I know it’s only August, but a school board member in Michigan insisted on getting a head start on The War on Christmas: 2009 Edition.
Jack Waldvogel, the school board treasurer at Petoskey Public Schools urged school district officials to designate the district’s winter holiday break as Christmas break this year. Moreover, as his email to his colleagues reveals, his motivation for taking this action was religiously based. The school board caved in to him at a closed meeting on August 18, 2009 and voted to make the change. The Freedom From Religion Foundation got a copy of Mr. Waldvogel’s email and has formally protested the board’s action.
If you want to read Mr. Waldvogel’s email, just follow this link and scroll down to page 3 (the first two pages are FFRF’s protest letter). It’s an edifying document, to say the least. If this case goes to court, it’s likely that the school district will lose and end up paying legal fees it probably can’t afford. If that happens, the heaviest costs – financial, educational, psychological and social – will likely be borne by the children whom the board is supposed to serve. I hope they don’t become “collateral damage” in Mr. Waldvogel’s stupid holy war.
– the chaplain
cl
August 30, 2009 at 8:20 pm
You know, this week I heard the word “Christmas” on TV for the first time this year. After the gag reflex subsided, I got to thinking, “Man, maybe things are settling down… last year, we were hearing about Christmas in July.”
I agree that Jack’s off his rocker. I loved how he threatened the board with “redneck Christians.” [/barf]
(((Billy)))
August 30, 2009 at 8:28 pm
(((Wife))) and I are constantly amazed at the willingness of voters to place in office men and women who take these stands. These symbolic swipes against the secular nature of government in America fail every time. And, as you say, the cost is born by the tax payers. Except that a very vocal segment of Americans will oppose any tax levied for any reason. Which means that, if the school district decides to fight and doesn’t sign a quick consent decree, this Michigan school district will lose either the art or music program to cover the cost (I doubt very seriously that the football program would be cut).
Here in Wilkes-Barre, we keep seeing and hearing things (Okay, class, today we will make Christmas ornaments. If you dont celebrate Christmas, here’s some blue cloth.) which we know will lead to a lawsuit. When we (and our daughter) have objected, we are told that a majority of the kids are Christian, so . . . . And our district does not have the money to deal with a lawsuit. Butthe voters keep right on electing them. And that lawsuit is coming. Someday.
Spanish Inquisitor
August 30, 2009 at 9:11 pm
Sometimes I think “What’s the big deal?” Call it Christmas break and go home. Everyone knows what it is, so why snag someone’s shorts over it?
Then I read this, where some so-called Christian threatens the Board with all his redneck buddies (as George Bush would say – “Bring ‘em on!”) just to shove it in everyone’s faces that “We’re a Christian nation”, and I get energized and now say “Hey! Let’s give those lawyers some work!”
Gotta keep those legal fees flowing. 8)
Zedge
August 31, 2009 at 12:11 am
I hate that the kids will bare the brunt of this debacle; however if we let the small stuff slide; where does it end? Teaching creationism in science class? Screw that! I say we just keep fighting at all levels, against the religious invasion of state.
Lorena
August 31, 2009 at 12:37 am
I think it’s interesting that he “is offended” by the taking off of “Christmas” from the name, and he has absolutely no concern for those who are offended by the use of the word.
It’s the same deal as with the health care reform, those who have insurance couldn’t care less for the ones who don’t.
Maybe fundy Christians should add “We are self-centered” to their credo.
PhillyChief
August 31, 2009 at 12:54 am
Well there goes the art and music departments. Fucking Christians! Jesus Christ!
(((Billy)))
August 31, 2009 at 8:19 am
Philly: Maybe they would chop the football team. And maybe giant winged porcupines will fly backwards out of my . . . .
Postman
August 31, 2009 at 12:35 pm
In the end, of course, the gawd-botherers will cry that it’s the fault of the Freedon from Religion Foundation that the kids suffer. If only the dirty, dirty atheists hadn’t tried to stop them from breaking the law, then no kids would have been harmed. You’d think they’d just simplify things by stabbing school-children and then screaming, “Look what you made me do!”
PhillyChief
August 31, 2009 at 12:56 pm
There’s no way to win that fight, Postman. Naturally the legal fees will cost the school, meaning money will have to come from somewhere, but imagine if somehow the FFRF or someone else compensated the school in order to preserve their operational budget. If that happened, then there’d be no risk for schools to pull such shenanigans.
