Monday, January 30, 2006
Christmas lives on in Wisconsin
By Russell King
The American dads living in Wisconsin got a bad rap last month, and it’s time for this one to speak up about it. Wisconsin got tagged as some sort of hotbed of heathenism, the cradle of an anti-Christmas crusade, and I’m here to tell you that it’s hogwash. Some other American dads and moms from Wisconsin are going a bit further and demanding an apology from some of those who converted the hogwash into hard currency. In December, an outfit called the Liberty Counsel got into the phoney "debate" about a "war on Christmas" -- a scheme by the Fox network to drive up ratings -- by claiming that Ridgeway Elementary School in Dodgeville, Wisconsin, had "decided to eliminate Christmas from the Christmas season." The charge, which the Liberty Counsel used to solicit donations, was a lie, and the good folks in Dodgeville want an apology.
I’m happy to report that Christmas arrived, as always, in Ridgeway with children's voices raised in song. But I must also report, through gritted teeth, that police cars cruised the streets of the village and buses idled outside in case the school had to be evacuated. Families had to be on an approved list to get in, and a video camera was trained on the crowd in case of violence. The school was so overwhelmed with angry calls its personnel had to use cell phones just to do normal business. The school received thousands of nasty e- mails prompted by the Liberty Counsel, which went nationwide with the lie that the school had changed the lyrics of "Silent Night" as part of a plot to secularize Christmas. The group even threatened to sue the school.
The fact that this was wrong didn't stop Ridgeway school officials from being denounced everywhere from Bill O'Reilly's Fox show to Jerry Falwell's online column, where he wrote we were "blindly determined to kill off Christmas in the classroom." O’Reilly repeated the lie on Dave Letterman’s show. Even after the truth of the matter was made clear by the school district, which posted a detailed explanation of its policies and the program on its web site, the Liberty Counsel kept peddling misinformation and collecting donations. Near a press release about Ridgeway, the Liberty Counsel had a link on its web site for making tax-deductible donations to its "Christmas Campaign."
The Liberty Counsel may be using those donation to pay for the added security in Dodgeville, because the district is demanding a widely distributed apology, a retraction of claims that its policies are "hostile" to the U.S. Constitution and damages from the group. While other victims of these wedge-drivers decide to ignore the smears, Dodgeville has decided to hold them accountable. Maybe, by pressing for a very public apology and a retraction, the dads and moms of Dodgeville will force the "war on Christmas" wedge-drivers to be a little more responsible next year. If nothing else, they are teaching, by example, to stand up to bullies and to challenge liars.
The Liberty Counsel failed to honor the commandment against bearing false witness, so perhaps, in addition to paying for the extra security for the school concert, the it should acknowledge its sins and ask for forgiveness. So perhaps should Falwell and O’Reilly.
O’Reilly is the same wedge-driver who said that "you’d expect" people in my home town, Madison, Wisconsin, to "commune with Satan." Madison's conservative and largest daily newspaper, the Wisconsin State Journal, had this to say about it: "Living your faith is more important in Madison than bombastically proclaiming it. And respecting people who hold different religious beliefs is simple neighborliness. The vast majority of Madisonians do wish one another ‘merry Christmas.’ Yet it's no big deal if someone says ‘season's greetings’ or ‘happy holidays’ or -- as President Bush and the first lady wrote on their card this year -- ‘best wishes for a holiday season of hope and happiness.’ Madison is certainly not the front lines for O'Reilly's imaginary ‘war on Christmas.’ The blowhard broadcaster needs to lighten up."
Over in Madison’s liberal daily, the Capital Times the editor has a conversation with Satan: "As I say, it was O'Reilly's mentioning how Madison reporters ‘commune’ with Satan that prompted me to put the flag in the flower pot and head down to the Edgewater. Satan arrived a little late. ‘Did you rat me out to O'Reilly?’
"’No,’ I said. ‘Look, I want to ask you something.’
"’Go ahead.’
"’Of all the horrors you've unleashed on Earth -- war, sickness, sauerkraut -- of all of them, what do you consider your crowning achievement?’
"Satan cackled. ‘That's easy. Talk shows on cable.’"
Anyway, with five of my six kids in public schools, I wondered whether our communing with the devil would have knocked all the religious songs from the school programs. Two band and two choir concerts later, I can report: Nope. Religious and traditional Christmas songs were played, sung and enjoyed in each. And, just for good measure, I’ll report that when I walked Jaden and his birthday cupcakes into kindergarten last week, then entire school was reciting the pledge of allegiance in unison.
So be forewarned ye blowhards, liars, wedge-drivers and assorted TV prophets for profit: We American dads and moms of Wisconsin won’t stand for you bad-mouthing our kids. And you do not want to mess with people who eat bratwurst, lutefisk and ‘tater salad at church potlucks and like it.
