PoppaGringo wrote:
A Florida high school student was disciplined after a national atheist organization took offense when he concluded the morning announcements by saying God Bless America.
A spokesperson for the Nassau County School District told me the student at Yulee High School deviated from the approved script on the morning of Feb. 9th and uttered the words God Bless America -- apparently causing angst among two atheist students.
It wasnt part of the scripted morning announcements, district spokesperson Sharyl Wood said. The principal took the appropriate steps in speaking with the student and disciplining the student.
Disciplining the student? Whats the penalty these days for asking God to bless America 30 lashes?
Disciplining the student? Whats the penalty these days for asking God to bless America 30 lashes?
Instead of reporting their angst to the principal, the atheist students reached out to the American Humanist Association. The AHAs legal arm the Appignani Humanist Legal Center -- fired off a testy letter to the principal and school district on the students behalf.
It is inappropriate and unlawful for a public school to start the school day with an official statement over the intercom stating, God Bless America, for such a statement affirms God-belief, validates a theistic worldview and is invidious toward atheists and other nonbelievers, the American Humanist Association wrote in a letter to the principal of Yulee High School.
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The AHA said the student violated the Constitution and broke the law by invoking Gods name over the public address system. They demanded the school immediately cease and desist under the threat of a lawsuit.
The daily validation of the religious views of God-believers resigns atheists to second-class citizens, the AHA wrote in their letter. Because attendance is mandatory, the students have no way of avoiding this daily message either.
Later that day the AHA received a mea culpa from the principal assuring them such behavior would not happen again.
Heres the letter Principal Natasha Drake wrote to the AHA:
Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention. I want to point out that the statement "God Bless America, keep us safe" that was made last week on the morning announcements was not approved by school Administration nor was it in the scripted announcements. The student on his own accord made the statement. I have called the student in this morning and directed him that at no time is he to add or take away from announcements that have been pre-approved and that if he did it again, he would no longer have the privilege of making the morning announcements. I am disappointed that the students who filed the complaint did not do so with me first, as I would have addressed it immediately. Once again, thank you for bringing this concern to my attention. It is our desire and intention to respect the beliefs and constitutional freedoms of all our students at Yulee High School.
So why in the world does the school district have a problem with God blessing America?
As an official representative of a governmental agency, schools arent allowed to promote or inhibit religion, Wood told me. Individual students are certainly permitted to express their religious beliefs but not on behalf of the governmental body.
She explained that once the student delivered the morning announcements, the student became a representative of the government and therefore invoking God to bless our fruited plain became a no-no.
Sweet Lord almighty, good readers.
We cant say God bless America or hail to Muslims nobody can get up there and say there is no God, Wood explained. We have respect for all peoples faiths and religions.
The school district is also a frustrated that the atheist students declined to speak directly to school leadership. However, the kids apparently feared repercussions.
We have an anonymous tip line the students could have used to make a report, Wood said.
Of course they do because you never know when you might need to report a student for suddenly shouting bless you after a teacher sneezes.
I asked Jeremy Dys, an attorney with Liberty Institute to weigh in on this nonsense and he said the atheists dont have a prayer.
"Whether a student is being patriotic or engaging in religious speech, there is no law in this country forbidding a student from telling his or her classmates, God bless America and it is illegal for a school to censor a student for doing so, he said.
Dys also wonders why atheists are so hell-bent on trying to censor the patriotic speech of a red-blooded American high school student.
Regardless of this attempt by secularists to white wash over this demonstration of patriotism by a teenager, Americas students do not give up their right to free speech and the expression of their religious beliefs when they go to school, he said.
Id still like to know how they disciplined the morning announcement reader for such an egregious act but the district spokesperson refused to tell me.
Lord love em but Im not sure whats worse perpetually offended atheists or constitutionally ignorant educators.
A Florida high school student was disciplined afte... (
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What is worse than either of those, are the perpetual appologists, who apologize for everything. I still lay the blame on lawyers, for the most part, who are willing and eager to take up any cause that pays, thus giving legitimacy and fervor to wh**ever goofy entity has money.
Being a democratic republic, means that the majority rules, without intentionally harassing the minority. Today, we have the minorities constantly harassing the majority - and the majority let them do it. Minorities are bullies, plain and simple and thanks to rabid lawyers and pagan courts ( run by lawyers ), these bullies are allowed to terrorize everybody.
Soon, "in God we trust" will be removed from our currency, the word "God" will be blacked out in famous speeches by former Presidents and others, as well as any other reference to a Deity from society. The fact that the majority believe in a Deity, or a Divine presence, will hold no sway - because the perpetual applogists fear offending anybody - except the majority of folk who live here. Apparently the majority of folk are apathetic, or inattentive, to allow such harassment - or they can't afford a lawyer to argue on their behalf.