Of course it sucks that the FFRF will be cast as the villains. Perhaps the smart thing would be to get ahead of that prior to every fight by making it clear that these religious violations of the law cause very real, tangible harm to children by way of depleting resources which should be going to educate and mold them but instead will be wasted to defend illegal, unconstitutional activities. These unconstitutional activities hurt the children whether the FFRF challenges them or not, for even if they don’t, we’ll be instilling in them a disrespect for our Constitution by allowing such activities to take place. Do we need to be teaching kids that the rule of law doesn’t matter? I would hope not.
Never underestimate the ‘think of the children’ gambit.
cl
August 31, 2009 at 1:23 pm
While that may certainly have an appeal to a rational individual, what makes you think somebody like Waldvogel would be concerned? If you want to persuade people like Waldvogel, you have to communicate on their level. FFRF should ally with “Christians” who respect the concept of separation, who might actually be able to influence folks like Waldvogel (although don’t get me wrong, many like Waldvogel are beyond influence). For example, what if all those “redneck Christians” Waldvogel alludes to actually knew their Bibles? It could undermine his cause: Hebrews 12:14 tells believers to “Make every effort to live in peace with all men,” yet Waldvogel clearly wants to make war with whomever disagrees with his myopic view of the holiday season.
Hebrews 12:14 is the appropriate biblical response to Waldvogel.
cl
August 31, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Well, for what it’s worth, here is my letter to Mr. Waldvogel, also cc’d to Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor.
PhillyChief
August 31, 2009 at 3:10 pm
In case I was unclear, the “think of the children” gambit is for the sake of winning public opinion, which would then be brought to bare on the school district to abstain from such detrimental activities as defending an unconstitutional act spurred on by a crusading yahoo.
cl
August 31, 2009 at 3:27 pm
I got that part. In case I was unclear, not even public opinion or children without schoolbooks can deter the fanatically determined, as they really believe they’re in the right and everyone else is in the wrong. So, the way I see it, the only way to reach the fanatically determined is by chipping away at the foundation of their fanaticism. That’s why we have to convince the people like Waldvogel that they are actually living outside the book they espouse. That’s what I tried to do in the letter I wrote to him, but he looks pretty determined.
Spanish Inquisitor
August 31, 2009 at 4:59 pm
All someone needs to point out to the Board is this. A million dollars is a lot of money. I wouldn’t want to be on the Board that has to tell their constituents why their taxes are being raised to pay for something like this.
Also, in the Dover case 1M was only about half the fees. That was a nice settlement for the Board.
the chaplain
August 31, 2009 at 7:25 pm
Hey, everyone! I see you’ve been having fun without me. Carry on.
Zedge – I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before. Welcome. I hope you’ll become a regular commenter here. I noticed that your blog is pretty new. I’m going to add you to the chapel choir – that’s where I put links to people I visit on a regular basis. I’ll be heading your way shortly.
Modusoperandi
September 1, 2009 at 12:19 am
cl “…as they really believe they’re in the right and everyone else is in the wrong…”
It’s worse than that. They’re righteous and the other side is evil (and if we lose, then that proves God really is on their side, while if we win that only proves they’re Martyrs for the Cause© against the Demons of the Fallen World®.
That Other Guy
September 1, 2009 at 4:58 pm
I really am amazed at the conviction this guys can muster when what they’re saying is so obviously patently untrue. I guess it’s a form of Refuge In Audacity… just bullshit it strongly enough and people won’t press the subject.
the chaplain
September 1, 2009 at 5:27 pm
I thought the statement, “I’m not in the least interested what our school lawyers might think of this,” was amusing and foolish. He knows exactly what they would think of it, but he’s too interested in conducting his holy war to care. He’s a fanatic, plain and simple.
jbiii
September 1, 2009 at 6:47 pm
Bro–
What happened to you?
athinkingman
September 2, 2009 at 4:10 am
Presumably the school won’t have enough money left to buy music for the carol concert, which feels dreadfully like ‘friendly fire’ on the part of the Christians.
Modusoperandi
September 4, 2009 at 4:23 am
athinkingman “…which feels dreadfully like ‘friendly fire’ on the part of the Christians.”
True Christians© don’t care. They homeschool.
Vitamin R
September 7, 2009 at 2:57 pm
“Obamessiah” is bloody priceless! And he seems to know his letter is hilarious, as he states that it’s not a joke and he’s to be taken seriously, lol.
Usually, seeing things like that make me feel very laugh-or-cry. But this one? Was all laugh. If only they were all that transparent and loony. . . .