By Russell King
The American dads living in Wisconsin got a bad rap last month, and it’s time for this one to speak up about it. Wisconsin got tagged as some sort of hotbed of heathenism, the cradle of an anti-Christmas crusade, and I’m here to tell you that it’s hogwash. Some other American dads and moms from Wisconsin are going a bit further and demanding an apology from some of those who converted the hogwash into hard currency. In December, an outfit called the Liberty Counsel got into the phoney "debate" about a "war on Christmas" -- a scheme by the Fox network to drive up ratings -- by claiming that Ridgeway Elementary School in Dodgeville, Wisconsin, had "decided to eliminate Christmas from the Christmas season." The charge, which the Liberty Counsel used to solicit donations, was a lie, and the good folks in Dodgeville want an apology.
I’m happy to report that Christmas arrived, as always, in Ridgeway with children's voices raised in song. But I must also report, through gritted teeth, that police cars cruised the streets of the village and buses idled outside in case the school had to be evacuated. Families had to be on an approved list to get in, and a video camera was trained on the crowd in case of violence. The school was so overwhelmed with angry calls its personnel had to use cell phones just to do normal business. The school received thousands of nasty e- mails prompted by the Liberty Counsel, which went nationwide with the lie that the school had changed the lyrics of "Silent Night" as part of a plot to secularize Christmas. The group even threatened to sue the school.
The fact that this was wrong didn't stop Ridgeway school officials from being denounced everywhere from Bill O'Reilly's Fox show to Jerry Falwell's online column, where he wrote we were "blindly determined to kill off Christmas in the classroom." O’Reilly repeated the lie on Dave Letterman’s show. Even after the truth of the matter was made clear by the school district, which posted a detailed explanation of its policies and the program on its web site, the Liberty Counsel kept peddling misinformation and collecting donations. Near a press release about Ridgeway, the Liberty Counsel had a link on its web site for making tax-deductible donations to its "Christmas Campaign."
The Liberty Counsel may be using those donation to pay for the added security in Dodgeville, because the district is demanding a widely distributed apology, a retraction of claims that its policies are "hostile" to the U.S. Constitution and damages from the group. While other victims of these wedge-drivers decide to ignore the smears, Dodgeville has decided to hold them accountable. Maybe, by pressing for a very public apology and a retraction, the dads and moms of Dodgeville will force the "war on Christmas" wedge-drivers to be a little more responsible next year. If nothing else, they are teaching, by example, to stand up to bullies and to challenge liars.
The Liberty Counsel failed to honor the commandment against bearing false witness, so perhaps, in addition to paying for the extra security for the school concert, the it should acknowledge its sins and ask for forgiveness. So perhaps should Falwell and O’Reilly.
O’Reilly is the same wedge-driver who said that "you’d expect" people in my home town, Madison, Wisconsin, to "commune with Satan." Madison's conservative and largest daily newspaper, the Wisconsin State Journal, had this to say about it: "Living your faith is more important in Madison than bombastically proclaiming it. And respecting people who hold different religious beliefs is simple neighborliness. The vast majority of Madisonians do wish one another ‘merry Christmas.’ Yet it's no big deal if someone says ‘season's greetings’ or ‘happy holidays’ or -- as President Bush and the first lady wrote on their card this year -- ‘best wishes for a holiday season of hope and happiness.’ Madison is certainly not the front lines for O'Reilly's imaginary ‘war on Christmas.’ The blowhard broadcaster needs to lighten up."
Over in Madison’s liberal daily, the Capital Times the editor has a conversation with Satan: "As I say, it was O'Reilly's mentioning how Madison reporters ‘commune’ with Satan that prompted me to put the flag in the flower pot and head down to the Edgewater. Satan arrived a little late. ‘Did you rat me out to O'Reilly?’
"’No,’ I said. ‘Look, I want to ask you something.’
"’Go ahead.’
"’Of all the horrors you've unleashed on Earth -- war, sickness, sauerkraut -- of all of them, what do you consider your crowning achievement?’
"Satan cackled. ‘That's easy. Talk shows on cable.’"
Anyway, with five of my six kids in public schools, I wondered whether our communing with the devil would have knocked all the religious songs from the school programs. Two band and two choir concerts later, I can report: Nope. Religious and traditional Christmas songs were played, sung and enjoyed in each. And, just for good measure, I’ll report that when I walked Jaden and his birthday cupcakes into kindergarten last week, then entire school was reciting the pledge of allegiance in unison.
So be forewarned ye blowhards, liars, wedge-drivers and assorted TV prophets for profit: We American dads and moms of Wisconsin won’t stand for you bad-mouthing our kids. And you do not want to mess with people who eat bratwurst, lutefisk and ‘tater salad at church potlucks and like it.
