The "religious" Candy Cane lawsuit..

[rainbow4321]

OMG...you wouldn't know my school district has more IMPORTANT things going on..like how they are on the cover of Newsweek magazine because of the high school steroid abuse in our schools.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6700913/site/newsweek/


NO...instead we have yet another neocon lawsuit being filed over what our kids can and cannot bring to the school's Xmas parties this week. What next..are they going to blame the steroid problem with the high school kids is due to them not being given these religiously-tagged crap while they were in elementary school????

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/121604dnmetplano.122eb0b3.html


Plano <Texas> ISD sued for censorship

Educators say they've already eased rules on handouts

A religious-rights law firm delivered notice of an early and unwanted Christmas present to the Plano school district Wednesday – a federal lawsuit alleging a pattern of religious censorship and violation of students' free-speech rights.

Plano-based Liberty Legal Institute first threatened to sue the district over a Christian message attached to a candy cane pen at a school holiday party last year. Attorneys said they've spent the past year gathering examples of "violation after violation" of constitutional rights in elementary schools.

The lawsuit seeks a restraining order to allow students to be able to hand out religious messages at elementary school holiday parties Friday. In addition, it seeks changes to district policies governing how and what students and parents can distribute on campus. "This appears to be an effort by 'trial lawyers' to feed at the trough of the taxpayers' pockets, as opposed to truly addressing concerns through a nonlitigious manner," a statement from school district attorneys reads.

Wednesday's lawsuit stems from discussions between a Thomas Elementary student, his parents and district staff last year. Jonathan Morgan wanted to hand out candy cane pens with an attached religious message, "The Legend of the Candy Cane." The message stated in part that the red stripe on a candy cane represented "The blood Christ shed for the sins of the world ..." The lawsuit alleges that while other students were allowed to hand out "goodie bags," Jonathan was not because his included the religious message. He was allowed to put the bag on a table in the library for students to pick up, but other students were not required to do that, the lawsuit alleges.

[aquart]

1. What does the white stripe represent?

[Behind the Aegis]

4. The white stripe

The white represents the ultra-fundamentalists coming and "white-washing" the spirit of the blood of Christ. Christ died for their sins, but it is their job to corrupt his teachings, thus white-washing the blood away. Well, that's what I think. It is sad that so many Christians are getting lumped in with these losers!

[Sugarbleus]

2. O gawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwd, what next!?

Actually I do remember a time when Xtians were passing out "tracts" instead of candy on halloween. Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez, it's just TOO MUCH. Get the NET, these loons are loose & running amok.

Couldn't these religious attempts using children be considered Child abuse??? The Fundies are turning their kids into "Children of the Corn" Fercrynoutloud!!

[rainbow4321]

6. Next up: Changing zoning laws for the neocons...

The same group that is suing about the candy canes also sued in a city next to ours about letting people turn their homes into churches. Ok..so nothing like having 20-30 cars parked in front of your neighbor's house--overflowing the whole street, no doubt. The city backed down and changed the zoning law for the neocons.
Funny, all those chimp followers who complain about too many lawsuits in the court system don't seem to have a problem with candy cane and zoning lawsuits when it suits the fundie's agenda...


http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/121604dnmetmcreligion.1b2f0.html


If you can gather every week here to swap Tupperware or curse the Cowboys, then you can gather to serve the Lord as well. That was the message Wednesday after the McKinney City Council voted to amend and remove city ordinances that restricted churches, synagogues and other religious groups from having services in someone's house.

The city regulations specifically targeted churches and related religious use, said Kelly Shackelford, chief counsel for Liberty Legal Institute in Plano, which assisted Grace Community Church in its lawsuit. The lawsuit states that the regulations violated federal laws protecting religious activities from undue governmental restrictions.

Mr. Shackelford said he hoped Wednesday's council decision and settlement would send a message to cities across Texas and the nation that they can't have zoning laws that single out religious entities.

"If 20 people want to gather at your home and want to talk about communism, that's fine. It's fine if 20 people want to sell Tupperware or get drunk and watch football," he said. "If they gather in their home and sing a hymn or talk about faith, it's illegal."

[Sugarbleus]

8. OMG..........

I don't understand the zoning laws regarding gathering for religious fellowship.

A lot of people have gatherings in their homes for religious bible studies et al. That shouldn't be outlawed...........but, organizing a CHURCH?, a REAL church to meet in one's home in a housing development is over the top. Out in the country, sokay. Churches usually draw huge crowds.....more than would ordinarily gather for a "Party" for example.

I can just hear the strains of "Holy Ground" emminating from the windows of said house, blasting other's tupperware parties all to heck. LOL

You are spot on about the "lawsuit" issues. Just heard a woman on C-span this morning. She was a lawyer arguing against tort reforms. Someone called in making the case as you've done here; that the ones wanting regulations on suing are the ones that want YOUR rights to sue curtailed...........NOT THEIRS.

If I hear any more "Poor victimized Christians" issues, I'm going to visit a local church and let them have it!!

[Boosterman]

15. Might want to rethink that

"If I hear any more "Poor victimized Christians" issues, I'm going to visit a local church and let them have it!!"

Just some random church? Not going to ask their views on the matter?

[Sugarbleus]

17. LOL... not going to go balistic or anything...sokay..

I used to be a "fundie". My old pastor might need me to have a chat with him. Likewise, there are a couple of churches in my area that I once attended; one has a nice website where one can chat with others.

I was thinking of having a reasonable discussion of the Victim issues..NOT ALL churches are into the Christian Persecution meme, obviously...

