The parents of a six-year-old girl said their daughter was humiliated when a teacher interrupted the child's one-minute speech and told her to sit down because she's "not allowed to talk about the Bible in school," attorneys for the California family allege.
The incident occurred Dec. 19 inside a first grade classroom at Helen Hunt-Jackson Elementary School in Temecula, Calif. The previous day the teacher instructed boys and girls to find something at home that represented a family Christmas tradition. They were supposed to bring the item to school and share the item in a classroom presentation.
Brynn Williams decided to bring the Star of Bethlehem that adorned the top of her family's Christmas tree. She also worked on a one minute presentation to explain that her family's tradition is to remember the birth of Jesus at Christmas time.
"Our Christmas tradition is to put a star on top of our tree," the little girl said. "The star is named the Star of Bethlehem. The three kings followed the star to find baby Jesus, the Savior of the world."
Before the child could utter another word, the teacher intervened, according to Robert Tyler, the general counsel for Advocates for Faith & Freedom - the law firm representing the Williams family.
"Brynn's teacher said, 'Stop right there! Go take your seat,'" Tyler said. "Bryn was not allowed to finish her presentation by reciting the Bible verse, John 3:16."
Tyler said the little girl was the only student in the class not allowed to finish her presentation.
"After Brynn took her seat, the teacher explained to Brynn in front of all the other students that she was not allowed to talk about the Bible or share its verses," Tyler said.
Gina Williams learned about the incident after she picked her daughter up from school.
"She thought she had done something wrong," she told me. "She thought she was in trouble. I told her she was not in trouble and I was proud of her. I tried to comfort her on the way home."
The following day Williams met with the principal.
"The principal confirmed that Brynn's teacher did the appropriate thing by stopping her mid-presentation and there are specific education codes that protect the school," Williams said. "
The principal then asked Brynn, who had tears in her eyes, to come into her office and deliver the same presentation that was censored in the classroom. Afterwards, the principal stood by her decision.
"She confirmed there was no way Brynn could finish that presentation," the disappointed mom told me. It was to protect the other students from being offended by Brynn's presentation."
The principal reportedly told her that Brynn could write about her beliefs in a journal but she was not allowed to share her beliefs aloud to any other student.
Tyler sent a letter to the school district demanding they apologize to Brynn and change their policies limiting religious liberty.
"The disapproval and hostility that Christian students have come to experience in our nation's public schools has become epidemic," he said, warning that should the school district ignore their concerns, they will file a lawsuit.
The school district sent me the following statement:
"The Temecula Valley Unified School District respects all students' rights under the Constitution and takes very seriously any allegation of discrimination. Due to the fact that District officials are currently investigating the allegations, it would be inappropriate to provide further comment at this time."
It's not the first time the school district has found itself in hot water over religious liberty violations. Last October, a seventh grade student was publicly ridiculed by a teacher for reading the Bible. The classroom assignment had been to read a non-fiction book. The teacher told the student in front of the class that the Bible was fiction and refused to give him credit for the assignment.
Tyler said it's clear that the district violated Brynn's constitutional rights.
"Any act to suppress a student's free speech, in this case censorship of Brynn's presentation of her family traditions, has violated Brynn's constitutional rights unless the school district can reasonably conclude that Brynn's speech was going to materially and substantially disrupt the school's work or discipline," he wrote in a letter to the school district. "Here, the school district cannot reasonably come to that conclusion."
So here's the way I see it. The school district either:
Made a gross mistake;
Is ignorant of the Constitution;
Is infested with radical secularists who like to bully Christian children:
All of the above.
What happened inside that classroom is nothing short of un-American. I don't know about you, but I'm getting tired of my tax dollars being used to pay the salaries of public school teachers who humiliate and bully Christian boys and girls.
How would you feel if Brynn was your daughter?
In accordance with the rite established by the Church, we exchange a Paschal kiss during Matins on the first day of Holy Pascha. The rite is both important and comforting.
Ordinarily, when we exchange that kiss, we say, “Christ is Risen!” and are answered with the words “Truly He is Risen!” In so doing, we emulate the earliest of the Lord’s disciples and students, who after His Resurrection discussed the Resurrection among themselves, and said: the Lord is Risen indeed (Luke 24: 14-35). Moreover, in pronouncing that greeting, we clearly and concisely express to one another the history of today’s Feast.
On the other hand, the greeting fills our soul with inexpressible joy. When you say, or hear someone say, the sweet words “Christ is Risen!” “Truly He is Risen!” you feel particularly happy. Thus, one might say that another reason for [those words of greeting] to have come into general practice is that they produce joy in the soul. They produce joy because they contain that sweet hope in our own coming resurrection. The Apostle Paul states, “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept...” (I Corinthians 15: 20). It follows that, if Jesus Christ was resurrected, we shall be as well. This is something of great comfort to all of us, especially to those whose path in this life is sown with weeds and tares. Indeed, it is terrible to live a life of want, and then become a victim of death for all eternity. But to live in want here, and then to finally move into a blessed eternity, and together with your resurrected body to enjoy blessed happiness.... Can anything be more longed for than this? That is the reason both for our pleasure in hearing the words “Christ is Risen!” “Truly He is Risen!” and for their general usage in our greetings to one another.
