Thanatos Gerroux
During this time of the year, I think it is extremely important to keep sight of certain things. In Lexington, Illinois, you don't see a huge variety of any minority populations, and sometimes we lose sight of the "Accords of School and State".
As most of you know, teachers cannot suggest any form of religious preference in classrooms. I completely agree with this, and if any of you disagree you're being selfish. I have had no teachers who have ever exhibited this, but schools at large do show a form of religious prejudice.
Look at the lunch calendar. The two-week break is commonly referred to as Christmas Break, and Christmas is marked on the calendar. Now, imagine yourself in the shoes of someone who is Jewish. Hanukah is not marked on the Calendar in any way, and there is nothing in "Christmas Break" that suggests Hanukah.
This may seem like a small complaint, and we don't have many Jews in Lexington. This is beside the point, and the Calendar must be changed. Think how simple it would be. You could change the little phrase, "No School – Christmas Break" into another phrase "No School – Holiday Break" or even better, "No School – Winter Break". Then you can either mark Hanukah as well as Christmas, or not mark anything at all. These simple changes can help to make us a more politically correct society, and although this may seem annoying, with today's diversity it is nearly crucial.
Another example of this prejudice, perhaps. Right about now, teachers are putting decorations for the holidays in their classrooms. You see a variety of things, but mostly Santa Clauses and Christmas trees. I have been in many classes through the years, and all the decorations have been Christian. I have never seen a Jewish decoration. You could put a dreedle, or even a minohra (*) in a classroom, and it would be all right. It is plain to see what religion schools and teachers favor.
Yet another example, I have for you. In Chorus, the people have been preparing for a Christmas Concert (see calendar argument). It is not the title of this thing that I am getting at, but it is the wording of some of the songs. I have heard, several times, the use of the words "God", "Jesus Christ", "Seraph", "Heaven", and "Angels". I have never heard one Jewish word mentioned. What about the Atheists? Who ever said that Atheists can't be good singers? Should they be singing about something that they don't believe in? If they asked to be excused from these songs, they would, undoubtedly, be marked down.
There are, in fact, no Jews in Lexington. If there were, I don't know what would be. Would all the classrooms change their practices of "Secret Santas"? It really doesn't matter if there are Jews here. This school and town should be geared to all people, regardless of Race, Religion or Belief. Unfortunately, it is my opinion that the people in both the school and the town are more than slightly religiously prejudice. This is not only immoral, mind you, it is also illegal.
