Hospitals Shun Science for Sexual Mutilation $$$

Pursuing profit and political correctness, more hospitals across America, including Cleveland Clinic and Johns Hopkins, are offering "sex change" transgender surgery despite a lack of medical/psychiatric/scientific evidence that such procedures help sexually-confused people.

“There’s much greater buy-in [for transgender surgeries] in the conventional medical community than there ever was before.”
-- Dr. Joshua Safer, Director of the Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery, at Boston Medical Center

“Phalloplasty [false penis] surgeries are more complex than vaginoplasty [false vagina surgeries] and complications aren’t unusual. Most of the cost is increasingly covered by insurance and can range from $50,000 to $125,000, experts say.”
-- Wall Street Journal

“To change somebody’s life in a few hours is really rewarding.” [$$$]
-- Rachel Bluebond-Langner, Assistant Professor of Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine

For background, read Transgenderism is a 'Delusion' According to Victims and Professionals and read U.S. Government Survey Shows 'Sexual Orientation' is Learned Behavior, NOT Genetic

Also read Gay Agenda Increases Suicides of Young Men, Study Shows

Yet, a Mother Plans Sexual Mutilation of Her Son, as the Media Cheer

And Schools Say 'Sex Change' Surgery is Toddlers' Choice



-- From "With Insurers on Board, More Hospitals Offer Transgender Surgery" by Sumathi Reddy, Wall Street Journal 9/26/16

. . . Other medical centers also have begun offering transgender surgeries, including Boston Medical Center, Oregon Health & Science University in Portland and Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. . . . Previously, patients wanting transgender surgeries had to seek them out through private-practice plastic surgeons or in countries such as Thailand.

In 2014, the U.S. government’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began to allow coverage of transgender-related surgery. Currently, Medicaid programs in 12 states and the District of Columbia cover transition-related care, according to the National Center for Transgender Equality, in Washington, D.C. Many commercial insurers also have begun covering such procedures.

Research on the surgeries is mixed. Critics point to a 2011 study published in the online journal PLOS One by researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden that followed more than 300 transgender people after surgery and found they had a higher rate of psychiatric care, suicide and mortality than a control group. . . .

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From Johns Hopkins University announces “gender-affirming” surgeries and its “unequivocal and profound commitment to the LGBTQ community” by Paul B. Rothman, M.D., Dean of the Medical Faculty, CEO, Johns Hopkins Medicine; and by Ronald R. Peterson, President, Johns Hopkins Health System, EVP, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Johns Hopkins Medicine highly values and is fully committed to supporting LGBT individuals. We have developed practices and policies consistent with this commitment, including:

. . . We have expanded our health care benefits to cover transgender health services, including surgical procedures, with no lifetime maximum benefit.

Johns Hopkins Children’s Center physicians helped lead an American Academy of Pediatrics committee that authored the 2013 policy statement that supports access to clinically and culturally competent health care for all LGBT and questioning youth.

. . . We have committed to and will soon begin providing gender-affirming surgery as another important element of our overall care program, reflecting careful consideration over the past year of best practices and the appropriate provision of care for transgender individuals.

To read the entire announcement above, CLICK HERE.

From "Transgenders: Denying reality?" by Dr Glenville Ashby, Trinidad Newsday 10/11/16

With a shift in the cultural paradigm, transgender rights are slowly being accommodated. . . . Not surprisingly, political, academic, and judicial activism has advanced a new confrontational liberal zeitgeist that has made it difficult to have a dissenting opinion for fear of being maliciously labelled. . . .

Prominent businesses are boycotting states, such as Georgia, Indiana, and North Carolina that uphold the Religious Freedom Restoration Act [RFRA] that is arguably discriminatory and unconstitutional.

[However, priest and neuroscientist Tad Pacholczyk's] scientific and theological background offered a unique insight into this highly-charged subject.

In the article, “Seeing through the intersex confusion,” he acknowledged that confounding physiological (hormonal) triggers and cultural forces lead to psychological discordance.

Comparing somatic disorders to other developmental disorders that should never “be subjected to bias or mistreatment”, he argued that “while a newborn’s ‘intrinsic maleness’ or ‘intrinsic femaleness’ may be difficult to access in certain more complicated intersex cases, the point remains that there is an ‘underlying’ sexual constitution that we must do our best to recognise and respect and act in accord with”.

Equally important is his far-reaching assertion that “willfully (denying this reality) is a prescription for disillusionment and dishonesty”.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Authors defend controversial report on sexuality" by Paul R. McHugh and Lawrence S. Mayer, Baltimore Sun 10/11/16

In a recent Sun op-ed, colleagues at the Bloomberg School of Public Health sought to "disassociate" themselves from a paper we published in The New Atlantis entitled "Sexuality and Gender." Our paper explored, and found flimsy, any scientific support for popular notions about sexual orientation and gender. . . . Our paper entailed a careful study and full description of close to 200 scientific papers.

We did say that scientific studies did not now support (though could not categorically reject) the view that sexual orientation or gender identity is an "innate" bio-behavioral feature of human beings, fixed at conception and rigidly defining sexual desires, attractions and identities throughout life — i.e. the claim that gay people are "born that way." We also said studies of gay, lesbian and transgender populations revealed among them a considerable increase in mental distress and disorder up to and including suicide. And, we noted, science declares that there are only two human sexes, so that thoughts such as "I'm a woman in a man's body" did not describe a biological reality even though it might be a powerful feeling or assumption of a person and could take myriad forms. Follow up of children with such feelings demonstrated that the great majority — 80 to 95 percent — abandon them as they mature.

Our colleagues did not offer any specific scientific study that refuted what we demonstrated. . . .

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Click headlines below to read previous articles:

Schools Teach Kindergartners Transgenderism Across America

Minnesota School Sued: OKs Boy Flashing in Girls Room

52-year-old Man is Adopted as 6-year-old Girl

Gay Men, Who Say They're Dogs, Demand Acceptance

Birthing Transgender Kids: Gender-Neutral Names

Statistics from President Obama's Social Security Administration show that the fastest-growing trend in naming newborns is gender-neutral first names, thus eliminating the need for future name changes once the child "decides its gender identity."