Not to worry.... :hi:

[rainbow4321]

16. Shrub has left off "frivolous" from his anti lawsuit list....

Guess he is limiting the ones listed below to make more room for the neocon's lawsuits that are filed to take our rights away? Can't have them waiting in line behind the people who have a real lawsuit....

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/politics/politics-bush-lawsuits.html?oref=login

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush said on Wednesday he expects the new Congress to limit economy-damaging lawsuits by passing curbs on class action, asbestos injury and medical malpractice cases.

``I intend to take a legislative package to Congress which says, we expect the House and Senate to pass meaningful liability reform on asbestos, on class action, and medical liability,'' Bush told a White House economic conference.

The cost of litigation in America, Bush said, was making it more difficult to compete against other countries economically. Legal reform was a cornerstone of any good economic expansion program, he said.

``I am passionate on this subject,'' he said, adding that he would make it a ``priority issue,'' starting with his State of the Union address to Congress early next year.

[Sugarbleus]

18. Whadda guy.... =o/ ......n/t

[ebayfool]

3. Typical fundie crap!

"He was allowed to put the bag on a table in the library for students to pick up, but other students were not required to do that, the lawsuit alleges."

What, they want the kids to be required to pick them up? Our little rural school fights this same old garbage every year. The local church targeted the school board w/their chosen candidates, use every damb trick in the book to proselytize to captive children - & the parents can kiss their behinds if they object. You try to fight them at school board meetings & you quickly find yourself targeted by the local church supporters. Landlords (of 6 years) deciding they no longer want to rent their property, teachers nailing your kid w/bullshit stuff (honor roll his ENTIRE life, all of a sudden he's not meeting her expectations - & she started humiliating him in front of peers making cracks @ ileostomy, his weight, his absent parents ((my grandson)) etc), employment dries up (how dare a mere housekeeper insist WE follow the law!), etc. Religion does NOT belong in the public school system! We ended up having to move from the little town my boy had been raised in his entire life over this crap.


Ooooh, don't get me started! LOL

[rainbow4321]

5. Plano is bad about this...

We had such a rash of lawsuits flying around that I really just wanted ONE holiday or PTA meeting to pass without having people bitch at each other..first it was Xmas, then came Valentines Day <see below>...one of our elementary school PTA meetings had the PTA prez and the school principal getting into a FIST FIGHT in the school office..the principal was fired. And this is not a one horse town..there's 250,000 of us here..guess politics is politics no matter how big/little the city.



http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/121604dnmetplano.122eb0b3.html


Deputy Superintendent Danny Modisette said that the district has changed its policy about Friday's holiday parties so that any material – as long as it isn't obscene – can be distributed among students this year.

Past First Amendment disputes include:

In November 2003, the district admitted violating parents' First Amendment rights during after-school meetings in 1998 and paid $400,000 for the parents' legal bills. The district had prevented parents from handing out materials that had not been approved by the district. The district argued it wanted to end the lawsuit to move on to other issues.

In January, Superintendent Doug Otto told principals that students would be prohibited from handing out personalized Valentine's Day cards. Instead, the students would leave the cards in boxes on their desks for classmates to pick from. Following parental complaints, administrators later reversed that decision.

[ebayfool]

10. 'FIST FIGHT in the school office' we had a few taken out to the ...

parking lot after the meetings! Glennville has population of @ 200 counting all the outlying ranches. I guess you couldn't call it a one horse town, you had more horses & cows than people. Politics is politics no matter how big/little the city, true - but a town that small makes politics way more personal. There aren't any buffers between people, everyone knows how you vote & what you had for lunch! I started home schooling because of it, before we finally said screw it & moved to bigger town. Still a fundie town, but easier to get away from the wackjobs. Plus, I don't have to shovel snow or cow poop to get the laundry done!

[CornField]

7. Schools should not be in the habit of extending urban legends

That's all the school needs to say -- the "legend of the candy cane" is a hoax. It is yet another of those stories that Christians tell one another so they can continue to partake in the commericialized holiday this month.

Our schools do not need to become distributors of misinformation.

[AliciaKeyedUp]

13. The school isn't distributing the information

At issue is whether the child has free speech to do so or not. Cleary, he does.

[AliciaKeyedUp]

14. The school isn't distributing the information

At issue is whether the child has free speech to do so or not. Cleary, he does.

[Solly Mack]

9. and then there's the legend of the chocolate covered cherry

the legend of the fruitcake
the legend of sitting on Santa's lap
the legend of eggnog
and so on and so forth....

[Disturbed]

11. The blood of Christ

As a kid I found that seeing Jesus on the cross with blood dripping from his head,wrists, side and feet was gross. Drinking the symbolic blood and body of Jesus seems canabalistic to me.

[Disturbed]

12. The blood of Christ

As a kid I found that seeing Jesus on the cross with blood dripping from his head,wrists, side and feet was gross. Drinking the symbolic blood and body of Jesus seems canabalistic to me.

[BiggJawn]

19. The district's lawyer is a real rocket scientist, isn't he?

"This appears to be an effort by 'trial lawyers' to feed at the trough of the taxpayers' pockets, as opposed to truly addressing concerns through a nonlitigious manner,"

No....It's an effort by the Fundy Dominionists to get THEIR agenda into the Public School.

That school has a moron for an attorney. Regurgitating BUSHCO Talking Points instead of defending the system. Bet he's in cahoots with the LLI...

[jmowreader]

20. Hang on...the red is for the blood He shed?

It then seems to me they're handing out candy canes for the wrong holiday.

If I got this straight...Christmas is Jesus' birthday party, right? Good Friday is the day we celebrate Christ's lynching, and Easter is the day of his resurrection.

Which means they really should be celebrating Good Friday, or perhaps Easter, with the candy canes.