Oh! FFS. Tennessee bill would legalize wishing students 'Merry Christmas'

[okaawhatever]

(Reuters) - Tennessee lawmakers on Thursday passed a measure that allows teachers to wish their students "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Hanukkah" and display scenes and symbols of winter celebrations without fear of legal action.

The state House of Representatives approved the legislation with a 84-4 vote. The state Senate, which passed an earlier version of the bill in February, is expected to take the legislation up next week.

"I'm a real proponent of freedom of religion, but not a proponent of freedom from religion," said the bill's sponsor state Representative Andy Holt, a Republican from Dresden, who wore a Christmas-themed tie when the bill passed.

The bill would seek to provide a legal basis to protect teachers from lawsuits when they wish students "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Hanukkah." Teachers would also be allowed to teach about religious holidays in the classroom under the bill, which supporters say upholds the religious and free speech rights of educators.

The bill also allows schools to display scenes or symbols associated with religious winter holidays, such as a menorah or a Christmas tree, if it is accompanied by a symbol or display of another religion or a secular scene or symbol.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/14/us-usa-christmas-tennesseee-idUSBREA2D05X20140314

[Chan790]

1. Um...I always assumed it was anyways.

I learned all about Hanukkah in public school as a kid. Ramadan and Kwanzaa too. We celebrated everybody's religious heritage equally and "Merry Christmas" was not uncommon...but neither was "Happy Hanukkah", "Happy Holidays" and secular/non-denominational holiday greetings.

I'm assuming that's the case most places...and this is a waste of taxpayer dollars and legislators' time.

[Mariana]

9. There are people who like to pretend it's illegal.

These lawmakers are pandering to those people.

[yuiyoshida]

2. I can't wait for the screams that will come

When a Buddhist statue is erected around Christmas time. You can bet someone will be getting out their guns...

[atreides1]

3. This will work

Until a teacher wishes students a Happy Yule and teaches them that the "Christmas" tree has Pagan beginnings!

Then we'll see how open minded they really are!

[prommie]

4. Its a liability thing.

This way the schools can be sure they won't get sued by some fanatic out to prove a point. Fear of lawsuits forces school boards to overreact, so things like a school board prohibiting "merry Christmas" can happen just out of fear of liability, so then a law like this gets passed. Civil litigation against schools is ridiculous.

Serious question, when was the last time anyone has seen a see-saw, a plain old fashioned see-saw? Lawyers made them disappear.

[GeorgeGist]

6. Hee haw ...

[unblock]

8. this encourages lawsuits, lol! oh, and there's a public park with a see-saw near my home.

what's going to happen is that teachers are going to take liberties and do things that others believe are in violation of the students' first amendment rights and then there will be a lawsuit. some local ordinance or state law doesn't trump the constitution.


the see-saw near us has a few safety features we didn't have in the old days, but what's wrong with that? playyards in general are far safer, yet kids still have plenty of fun and exercise with them.

[unblock]

5. sounds like it will allow them to teach christmas and nothing else if they want

free speech rights of educators? in front of a legally compelled, captive audience of minors?

i'm all for free speech, of course, but that doesn't mean a teacher can say absolutely anything to students during class.

i can't wait for this bill's supporters reaction when a teacher says "hail, satan" or "allahu akbar" or, um, ..., damn, we atheists need a catchphrase!

[LanternWaste]

7. All it would take is a small handful of students requesting a school-sanctioned Eid al-Adha...

All it would take is a small handful of students requesting a school-sanctioned Eid al-Adha celebration as the Senate version of the bill "would not be limited to Christmas and Hanukkah but to other types of occasions as well..."

Once the majority male, white TN legislature sees that Muslim holiday greetings would be protected as well, they will drop it like a hot potato.

[KatyaR]

10. Oh, they passed that bill here in Oklahoma this year, as well.

It must be an ALEC thing--the state legislature is ripe with ALEC supporters, including the governor.

[Tsiyu]

11. Our legislators would rather do ANYTHING

than serve the common person in this state. You know, creating jobs, funding access to education and health care in severely underserved areas, legalizing cannabis use, repairing infrastructure and the like are HARD WORK. And Jeebus does not want our legislators to work very hard here in TN

They have passed and proposed bills to benefit their cronies; their work is done.

Now, it's pander to the Highly Jeebus Voter - whom they will never help economically as long as the HJV will accept these phony "Merry Christmas" tokens in lieu of actual economic opportunity. These bogus crumbs thrown to the easily appeased masses will continue until the upcoming elections. They love to waste our already squandered state funds here.

It's very sad, but they seem to like it here; who am I to say it's not what Jesus really wants for this state?

It hasn't changed since I moved here, so it works for TN, I suppose.