"Today’s parents have moved beyond the dichotomy of boy and girl names. They want their children to grow up and be themselves, free from stereotypes. Boys can wear nail polish, girls can ride skateboards. It’s all good."
-- Linda Murray, Editor in Chief, BabyCenter (which declared 2015 “the year of the gender-neutral baby”)

"Think beyond the conventional choices. Any name not traditionally used for people (names of trees places, words and those that are invented) by definition transcend gender and can work equally well for girls or boys. There’s no reason that Arrow can’t be a girl’s name and Alaska a boy’s. . . . Feminism is cool again, gay marriage is the law of the land and transgender celebrities have come into the mainstream."
-- Pamela Redmond Satran, baby-name expert

For background, read Parents Allow Babies to Choose Gender From Birth

-- From "Is Hayden a Boy or Girl? Both. ‘Post-Gender’ Baby Names Are on the Rise." by Alex Williams, New York Times 8/18/16

. . . At a time when Banana Republic has done away with pink and blue distinctions in a children’s line, some high schools have stopped using graduation gowns with different colors for boys and girls, and unisex is de rigueur in fashion, gender-blurring baby names are on the rise among American parents.

The numbers seem to bear this out. Researchers at Nameberry analyzed the baby name registry from the Social Security Administration and found that the number of babies given unisex names like Harper, Tatum and Quinn had risen 60 percent in the last decade, to 67,831 babies in 2015.

The most popular unisex names in 2015, the researchers found, were Hayden (about 39 percent girls, 61 percent boys) Charlie (about 48 percent girls, 52 percent boys), Emerson (about 60 percent girls, 40 percent boys), Rowan (about 35 percent girls, 65 percent boys), and Finley (about 60 percent girls, 40 percent boys). Rounding out the post-gender Top 10 were River, Dakota, Skyler, Phoenix and Tatum.

. . . in an era marked by Caitlyn Jenner’s endlessly publicized transition from Bruce, as well as gender-bending shows like Amazon’s “Transparent,” the unisex baby name may also prove to be in its infancy.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Gender-Neutral Baby Names Are In For 2016 . . ." by Maddy Foley 2/2/16

Nameberry, one of the top baby name destinations on the Internet for expecting parents, recently compiled a list of their top 50 baby names for 2016. . . . one of the top Nameberry observations was the surge in gender-neutral monikers.

. . . here are some of my personal favorites from Nameberry's ranking. Good for boys, good for girls, good for choose-whatever-word-you-like-because-gender-is-a-construct:  Riley, Avery, Rowan, Finley, Peyton, Jude, Sage, Augustine, Arlo, Charlie.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "25 Super-Cool Unisex Baby Names" by Nicole Fabian-Weber, Cosmopolitan 4/22/16

When it comes to naming your kid these days, there really aren't any hard and fast rules — especially in regard to gender norms. The hottest names are actually being used for girls and boys. (Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, who both have popular unisex names, are obviously the coolest parents for choosing to name their baby girl James.)

To read the entire article above, and see all 25 "Super-Cool" names, CLICK HERE.

Atheists Force 9/11 Sign Down, Kansas Locals Rebel

Since the local post office yielded to the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) last month by removing a "God Bless America" banner placed by postal workers 15 years ago, residents of Pittsburg, Kansas have displayed thousands of such signs throughout town.

“This just infuriates me.  [The removal of the banner] tore my heart out."
-- Ruth Wegner (husband Richard was 20-year postal worker)

“I don’t see what it’s hurting. But I guess we need to be politically correct. It’s just sad.”
-- Mike Lewark, retired postal worker and Vietnam War veteran

“I’ll miss it. It showed the post office was part of America, and God got us to where we’re at. We were proud of it.”
-- Jim Scott, 32-year retired postal worker and former U.S. Marine

For background, read After City Bans 'God Signs' Florida Residents Display MORE

Click headlines below to read previous articles:

ACLU Stops Godless Patriotism in New Jersey School

Georgia Sheriff's Christmas Sign Peeves Atheists

Mississippi Police Chief Thanks God at City Prayer Meetings

Louisiana Sheriff Defies ACLU with Fourth of July Prayer

Atheists Threaten Arkansas School so Citizens Pray Publicly

Ohio School Board Wants Prayer, Ignoring Atheists

Prayer Stays in Florida School, Opposing Atheists



-- From "Post office banner removal sparks reaction in Pittsburg" by The Associated Press 2/1/16

The Pittsburg post office took the banner down Wednesday after hearing complaints about it from the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation. The organization said hanging the banner at the post office violated the principle of separation of church and state.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Post Office [Twana Barber] said the postal service removed the banner because postal policy prohibits the placement of notices on postal property unless they’re official government notices.

The Pittsburg Morning Sun reports that a similar banner appeared at a couple of local businesses by Thursday, and a local sign company says requests for more signs have been pouring in.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Pittsburg residents unhappy with removal of 'God Bless America' banner" by Andra Bryan Stefanoni and Sarah Okeson, Joplin Missouri Globe 1/27/16

Postal workers [about 60] paid for the 12-foot-long vinyl banner after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that took down the Twin Towers and killed 2,996 people in New York, the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania.

Ed Hinde watched as employees took out the eight screws holding the red, white and blue banner to the southeast corner of the post office at Seventh and Locust streets. They rolled up the banner because it was brittle after more than a decade outside.

“After the Sept. 11 attacks, a group of employees came to me and said, ‘Let’s do something’,” recalled Hinde, who served as postmaster from 1987 to 2003. “The employees paid for half of it, and I paid for half of it.”

About a dozen people, including retired letter carriers, members of the American Legion and other Pittsburg residents, watched in silence.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Blessings — More than 1,000 'God Bless America' signs given away as backlash grows" by Michael Stavola, Pittsburg Morning Sun 2/1/16

. . . Jake's Fireworks responded by printing 1,200 "God Bless America" yard signs and 300 similar banners. The company began handing out signs at 11 a.m. and by 11:45 a.m., the signs were gone.

Cars stretched over two blocks. Drivers were eventually met with rows of American flags and a digital sign saying "God Bless America" as they pulled into the company’s driveway at east industrial park, where Marietta and other employees directed traffic and greeted the drivers.

The company had a crew work overnight printing signs, [retail sales director Jason Marietta] said. Marietta knew the demand would be high after a Facebook post was shared 1,500 times. He just didn’t imagine it would be this big.

It took roughly 45 minutes for community members to clear out 1,500 signs, but employees continued to take down contact information to distribute additional signs and banners as they are printed.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Banner Backlash — 'God Bless America' banners proliferate following removal of original from post office" by Sarah Gooding, Pittsburg Morning Sun 1/28/16

Thursday morning, a very similar banner appeared on the fence next to local business Jayhawk Signs and Graphics, another at CDL Electric Company and social media marketing by Jake’s Fireworks promised more to come.

