Any Ideas?
Child is in middle school and is expected to do fund raising to support
the school band. So far, I guess it's ok, even though it's rather
insulting to be paying as high taxes as I am to have the privilege of
sending the child to one of the "best public school districts in the
country" and then having to send her out begging for funds, but I guess
it might teach her something.
Anyway, child brings home the fundraising magazine of things she's
supposed to sell. It's the "Holiday Issue" of stuff, and inside is a
bunch of snowmen, angels, and...get this...a nativity scene, a "dreidel
candle", and a tin of "haunnaka chocolates" with a star of david on the
tin.
So mom gets upset. And child becomes terrified that mom will "cause
trouble" for her in school. Well, mom is livid at the idea of child
selling religious themed items to benefit a public school. So mom
calls the principal who isn't available, but I left a message. She
hasn't called back. Mom then sent the following email to principal:
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From: Me
Date: Mon Sep 8, 2003 3:26:20 PM US/Eastern
To: Arlene.Randall@fcps.edu
Subject: Fundraising by students
I am the mother of xxxxxxxxxxxxxx who just came home with some
fundraising materials. I am highly concerned at the religious theme of
much of the material, and the blatant Christian theme of the Nativity
Scene, and the Hebrew theme of the Pecan Clusters in Hanukkah Tin, and
the Dreidel Candle.
I am aware that the school system is not deliberately causing strife
between people of differing religious backgrounds, so I would ask that
you please examine the fundraising materials and remove overtly
religious items from the sales drive. I would also ask that no
repercussions of this complaint affect my daughter in school.
Thank you very much for looking into this.
Rev. Me, Esq.
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So what do you guys think? Am I over the top? Have I gone bonkers?
Should I call for pickets and call the ACLU? Is this much ado about
nothing? Do I need a longer vacation?
Please let me know.