My Response To Ken Garfield’s “At holidays, schools must heed diversity”

Below is my response to a column that appeared in my local newspaper and on the Knight Ridder News Service. The article to which I am responding follows my response below.

Dear Mr. Garfield,

I am respectfully writing in response to your column on November 25th, 2004, “At the holidays, schools must heed diversity”. Although I agree with your sincerely perceived and stated premise: that public schools should respect all faiths, but favor none, your article did precisely the opposite. In fact, if you had not specifically stated that public schools should respect all faiths, but favor none, it would have appeared that you were campaigning for public schools to “respect all faiths, except Christianity, and favor none, especially Christianity”.

For example, you stated that “”Joy to the World” and other songs that speak of a Christian deity should not be part of a public school program”. Then you ask “What about Hindus, Buddhists and others whose children share our classrooms? Don’t we need to be mindful of their traditions too?” Please notice the logical contradiction within these two statements. If the goal is to respect all faiths, but favor none, then wouldn’t it be logical that if you require the removal of one faith’s references that you would also require the removal of all the others as well? Or in reverse, if you are recommending that “we need to be mindful of their traditions too”, wouldn’t you also want to be mindful of all faith’s traditions, including Christianity? Your admonition that we should make sure that we remove any references to one faith, including the secular songs that are derived from it, while at the same time prompting traditions of other faiths, is actually opposite of your stated premise that public schools should respect all faiths, but favor none.

To make my point clearer I might point out that if you were advocating the respect of all but the favor of none, your statements of admonition should be universal in point. But could you image writing: “Songs that speak of a Hindu (or Muslim/Jewish/Buddha) deity should not be a part of a public school program”, or even, “What about Christians whose children share our classrooms? Don’t we need to be mindful of their traditions too?” If you don’t agree with those statements you are not being honest when you say that you desire that public schools should respect all faiths, but favor none.

Every person should feel free and comfortable to worship, and to have their beliefs recognized without persecution, regardless of their faith, or lack thereof. Of course we should be respectful of other faith’s holy days when scheduling school events. Of course we should not force anyone to participate in religious events. But we should also be careful that in our attempt to not force one faith, we don’t also go so far as to not allow for that same faith too.

Christians should not have to ignore or forget the historicity of their faith, on which our country, our calendar, and our holidays are based. America recognizes Christian holidays because many of America’s founders were in fact, Christian. America was founded on the desire for religious freedom, and over 200 years later we stand as the noblest of nations who still proclaim that freedom. It is the historical Christian faith of America that allows people of other faiths the same right of religious freedom and diversity our founders proclaimed upon settling here.

You state that we are entering “a season of conflict and confusion”. However, it is possible to honor and recognize the beliefs and traditions that founded our nation, which allow for the very religious freedom we are talking about, while at the same time also honoring and extending that same freedom to other faiths. The two things are not mutually exclusive or in conflict. To attempt to revise these historical truths by disallowing faith songs, and to not allow children to sing a secular song like “Jingle Bells” on such an account, is in fact, respecting all faiths, except for the one which allows for the desired diversity and freedom of religion we all enjoy.

Respectfully

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Original Column by Ken Garfield:

At holidays, schools must heed diversity

KEN GARFIELD

If the decorations are going up at the malls, it can mean only one thing:

We’ve entered into that season of conflict and confusion. Or to put it another way, “Did I just hear my son’s middle school concert band perform `Joy to the World’?”

You might have, which is why I wish more educators had attended a fascinating brown-bag lunch discussion on respecting diversity at the holidays. A dozen people turned out Wednesday for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools gathering meant to get public schools respecting all faiths, but favoring none.

A diverse panel shared some practical do’s and don’ts:• Rose Hamid of Muslim Women of the Carolinas told the group that a faith-based song like “Silent Night” should be a no-no for any performing arts group.

• Rabbi Jeremy Barras of Temple Beth El said he hears “over and over and over” from Jewish parents who are upset that so many school events are scheduled on Yom Kippur or the Sabbath.

• Lawrance Mayes, principal at Smithfield Elementary School and pastor at Grace Memorial Baptist Church, said he has changed the focus of his school’s annual program from Christmas to winter.

Everyone in the boardroom agreed that Santa Claus is not part of any N.C. public school curriculum that they know of.

But even on a panel whose members were united by sensitivity, there was a sense that this issue is often too complicated for easy answers.

“Joy to the World” and other songs that speak of a Christian deity should not be part of a public school program, we agreed. But what about “Jingle Bells,” which is more secular than religious and yet is still linked to Christmas?

What about Hindus, Buddhists and others whose children share our classrooms? Don’t we need to be mindful of their traditions, too?

And don’t we also want to be mindful of folks with no religion, who rightfully bristle at their fourth-grader being force-fed a faith by a teacher who ought to know better?

So given the tough questions and stiff challenges we face in this season of Ramadan, Hanukkah, Christmas and other religious holidays, what’s a public school parent to do?

Be on guard.

But be understanding of an educator who might not know he or she shouldn’t have ordered up those children’s “Letters to Santa.” There’s a big difference between a teacher who wants to do the right thing and a teacher who wants to witness to our children.

Be ready to take your concerns to the principal, before you take them to a lawyer.

Be helpful, even if it means volunteering to work with your child’s teacher on coming up with a whole new idea for her wintertime bulletin board.

And when you’re done helping to make our public schools comfortable for every child, add one more item to your list:Be sure to enjoy the peace and joy of the season, whatever holiday you embrace.

~Ken Garfield~