“We hung the banner in support of our troops and to commemorate the 9/11 attacks on America,” said Shea McLaughlin, with CDL Electric. “That banner has nothing to do with religious values or political correctness. It has everything to do with freedom of speech and the foundation that this country was built on.”

McLaughlin said that foundation is the God-given right to be free, along with free speech.

“Sometimes you have to stand up for what’s right,” McLaughlin continued. “In the day and age of political correctness someone has to be a leader and stand up for what they believe in.”

. . . Area residents also showed up at the post office with sandwich boards and flags, earning cheers of support from passers-by.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read 'God Bless Planned Parenthood,' Says President Obama

And read Supreme Court Justice Scalia Says Government Should Favor God of the Bible

Christmas Holiday OUT, Lunar New Year IN: Schools

Political correctness is the objective as public schools debate calendars, but from one district to the next, their PC goal seems elusive.

"I have come to the difficult decision to discontinue the celebration of the dominant holidays until we can come to a better understanding of how the dominant view will suppress someone else's view."
-- Principal Scott Masini, Bruce Vento Elementary School in St. Paul, Minnesota

For background, read 'Allahu Akbar' Taught in Minnesota School for Christmas

Click headlines below to read previous articles:

Jewish Mom Opposes School's Santa Claus Christmas

Angry Muslims Demand School Holiday for Ramadan in New Jersey

D.C. Muslims Force Christmas Off Maryland School Calendar

Muslims Force Maryland Schools Closed Routinely

New Jersey Atheist Official Has Hissy Fit over Christmas Tree

Atheists Help Liberal Schools in Oregon Ban Christmas Choirs

Also read Texas School Supt. Tells Atheists to Go Fly a Kite

-- From "Minnesota school bans holiday celebrations for Valentine's Day, Christmas, more" by The Associated Press 2/3/16

Bruce Vento Elementary in St. Paul is joining other public schools in opting out of holiday celebrations as school officials strive to be more culturally sensitive and inclusive. The school has a predominantly Asian and black student body, and English is a second language for more than half of its pupils, who come from a range of faith backgrounds.

In a letter to parents last week, Principal Scott Masini said his rationale was to avoid "encroaching on the educational opportunities of others and threatening a culture of tolerance and respect for all." He acknowledged it would be an unpopular decision for some.

The letter drew both criticism and support as it started circulating on social media, with some people praising the policy for its sensitivity to diverse cultures and others decrying it as political correctness. The Star Tribune newspaper in Minneapolis ran an editorial calling the decision misguided and urged Masini to reconsider.

As word spread, the school district issued a statement saying its longstanding policy "discourages programs and festivities that celebrate observances unless they are required by law." That means government holidays celebrating the birthdays of President George Washington, President Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr., along with Veterans Day, are still OK.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "[New York] City schools to close Monday for Lunar New Year" by Diane C. Lore, Staten Island Advance 2/5/16

Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña announced the addition of the new holiday to the school calendar in June.

The city school system will become only the second major urban school district in the nation, after San Francisco, to close on [the Asian] Lunar New Year.

When de Blasio announced in early March last year that the Mulsim holy days Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr would appear on this year's school calendar, Lunar New Year advocates began to push to have their holiday added.

The Department of Education was able to add the Lunar New Year holiday to the school calendar by consolidating two half-days previously designated for staff administrative work, of which neither could count toward the 180-day minimum, into one full day. This allowed room for the addition of the Lunar New Year without any loss in state aid-able days.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "New York City Schools to Celebrate Lunar New Year with Day Off for First Time" by Chris Fuchs, NBC News 2/1/16

. . . the city's 12 congressional members sent a letter to de Blasio dated March 9, saying they were happy Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr would become public school holidays, but were "puzzled and concerned" about why Lunar New Year was left out. Four days later, city and state elected officials held a rally outside City Hall. On April 1, legislation was introduced in Albany to amend New York's education law to recognize Lunar New Year as a public school holiday for any city with one-million people — namely New York City.

Former Queens state Assemblyman Jimmy Meng, a Democrat, was the first to propose such a bill in 2005, but it failed to gain a sponsor in the state Senate. Meng's daughter Grace, a former state assemblywoman who is now a Democrat congresswoman from Queens, also introduced legislation in early 2009 with support from state Sen. Daniel Squadron, a Democrat whose district includes Chinatown.

After several months went by without any news, more than 40 elected officials, advocacy groups, and community leaders sent an open letter to de Blasio in June, saying his administration did not keep a promise to meet before the end of May for discussions. Around the same time, the state Senate unanimously approved a bill making Lunar New Year a public school holiday.

Following mounting pressure, the mayor, who controls the city's school system with state approval, announced on June 22 through Twitter that Lunar New Year would be added to the 2015-2016 calendar. The message was published in English, Chinese, and Korean.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Valentine's Day ban touches off wider debate on school celebrations" by Beena Raghavendran and Zoe Peterson, Minneapolis Star Tribune 2/2/16

Across the metro area and the country, schools are juggling sensitivity with holiday fun as student bodies become increasingly diverse. Several schools have turned to seasonal celebrations to include all students, and some have scaled back in-class celebrations to save teaching time.

[St. Paul's] Vento school is echoing that rationale in its decision to stop celebrating major holidays, to avoid “encroaching on the educational opportunities of others and threatening a culture of tolerance and respect for all,” Masini said in the letter addressed to families. “My personal feeling is we need to find a way to honor and engage in holidays that are inclusive of our student population.”

Masini was cheered and jeered by people online. Some said fun was being sucked out of schools. He responded in a comment released by the school district Thursday. “I’m struggling with this and I don’t know what the right answer is,” he said. “But, what I do know is celebrating some holidays and not others is not inclusive of all of the students we serve.

Wayzata Public Schools no longer observes specific holidays, opting instead for seasonal celebrations, said spokeswoman Amy Parnell. Valentine’s Day is the only exception — certain schools still decide to recognize the holiday.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "St. Paul school might abandon celebration of 4 holidays" by Josh Verges, St. Paul Pioneer Press 2/1/16

The policy reads, in part:  “Schools shall discourage programs and festivities arranged to celebrate holidays and other special days, and shall strive to eliminate them, except where such observances are required by law.”

Exceptions to the policy are Veterans Day and the birthdays of Martin Luther King, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. When school is held on those days, state law says “at least one hour of the school program must be devoted to a patriotic observance of the day.”

