Good people like you keep it Holy. Happy New Year John and God Bless the work!

Anonymous,  2:08 PM  

Way to shovel away the snowjob. I think this is the stupidest topic of 'news'that has come across the wires in many, many years. These kinds of stories are always brewing, but Fox News succeeding in getting story after story and editorials about this idiotic holidays/Christmas stuff.

Marathon Pundit 3:48 PM  

Stupider than Paris Hilton?

Anonymous,  3:59 PM  

Yawn...

Anonymous,  4:08 PM  

Religious Freedom is stronger now in America than it has been at any other time in history. Sure, it's not perfect, but it's probably better than anywhere else in the world. If you don't believe that, you're either living in a cave or nuts.

Extreme Wisdom 10:08 PM  

In some sense, those on this post arguing that this "war" is manufactured by Fox and others in the VWRConspiracy are correct, but not in the way they think.

This is the first counter-assault of many yet to come on the senselessness of "Political Correctness" - which is not an innocuous joke, but a stealth assault on the first Amendment.

I think John was correct to point this stuff out.

(If it's such a "yawn", why waste the time to point it out?)

I know why folks like Anon. 4:08 believe what they believe, but I tend to disagree with their optimistic view.

There are two key (re: Religion)phrases in the 1st Amendment. One is that Congress shall not establish a religion, but another is "Nor prohibit the free exercise thereof."

In my view, (and I'm sure some here disagree) the entire apparatus of the education system is a publicly funded assault on the free exercise of religion.

This is no surprise, since the first tenet of most religions is that "thou shalt have no other Gods before me."

"Secular Rationalism" (or what ever you want to call the thin gruel of "post-Christian" ideology) is no exception.

Anonymous,  10:01 AM  

Riddle me this there, Professor...how is Congress restricting the free exercise of religion when Wal-Mart decides to use "Happy Holidays (orig. Holy Days, BTW)" as a greeting?

Did that stop your ability to go to Christmas services? Put up a tree? Put a Nativity set under said tree? View one in Daley Plaza or other town square? Wish others a "Merry Christmas?"

I, for one, was stopped by no member of Congress on my way into Midnight Mass, nor jailed by secular humanist goon squads when I wished others a Merry Christmas. Also, I stayed home and received no mail yesterday - on the federal Holiday for Christmas. So please, spare us the "war on Christmas" Toro Poo Poo.

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