Re: Children Have Rights Too!!!

I tried to send this to the three e-mail addresses, but it got filtered out.

Mrs. Rebecca Waldrep, Mrs. Connie Ross, Mr. Scott K. Cowart,

I've recently read about a series of incidents in your schjool regarding the bullying of 11 year old Christopher Turner for his religious practtices.
Specifically being told that Paganism is "not a religion" and to write an essay about the origins of Christmas without referring to "non-biblical"
stories.

If these accounts are true, I'm appalled that a public school teacher, representing the state as an employee, is either this deeply ignorant of the law or so willing to disregard the establishment clause of the First Amendment as a public employee. There is so much settled case law regarding this kind of behavior that I expect the ACLU or other groups will be lining up to take this on as a civil case. I'll be among the first in line to donate to the legal fund. Any teacher that is either that ignorant or conciously willing to engage in that kind of behavior is unfit to lead a classroom.

Secondly, the pre-Christian roots of common Christmas symbols are also well established. Misletoe, the Yule tree, holly and pine wreathes, the close parallels with the Roman cult of Mithras - others, too many to list here - are well known and easily reesearched. Anyone who claims to have enough background and understanding to teach about Christmas, should understand this. It appears that Mrs. Ross is again, either out of her depth, or willfully disregarding the subject matter and inserting her own biases in an attempt to establish her religion in a taxpayer funded classroom, by browbeating an 11 year old in front of his peers. Shame on you Connie Ross.
Are you so small minded that you have to get your jollys emotionally beating up on an 11 year old for having a different religion? Is your religion so small and impotent that the alleged creator of heaven and earth needs you to bully kids?

At the very least a public apology to both Christopher Turner and his mother are in order and severe disciplinary action regarding Mrs. Ross's actions, including a review of her fitness for remaining certified as a teacher.  If the accounts of her actions are true, Mrs. Ross clearly needs remedial eduction in both First Amendment Law and the history of religion. If this is what passes for teaching, it's no wonder this once great country is becoming a third world nation. I add my voice to the many calling for her resignation.

The world will be watching your response to this issue.

Sincerely,


Christopher Bingham, Snohomsih WA.