[St. Paul Public Schools spokeswoman Toya] Stewart Downey said Superintendent Valeria Silva supports the district’s policy on holiday observances. But the district will gather input from schools in case the school board wants to change the policy.

[Principal] Masini said the school no longer would celebrate Valentine’s Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas . . .

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read Majority in U.S. Want Christmas Celebrated WITHIN Schools: Poll

Most Terrorists are White Christians, Colleges Say

More educators are teaching American students that the greater risk to the public is white Christian terrorists rather than Muslim terrorists.

“Ninety percent are from these white Caucasian men. . . . Usually they are people who are religiously motivated and politically conservative. . . . Just a few months ago, a white, I think he was Christian, I thought he was Christian because there was something about, you know, ‘the state claimed against God’s law and stuff’ . . .”
-- Dr. Ross Avilla, taught in “Introduction to Psychology” at University of California-Merced in October 2015

For background, read Maine Principal Warns of White Christian Terrorists

Also read President Obama Compares Christians to Islamic Terrorists and later President Obama Defends Muslims and Homosexuals Regarding Terrorism Against Church


-- From "VIDEO: College students taught most U.S. terrorists ‘conservative’ white men" by Jennifer Kabbany, Editor, The College Fix 1/11/16

Two students in the class who provided the video of the lecture to The College Fix last week asked to remain anonymous. They said they waited to release it until their grades were secured, and also out of respect for the mourning period at UC Merced after Mohammad’s stabbing spree.

[Dr. Ross Avilla] essentially argued many Americans wrongly believe Muslims make up the vast majority of U.S. terrorists because they have not thought long and hard on the matter.

The scholar made the statements to his class of about 250 students, mostly freshmen.

“They are students who are impressionable,” one of the students who provided the video told The College Fix, adding “I wanted to learn about psychology. I didn’t want to hear biased politics.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Prof DEBUNKS study claiming right-wing extremists in U.S. more deadly than Islamic terrorists" by Michael McGrady, CU Colorado Springs, posted at The College Fix 1/18/16

A widely touted study claiming right-wing extremism is more deadly than Islamic terrorism in the United States has been debunked by a history professor who shows that, in actuality, there have been 62 Americans killed by Islamic terrorists in the U.S. for every one American killed by right-wing extremists.

Professor Andrew Holt of Florida State College at Jacksonville recently published his analysis that discredits the widespread sentiment that right-wing attackers are the deadliest domestic terrorists in the U.S.

Holt’s analysis points out numerous flaws in the highly cited study released in 2015 by New America Foundation, which claimed 48 deaths in the U.S. were due to “far right wing attacks” while only counting 45 deaths due to “violent jihadist attacks.”

The study’s findings were not only touted by many major news outlets across the nation as proof that fears over radical Islamic terror in the U.S. are overblown, but the findings are also used today in some college classrooms as an example of Islamophobia.

But, Holt points out the foundation’s findings are based on flawed data sets.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Right Wing Extremism vs. Islamic Extremism in the United States: A Look at the Numbers" by Andrew Holt, Ph.D. 1/11/16

The now oft repeated claim that right wing extremism is more dangerous to Americans than Islamic extremism is based on total deaths and excludes casualties. Moreover, such accounts limit themselves to attacks in the United States (not worldwide), and purposefully exclude the nearly 3,000 deaths (as well as the over 6,000 survivors treated at hospitals) that took place on September 11, 2001. They don’t count the 9/11 deaths as then the numbers would be extraordinarily lopsided (in terms of total U.S. deaths due to Islamic extremism vs right wing extremism) and so such claims are careful to be based only on deaths in the United States AFTER the events of 9/11.

Indeed, if you include the death totals from 9/11 in such a calculation, then there have been around 62 people killed in the United States by Islamic extremists for every one American killed by a right wing terrorist (a 62 to 1 ratio if you divide the slightly over 3000 deaths due to Islamic extremism by the 48 deaths attributed to right wing extremism).

. . . recognize the disproportionately high number of attacks by Islamic extremists in the United States, who, even after excluding the victims of 9/11, are still responsible for around 50% of the total number of deaths due to extremism, even though Muslims only account for around 1% of the total U.S. population.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Click headlines below to read previous articles:

U.S. Schools Force Islamic Terror Singing, Posters

'Allahu Akbar' Taught in Minnesota School for Christmas

Islam Lesson Closes School: Virginia Parents Fume

Tennessee Students Taught Muslim Prayer of Conversion

Massachusetts Students Forced To Learn Muslim Conversion

Students Required to Pretend Being Muslim in Wisconsin

Teaching Christians Muslim Dress in Illinois School

Teaching Girls to Wear Muslim Hijab in California School

Georgia School: Learn Islam or Take Lower Grade

Pennsylvania School Staff to Mosque for Islamic Training

Florida School Teaches Islam Including Prayer Rugs

Muslims Force Maryland Schools Closed Routinely

In order to accommodate demands for observance of numerous Muslim holidays, the politically correct Howard County School Board voted to close schools for virtually every religious event under the sun regardless of the prevalence or absence of such adherents in the supposed multicultural school system of suburban Maryland.

"I strongly believe that our school calendar should be inclusive of the cultures and religions of all Howard County residents.  In a county where we pride ourselves on our diversity, we have to demonstrate that in terms of our actions."
-- Janet Siddiqui, Board Member

“Howard County is no longer majority Judeo-Christian.  We are made up of all kinds of people.  There is nothing to study in my opinion.  It's either all or none. I cannot vote for anything that is not inclusive."
-- Ann De Lacy, Board Member

“Once you open to that [long list of holidays], you have to honor every single one, and that becomes impractical in finding a way to serve school for 180 days.”
-- Ellen Flynn Giles, Board Vice Chairman

For background, click headlines below to read previous articles:

Angry Muslims Demand School Holiday for Ramadan in New Jersey

D.C. Muslims Force Christmas Off Maryland School Calendar

'Allahu Akbar' Taught in Minnesota School for Christmas

Also read Majority in U.S. Want Christmas Celebrated WITHIN Schools: Poll





-- From "Howard Co. school board expands religious holiday status quo" by Kristi King, WTOP-FM103.5 (Washington, D.C.) 1/14/16

Rejecting an option that would have kept schools open on the Jewish High Holidays, the school board voted Thursday night to also give students off days to observe [the Hindu holiday] Diwali, [the Muslim holiday] Eid and the Lunar New Year.

The move to accommodate observances of additional religious holidays only applies to the 2016-17 school year while studies are conducted.

Numbers of area school systems have been making adjustments related to observing religious holidays.

