'Christmas' taken out of tree lighting flyers for Marlborough and Harrisville schools (New Hampshire)

[mountaineer]

'Christmas' taken out of tree lighting flyers for Marlborough and Harrisville schools
MEGHAN PIERCE
Union Leader Correspondent

MARLBOROUGH — American Legion Post No. 24 Cmdr. John Fletcher says political correctness has gone too far.

For about the past 15 years, the Legion Post and the Monadnock Lions Club have sponsored a Christmas tree-lighting.

This year, when Fletcher attempted to distribute flyers about the event in the elementary schools in Marlborough and Harrisville, he said he was contacted by the SAU 29 office and told he could not distribute the flyers unless he removed the word “Christmas” and replaced it with the word “holiday.”

“A Christmas tree is a Christmas tree — it’s not a holiday tree,” Fletcher said. “It’s always been that way and I fail to understand. This political correctness is getting out of hand as far as I am concerned.”

In the end, his wife took liquid Wite-Out to the flyers and covered the word “Christmas.” Fletcher said he drew the line at adding the word “holiday.”

SAU 29 issued this statement on the flyers Tuesday evening: “Our school district celebrates the religious freedom that our students enjoy. However, the Establishment Clause of our Constitution forbids a public school district from aiding, promoting or endorsing religion... Distribution of the flyer was allowed in accordance with the district’s policy. Ultimately, the School Board reserves the right to grant exceptions to this policy and in this particular case no appeal was made.

Fletcher said the fliers with “Christmas” whited-out were distributed, and the event is this Sunday at 6 p.m. In a letter to the editor of The Keene Sentinel, Fletcher wrote to express his frustration over the situation, which has garnered national media attention.

“I wasn’t trying to create anything, but it just reaches a point where you have to stand up for something,” Fletcher said Tuesday.

As a veteran, 72-year-old Fletcher said he is especially bothered by the school district policy.

“If you think about the veterans who gave their lives for our freedom they are probably ... turning in their graves right now,” he said.

[mountaineer]

A Christmas tree is a Christmas tree — it’s not a holiday tree

And it's not an Eid tree nor a Ramadan tree. There's no confusion here. It's a Christmas tree and, truth be told, has nothing to do with the event Christians celebrate, to-wit, the birth of the Savior, anyway.  It's just a freakin' tree.

So when will the powers-that-be object to Islamic holidays with equal fervor?

[Fishrrman]

Who's winning?

Who won?