Be Careful What you Pray For
Published June 1st, 2007Albemarle County, Virginia - front lines on the backpack mail war. Public schools have a system called “backpack mail” where community groups can advertise events via flyers sent home with the childrens. Not a bad idea. And of course, Albemarle County had a sensible policy on what sort of things could be advertised - it barred “distribution of literature that is for partisan, sectarian, religious or political purposes.” And you’d think that would be the end of it.
But no. Oh no, not at all. Seems some religious groups in the area were up in arms about this. They just had to have their religious community events sent out via backpack mail. And so they fought, and won. Thanks to Jerry Falwell’s Liberty Counsel, the policy was revised to allow religious content. And now they’re reaping the benefits of what was sown.
In case you didn’t see what was coming here, I’ll continue the story. See, now that religious content could be distributed, the local Unitarian Congregation decided to send home a flyer advertising a pagan celebration. Oh, and the local Camp Quest troop sent home some flyers too. Camp Quest is “an overnight summer camp for young atheists, agnostics and freethinkers.” Hell, I’d like to help out that camp - seems like some kids that could probably use some positive reinforcement in their lives about their beliefs.
How have Albemarle County folk reacted to the new fairness in the backpack mail system? How happy are they now that they’ve reversed the horrid trend of God being “kicked out of schools?” By suing Albemarle County schools. Yep. They’re livid. Some teachers have refused to send home material they find offensive.
The group assailing Albemarle School District, Rick Scarborough’s Vision America, says “it’s outrageous to force teachers to distribute these flyers.†He’s urging members to contact the district to protest its “establishment of disbelief.â€
Parents are angry.
One mother was livid that the school would send home in her child’s backpack anything it did not endorse. A “pagan ritual†is “an educational experience my children don’t need,†she fumed.
And in the ultimate irony, one angry person brings up the exact reason why there was a policy against distributing “literature that is for partisan, sectarian, religious or political purposes” in the first place!
An anonymous spokesman for the rebelling teachers told World Net Daily some teachers refused to hand out the Camp Quest flyer because they were “disgusted†and were concerned parents would think the school was endorsing the camp. Even though there is a disclaimer distancing the school from all extra-curricular information sent home, “it’s still coming from me and my classroom,†he said.
Anonymous huh? That’s not what I’d call it, but OK. Stand behind what you believe in people. But that’s a different issue.
Look folks, you opened this can of worms. You can’t partially close it. You complain when you are discriminated against (even though it’s not discrimination when every viewpoint is barred), and now you want to discrminate against others. That’s just ridiculous. It isn’t for the teachers to decide what is OK to send home or not. If you’re offended by what comes home simply because you disagree with it, grow up. And you don’t get to pick and choose which religions or non-religions get a voice. That’s how it works. Either everyone gets a say (which really is fine by me) or no one does.
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