Anne Arundel County Public Schools recently decided to open schools on Rosh Hashanah in 2016 for the first time in more than a decade. Teachers aren’t allowed to give tests and exams on that day or any other day of “major religious observances” such as Eid al-Adha and Yom Kippur.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Md. school system keeps Jewish holidays, adds days off for Diwali, Lunar New Year and Eid al-Adha" by Donna St. George, Washington Post 1/15/16

The board said its action — in a unanimous 8-0 vote — was a one-year decision, for the 2016-2017 school year, that would come as the system of 55,000 students studies the issue and plans a voluntary survey of religious preferences. It asked district staff to report back with a range of options for how to implement the change.

More broadly, Howard’s action is likely to draw attention as school systems nationally struggle with how to create an inclusive school calendar — balancing fairness, logistics and legal constraints — as their communities are increasingly diverse and vocal.

Maryland state law requires schools to be closed on Christmas and Good Friday, as well as Easter Monday. Howard schools have chosen to close for the Jewish holidays since 1979, when officials said staff absentee rates of 12 percent were interfering with instruction.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Howard County adds Muslim, Hindu holidays to school calendar" by Lisa Philip, Howard County Times - The Baltimore Sun 1/15/16

. . . during a discussion at the board's meeting on Thursday night, several members expressed the need for next year's academic calendar go beyond closing schools on the two Jewish holidays, to be more inclusive of the county's increasingly diverse population and to allow non-Judeo-Christian students to celebrate their religious and cultural traditions. . . . [even though] The school system does not record the religious backgrounds of its students.

[Superintendent Renee] Foose also recommended that the board hire an independent firm to survey and collect data about students' and families' religious and cultural observances, to inform the work of the 2017 to 2018 calendar committee.

[Board member Bess] Altwerger said that she agreed with the suggestion, but that the school system should recognize Lunar New Year Eve, Diwali and Eid al-Adha in the meantime. She found sympathetic views among most of her fellow board members.

Members of the East Asian, Muslim and Hindu communities have advocated for the inclusion of their religious holidays for at least the past two school years. Eid al-Adha, an important holiday on the Muslim calendar, and Diwali, equally as important for the Hindu community, have never been recognized on the county's school calendar before.

Last year after hearing requests from the Chinese and Korean communities, the board voted to place a professional development day on the Lunar New Year in the 2015-2016 school year. . . .

Because of the need for separation between church and state, [board member Sandie] French said, holidays cannot be given to students for religious reasons, but rather must be given for logistical reasons.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read Islam Lesson Closes School: Virginia Parents Fume

And read Tennessee Students Taught Muslim Prayer of Conversion

Jewish Mom Opposes School's Santa Claus Christmas

Parents in San Jose, California are fuming because a "Christmas" event was canceled after Talia, a Jewish mother whose child attends a local elementary school, objected to the school field trip to see Santa Claus because she mistakenly believes that such an event would have anything at all to do with the birth of Jesus Christ, and thus would be a snub on her own family's religious faith.

For background, click headlines below to read previous articles:

Christmas Tree Flyer Censored by New Hampshire School Supt.

Atheists Help Liberal Schools in Oregon Ban Christmas Choirs

Christmas Parties Banned at Univ. of Tennessee





-- From "School cancels Santa field trip after mom objects" posted at CBS News 12/18/15

The visit to Santa, along with a "Dear Santa" assignment, was a decade-long tradition at Sartorette Elementary School, part of San Jose's Cambrian School District.

Last week, the Sartorette staff informed parents the school would suspend the outing to see Santa at a local coffee shop after a Jewish mother, who identified herself only as Talia, complained to the school board that the district was celebrating one religion over others.

"It's really scary how one parent can go and voice her opinion and then everything gets shut down," said parent Vanessa Howes.

Cambrian School District Superintendent Carrie Andrews told reporters outside Thursday night's school board meeting that what began as a tradition 10 years ago is not necessarily the right thing to do today.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "San Jose parents at odds: Santa field trip canceled after mother complains" by Patrick May, San Jose Mercury News 12/17/15

[Talia] fired off an angry letter Dec. 7 to fellow parents at the charter school, alleging she was "ambushed by a group of moms from Ms. Kay's class" who she said yelled at her for "ruining Santa for the kids."

Talia has released emails of support from a few fellow parents, including one named Katie who wrote: "You didn't ruin Santa for anybody. If parents want their kids to see Santa, they should be doing it on their own time, not on a school field trip."

Talia's emails suggest that she believes having the entire class meet with or write to Santa would be unfair to those children who may see him as a symbol of a Christian holiday they don't believe in. . . .

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read Lone Jew, ACLU Stop Prayer in Pennsylvania Town

'Allahu Akbar' Taught in Minn. School for Christmas

In the face of angry parents, officials of the Anoka-Hennepin County School District 11 are defending the choice of a multicultural "holiday" concert at Blaine (Minnesota) High School that included an out-of-season Islamic song of Ramadan with the all-to-familiar mandatory Muslim terrorist battle cry chant, which is translated "Allah is the greatest."

For background, click headlines below to read previous articles:

U.S. Schools Force Islamic Terror Singing, Posters

Islam Lesson Closes School: Virginia Parents Fume

Tennessee Students Taught Muslim Prayer of Conversion

Massachusetts Students Forced To Learn Muslim Conversion

Students Required to Pretend Being Muslim in Wisconsin

Teaching Christians Muslim Dress in Illinois School

Teaching Girls to Wear Muslim Hijab in California School

Georgia School: Learn Islam or Take Lower Grade

Pennsylvania School Staff to Mosque for Islamic Training

Florida School Teaches Islam Including Prayer Rugs

-- From "Anoka-Hennepin school holiday concert goes 'wonderfully' after stir over Islamic song" by Will Ashenmacher, TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press 12/19/15

Leading up to the Blaine High School holiday choir concert Thursday, criticism emerged on social media over the inclusion of the song "Eid Un Sa'Eid." . . . The nine-song concert also featured traditional Christian Christmas carols, like "Angels We Have Heard On High" and "Silent Night," as well as "Hanukkah Song," a traditional Jewish carol.

Students pick the songs for the concert, according to district spokeswoman Kay Villella.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and is considered by believers to be the month in which the Quran was first revealed to the prophet Mohammed. In 2015, Ramadan fell between June 17 and July 17.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Parents Question Choice To Sing ‘Allahu Akbar’ At Holiday Concert" by John Lauritsen, WCCO-TV4 CBS (Minneapolis, MN) 12/17/15

“Songs are not performed in a worship setting or to promote religion,” the district’s statement said. “but rather in [an] educational setting where students are learning and performing music.”

While the Ramadan song mentions brotherhood and peace, the district says that any student who doesn’t feel comfortable singing it doesn’t have to. Their grade will not be affected.

[A] parent, who didn’t want to be identified, told WCCO phone that considering the recent events in Paris and San Bernardino, singing a song about Allah would be “insensitive.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Dist. 11 fields complaints about inclusion of Ramadan song in BHS concert" by Olivia Alveshere, Staff Writer, ABC Newspapers 12/18/15

“Students are involved in selecting these songs,” according to the statement. “Students of many faiths contribute songs representing their culture to include in this portion of the program.”

“Eid un Sa’Eid” was included in the holiday program last year as well, according to Kay Villella, assistant director of communication and public relations. To her knowledge, the district did not receive complaints about the song last year.

“Everything went well last night,” Villella said.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Minnesota School Holiday Concert Includes Chants Of ‘Allahu Akbar’" by Blake Neff, Reporter, Daily Caller 12/17/15

The lyrics, in part, go as follows:

    All over the world
    Under the big-blue sky
    Muslims unite to worship Allah
    It’s a time of brotherhood, a time of peace
    Muslims are singing praises to Allah
    Allahu Akbar
    Allahu Akbar
    La Ilaaha Illa-Allahu
    Allahu Akbar
    Allahu Akbar
    Allahu Akbar wa Lillahil Hamd
    Families are gathering
    Remembering Allah
    And that His Love is the Greatest by far
    All Praise for You Allah

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read Angry Muslims Demand School Holiday for Ramadan in New Jersey

And read President Obama Gives Ramadan Proclamation (but missed Easter)

Islam Lesson Closes School: Virginia Parents Fume

The mostly rural Augusta County School District in the Shenandoah Valley has been shut down due to citizen outrage over Cheryl LaPorte, a geography teacher at Riverheads High School near Staunton, Virginia, assigning ninth-graders to copy an Arabic script as an exercise in calligraphy.  After students aired concerns, the teacher admitted the translated text is the Shahada — the Islamic profession of faith.  In addition, the teacher insisted that girls in the class don a Muslim hijab (head scarf).

"There is no god but Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."
-- The Shahada (the most sacred pillar of Islam)

For background, click headlines below to read previous articles:

Tennessee Students Taught Muslim Prayer of Conversion

Massachusetts Students Forced To Learn Muslim Conversion

Students Required to Pretend Being Muslim in Wisconsin

U.S. Schools Force Islamic Terror Singing, Posters

Teaching Christians Muslim Dress in Illinois School

Teaching Girls to Wear Muslim Hijab in California School

Georgia School: Learn Islam or Take Lower Grade

Pennsylvania School Staff to Mosque for Islamic Training

Florida School Teaches Islam Including Prayer Rugs



-- From "Prayer in Islamic calligraphy closes Virginia schools" by Ed Adamczyk, UPI 12/18/15

At issue is an assignment demonstrating the artistic complexities of Arabic calligraphy, which included the Shahada, an Islamic proclamation of faith and a common phrase among Muslims during prayer.

The assignment has drawn complaints from parents that the school is promoting Islamic indoctrination. A community meeting was organized as well.

A statement from the school system, posted Thursday evening, said the "tone and content of those communications" caused the closures, and that "a different, non-religious sample of Arabic calligraphy will be used in the future."

Superintendent Eric Bond issued a statement Friday saying . . . there was "no specific threat of harm to students."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Lesson on Islam Shuts Down Virginia School District" by Liam Stack and Richard Pérez-Peña, New York Times 12/18/15

The district said that the number of phone calls and emails “significantly increased in volume” on Thursday as media coverage of the controversy increased. After consulting with Sheriff Fisher, the school board decided to cancel class across the entire district “based on concerns regarding the tone and content of those communications,” it said.

. . . Kimberly Herndon, a parent who has been an outspoken critic of the geography assignment, claimed on Facebook that the students “were instructed to denounce our Lord by copying this creed of Islam.”

“This evil has been cloaked in the form of multiculturalism,” she wrote, adding in a separate post that the students had been asked to write words that were “an abomination to their faith.”

“This creed is connected to jihad in that it is the chant that is shouted while beheading those of Christian faith,” Ms. Herndon wrote.

Despite the outcry, the district said it would continue to educate students about the world’s religious diversity as required by state education guidelines . . .

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Furor over Arabic assignment leads Virginia school district to close Friday" by Emma Brown and Moriah Balingit, Washington Post 12/18/15

. . . parents were outraged at what they saw as an attempt to proselytize Islam in a public school, a concern that has been echoed by parents in districts across the country over lessons about Islam. . . .

[Ms. Butterfield, a] parent in Fairfax County, Va., the state’s largest district, said her son received a similar assignment last year, when he was in fifth grade at Ravensworth Elementary; a Fairfax County schools spokesman did immediately respond to a request for comment Friday morning.

The social studies assignment asked him to read aloud the Islamic profession of faith, along with other verses from the Koran. To Butterfield, that crossed the line between teaching about religion and teaching religion.

If a similar lesson were taught within the context of any other major religion, she said – if you asked students to say that “Jesus is my one Lord,” for example – “someone is going to go bonkers over it.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "All schools shut down in Augusta County, Virginia, over Islam homework" by Ben Brumfield, CNN 12/18/15

Calls and emails flooded the school. Some of them demanded the teacher [Cheryl LaPorte] be fired for assigning it.

"I will not have my children sit under a woman who indoctrinates them with the Islam religion when I am a Christian," [parent Kimberly Herndon] said.

By Tuesday, like-minded parents and residents of the town of nearly 24,000 gathered in the sanctuary of Good Will Ministries to voice their grievances, including against the teacher.

As passions overflow, for fear of their potential effects, Augusta County Schools will remain shuttered over the weekend for all activities.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Augusta County school board responds to homework controversy" posted at WDBJ-TV7 (Roanoke, VA) 12/18/15

Eric Bond, division superintendent, is sending a message to parents on Friday afternoon on behalf of the school board. [excerpts:]

As a part of a high school world geography course and consistent with the Standards of Learning . . . an assignment on religion and culture in the unit on the Middle East involved an Islamic statement of faith, written in Arabic. . . .

In one class during their study of the Middle East, students were taught about the modest dress adopted by many in the Islamic faith and were invited to try on a scarf as a part of an interactive lesson about the Islamic concept of modest dress. . . .

Neither these lessons, nor any other lesson in the world geography course, are an attempt at indoctrination to Islam or any other religion, or a request for students to renounce their own faith or profess any belief. Each of the lessons attempts objectively to present world religions in a way that is interesting and interactive for students.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read what happens if there's any hint of Christian prayer in public schools and read about the latest battles in the war against Christmas in public schools.

Kentucky School Censors Christmas from Charlie Brown

A religious liberty attorney representing a Kentucky Christian family has complained to the Johnson County School District about its decision to delete all Biblical references from the play "A Charlie Brown Christmas" at W.R. Castle Elementary School in Wittensville.  The district's attorney and state officials recommended the censorship after a lone complaint.

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night, and lo the angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid, and the angel said unto them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a savior, tis Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger.’ And suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men.’ . . . That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”.
-- Character Linus Van Pelt, from the play

For background, click headlines below to read previous articles:

Christmas Tree Flyer Censored by New Hampshire School Supt.

Atheists Help Liberal Schools in Oregon Ban Christmas Choirs

Christmas Parties Banned at Univ. of Tennessee





-- From "School cuts Bible references from Christmas play" By The Associated Press 12/16/15

Principal Jeff Cochran said all Biblical references were removed from the play after receiving a message Friday from Superintendent Thomas Salyer.

Salyer told the newspaper Tuesday that Christmas programs across the district were being reviewed for possible modifications of religious references after receiving a complaint.

Salyer says he made his decision based upon the advice of his attorney and state officials.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Bible passages cut from ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ at Eastern Kentucky school" by Valarie Honeycutt Spears, Lexington Herald-Leader 12/15/15

Salyer said that district officials had received a complaint about religious references in Christmas programs at schools. But he said for “confidentiality reasons” he would not confirm media reports that the complaint originated at Castle Elementary.

CNN reported last month that Linus’ recitation of the Bible passages was also at issue in the development of the 1965 animated television special “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”

Peanuts creator Charles Schulz wanted to include the speech, CNN reported, but the producers were hesitant. After much back and forth, the passage was left in, the network said.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Schools asked to reinstate Bible references in ‘Charlie Brown Christmas’" by Valarie Honeycutt Spears, Lexington Herald-Leader 12/17/15

Matt Sharp, an attorney with the Arizona-based Alliance Defending Freedom, said it was contacted by and is now representing Joey Collins, whose daughter is a cast member in the play that is scheduled for Thursday at W.R. Castle Elementary School.

“There is no violation of the so-called ‘separation of church and state’ by allowing children to learn about theater and the origins of Christmas through participating in a stage version of this beloved program that contains the same religious elements as the television version,” the letter Sharp sent to the district on Tuesday said. “. . . Given that courts have consistently held that schools may organize and sponsor Christmas programs and performances that include religious songs and study the historical origins of Christmas, there is no basis for the district’s decision to censor the religious aspects of ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas.’”

Meanwhile, Sharp said that his recommendations to school district officials are “constitutional.”

“We would even be willing to help the school district if the school district was sued” for putting the religious content back in the play, he said.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Legal group asks Johnson Co. Schools to allow religious references in Christmas plays" by Kaitlynn LeBeau and Brad Myers, WSAZ-TV3 (Huntington, WV) 12/16/15

"The Supreme Court has consistently held that schools can teach about religion, and can use the Bible as a resource in curricular programs," ADF Legal Counsel Matt Sharp said. "So, when the issue has come up with Christmas programs, {The U.S. Supreme Court has} held that you can sing 'Silent Night' as part of a Christmas program, or include biblical references."

"They're losing all of these great works of classic western culture, of the musical impact and of being able to understand how the bible has influenced Shakespeare and 'Moby Dick' and all of these other things," Sharp said.

“Schools should not have to think twice about whether they can allow students to perform a classic Christmas production simply because it contains biblical references,” said Sharp in a press release. “‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ has become an iconic Christmas story and tradition. Are school officials going to start demanding that other classic productions, such as Shakespearean plays, be censored just because they contain religious references?”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Christians across America are standing up!  Click headlines below to read previous articles:

Mississippi Town Defies Atheists' Anti-Christmas Demands

Georgia Sheriff's Christmas Sign Peeves Atheists

New Mexico Mayor Tells Atheists Nativity Scene Stays in Place

Texas School Supt. Tells Atheists to Go Fly a Kite

Teaching Christians Muslim Dress: Illinois School

The principal at Vernon Hills High School in suburban Chicago said he admires Muslim students so much that he supports the Muslim Student Association (MSA) effort to dress non-Muslim school girls in the garb familiar to the oppressed female populations of Islamic cultures.

"I think this is an opportunity for our kids to embrace the Muslim community within the school."
-- Jon Guillaume, Principal

For background, click headlines below to read previous articles:

Teaching Girls to Wear Muslim Hijab in California School

Students Required to Pretend Being Muslim in Wisconsin

U.S. Schools Force Islamic Terror Singing, Posters

Georgia School: Learn Islam or Take Lower Grade

Massachusetts Students Forced To Learn Muslim Conversion

Pennsylvania School Staff to Mosque for Islamic Training

Florida School Teaches Islam Including Prayer Rugs

Celebrate Muslim 'Hijab Day' Canceled at Ohio School (due to public outcry)

Lawmakers Counter Islamic Teaching in Tennessee



-- From "Vernon Hills students join their Muslim peers in wearing hijabs" by Gilbert R. Boucher II, Daily Herald (Chicago suburbs) 12/10/15

The "Walk a Mile in Her Hijab" event Wednesday, hosted by the 10-member organization, was designed to allow non-Muslim female students the opportunity to wear the head covering and gain a better understanding of the Muslim faith. "This event is to hopefully denounce negative stereotypes," [MSA president Yasmeen] Abdallah said.

Six members of the [MSA] group spent the morning placing hijabs on 17 non-Muslim girls who wanted to participate in the project. They also talked about the meaning of the hijab and facets of the Muslim religion to students who approached them.

Teachers and students at the school were encouraged to ask questions about the hijab when they came across a student wearing one.

Abdallah said the event was a good experience, one she hopes will become an annual event.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read Angry Muslims Storm New Jersey School Board Demanding Holidays

And read Muslims in Washington, D.C. Force Christmas Off School Calendar

NJ Atheist Official's Hissy Fit re: Christmas Tree

Charlene Storey, a Democrat councilwoman in Roselle Park, New Jersey, threw a temper tantrum and spontaneously resigned her post because the majority borough council voted to rename the "Holiday Tree Lighting" ceremony to the "Christmas Tree Lighting."  However, after a brief cooling off period, she rescinded her resignation in trade for the creation of a council diversity committee, which she will lead.

“People are offended because we use the word ‘Christmas.'  Well I feel offended when you tell me ‘holiday.' . . . it’s a Christmas tree.”
-- Mayor Carl Hokanson, Roselle Park, NJ

For background, read Angry Muslims Storm New Jersey School Board Demanding Holidays

Click headlines below to read previous articles:

Mississippi Town Defies Atheists' Anti-Christmas Demands

Georgia Sheriff's Christmas Sign Peeves Atheists

New Mexico Mayor Tells Atheists Nativity Scene Stays in Place

Texas Mayor Declares 'Year of the Bible'

Texas School Supt. Tells Atheists to Go Fly a Kite





-- From "Councilwoman rescinds resignation over ‘Christmas’ tree" by The Associated Press 12/6/15

Minutes after the Roselle Park council approved the [ceremony name] change Thursday night, Charlene Storey walked out of the meeting. She submitted a resignation letter, saying the borough’s decision to change the ceremony’s name from a “tree lighting” to a “Christmas tree lighting” favors one religion and “cuts non-Christians out of the loop.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "NJ Councilwoman Rescinds Resignation Over ‘Christmas’ Tree Lighting Ceremony" posted at WCBS-TV2 (New York, NY) 12/5/15

Earlier this week, the Roselle Park City Council voted 4 to 2 to change the name . . .

Storey, who was raised Catholic but describes herself as a non-believer, said she made the decision because she did not want to be a part of a city council that excluded other religions.

“I cannot in good conscience continue to be part of a council that is exclusionary or to work with a mayor who is such,” Storey said in her resignation letter.

She also sited the separation of church and state plus an increasingly diverse community.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Councilwoman & Mayor Release Joint Statement On The Rescinding Of Her Resignation" by Saul Qersdyn, Roselle Park News 12/5/15

The following statement was released by both Mayor Carl Hokanson and Councilwoman-At-Large Charlene Storey [excerpts]:

The new name of the event will remain in place, as approved by the council, the mayor and the councilwoman said. Storey still opposes the change.

Storey and Hokanson said a misunderstanding between them before this week’s council meeting led to each feeling blindsided at the session.

Hokanson said: “It was never my intent to insult anyone’s beliefs or religion. We live in an increasingly diverse community, and we have to come to grips with that fact.”

To read the entire statement above, CLICK HERE.

From "Councilwoman who quit over 'Christmas' tree rescinds resignation" by Tom Haydon and Jessica Remo, The Star-Ledger 12/5/15

[Mayor Carl Hokanson] said he's received dozens of calls and emails, most of them in support of the renaming of the Dec. 11 event.

"Just like the Easter Bunny is the Easter Bunny and not the Holiday Bunny," he said. "It was never my intent to insult anyone's beliefs or religion."

Hokanson said growing up in Roselle Park the event was always called a "Christmas Tree Lighting." Now, in his first year as mayor and master of ceremonies of the event, he wanted to change it back.

He said "Christmas" was removed from the name years ago after a lawsuit over Jersey City's holiday display.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Roselle Park councilwoman quits over 'Christmas' tree lighting" by Tom Haydon, The Star-Ledger 12/5/15

Storey said Mayor Carl Hokanson had briefly mentioned the idea of making the change several days ago. However, Storey said the resolution for the change was not listed on the agenda and she was surprised when it was brought up at the meeting.

She said she had checked other municipalities and only found events, tree lightings or holiday tree lightings, and none that included the word Christmas.

Hokanson said each municipality can use what title it wants to use. New York, he said, calls it a Christmas Tree lighting and another city may not.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Council Approves Mayor’s Request To Have A ‘Christmas Tree Lighting’" by Saul Qersdyn, Roselle Park News 12/4/15

“I’d like to have council’s permission to change it from the Annual Holiday [Tree] Lighting back to the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting if that’s all right with everybody,” stated Mayor Carl Hokanson at last night’s Mayor & Council meeting. He was referring to the popular winter annual event currently known as the Annual Holiday Tree Lighting And Gala which will be held next Friday. He announced his proposal by producing a flier he had included in every council member’s meeting packet which is usually distributed days before a meeting.

Councilwoman-At-Large Charlene Storey immediately commented, “Well, I’ve got to say Mr. Mayor, I have checked that out and every other town in the area calls it a holiday lighting or a tree lighting. I think that this is moving away from inclusiveness to exclusiveness so I cannot support that.”

Mayor Hokanson responded, “Well, again, that’s everybody else. That doesn’t have to be here. I’m just asking if that’s what everybody wants.”

As the meeting progressed, during the Borough Engineer’s report, Councilwoman Storey left the dais. Almost five minutes later, the Council President returned momentarily to pick up her coat and belongings then left the meeting for good without saying a word to anyone. Later on, Mayor Hokanson appointed Councilman Kelly – the longest sitting member of council – as the acting Council President.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Councilwoman Storey Provides Insight Into Decision To Resign" by Saul Qersdyn, Roselle Park News 12/5/15

Councilwoman-At-Large Charlene Storey issued a statement providing further details on her decision to resign her seat. [An excerpt from that] statement is included below. The councilwoman also addressed some additional questions in order to provide insight into a series of events and decisions that, in less than 24 hours, would have the second highest-ranking member of council and the only woman serving as an elected official call it a day over a single word.

. . . Had the name of this event never been changed to use a non-religious term, had it stayed with “Christmas” instead of being changed to “Holiday,” I could have accepted it as a cultural term. But to change it from a neutral term back to a religious one was clearly meant to put religion back into the public event. And to underscore religious division at this time in the nation and world is, to me, as wrong as wrong can be.

. . . All four members of the Council who voted for this are male, white, Catholic and members of the Knights of Columbus, a religious organization that every year posts a large sign urging, “Keep Christ in Christmas.” So I find it hard to accept that to them, a “Christmas” tree is a secular tree.

. . . I am a non-Christian and a non-believer. My husband and I are Humanists, as I’ve pointed out in campaign literature and in my bio on the Borough’s website. We believe it’s our duty to do good in this life as a matter of principle, not as a religious obligation.

To read the entire statement above, CLICK HERE.

Also read Christmas Tree Flyer Censored by New Hampshire School Supt.

And read Christmas Parties Banned at Univ. of Tennessee