Moreover, in greeting one another in this way, we also exchange a kiss. What is the meaning of that kiss? In ordinary life, a kiss is considered a sign of sincere mutual love. It has the same meaning in this Paschal rite. As St. John Chrysostom said, “The Feast of Pascha is a pledge of peace, a fountain of reconciliation, the destruction of death, the devil's ruin. Today people have become one with the angels…”
Thus, on such a glorious Feast day, can we Christians continue to bear enmity for anyone? Is it even possible not to possess sincere love for one another? “Let us be radiant for the Feast,” the Holy Church sings to us, “and let us embrace one another. Let us say, Brethren, even to them that hate us, let us forgive all things on the Resurrection!” It is in that spirit that our kiss should be exchanged. Otherwise, it resembles Judas’ kiss.
Finally, after pronouncing those most-sweet words, “Christ is Risen!” – “Truly He is Risen!” and exchanging the kiss, we give one another red eggs. The Egg is a sign of our blessed resurrection from the dead, whose pledge we have in Jesus Christ. So that you might understand how the egg is a token of our resurrection, imagine what happens to it after the chicken has incubated it for a few days: from out of it, a new creature emerges, a creature whose life had been hidden within its dead shell. In precisely like manner, the Giver of Life rose from the tomb, death’s abode; the time will come when, through the power of Almighty God, and in response to the Archangel’s sounding trumpet, our bodies will come out of the heart of the earth and will be clothed with incorruption. It is of this that the eggs we give one another remind us.
Do you know the origin of this custom? It is quite an ancient one. According to tradition, it began with the Equal to the Apostles St. Mary Magdalene. After the Lord’s Ascension, she came to Rome to preach the Gospel. Standing before Emperor Tiberias and saying, “Christ is Risen!” she presented him with a red egg. In those days, it was customary for poor people to give their friends, benefactors, the wealthy, and authorities, an egg on the New Year and on birthdays, as a sign of respect. Following Mary Magdalene’s example, early Christians began giving eggs to one another on the days celebrating Christ’s Glorious Resurrection. They passed that custom on to us.
But why did it become the custom to give one another red eggs? According to tradition, the following took place: On the actual day of Christ’s Resurrection, when everyone was convinced that Jesus Christ could not possibly rise from the tomb, a certain Jew was carrying a basket of eggs to market. Along the way, he met another Jew who said to him, “So, friend, do you know what a miraculous thing has happened in our city Jerusalem? For Christ, Who died three days ago, has risen from the tomb, and already many have seen Him.” However, the Jew who was taking the fresh eggs to market said to him, “No, I do not believe that Christ has been resurrected from the tomb. That would be just as impossible as to have white eggs suddenly turn red.” And what happened? As soon as he had spoken those words, the white eggs in the basket suddenly turned red. That miracle so amazed him that he rushed to adopt the Christian Faith. News of that marvelous event soon spread among the faithful Christians, and in commemoration thereof, they began to exchange red eggs with one another. It was perhaps for that reason that Mary Magdalene presented Emperor Tiberius with a red egg.
At the same time, the red color of the Paschal egg has a special significance. It would be no sin to assert that it represents the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Had Jesus Christ not redeemed us, we would have remained eternal prisoners of hell and death, and consequently would not have any reason to hope in our own coming resurrection. But we have been redeemed, redeemed through the priceless Blood of our Lord. Consequently, we will certainly be resurrected. As our redemption was accomplished with the Blood of Jesus Christ, we receive our coming resurrection, acquired through that same Blood. The eggs’ red color reminds us of that, and specifically preaches to us the fact that our resurrection is the fruit or consequence of the spilling of our Savior’s priceless Blood.
ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS ANIMAL STORY My mother's friend adopted this lovely dog after he was abandoned by his previous family. His name is Shaun. Shaun had always been very good at eating all his food. Every last bit that was, he ate it. One day he started leaving a little bit behind. He wouldn’t eat everything, no matter what. He always left a little behind. Every morning when my mother’s friend checked Shaun’s bowl, the food was gone. That was very strange, because Shaun always spent the night by her side. One night she decided to investigate the food situation. She waited quietly by the food bowl and then, in the middle of the night, a cat came through the window and ate the remaining food. She noticed the cat was actually pregnant. She realised that Shaun had been saving his food for the mummy cat. A week or so later the cat came into her house and gave birth to 6 little kittens. Shaun took care of them as if they were his own babies. My mother’s friend adopted the cat too (her name is Meow) and they took care of the kittens until they all found a loving home. Nowadays Meow and Shaun live happily together as a family and they each have their own bowls of food.
The jury declared the two leading police not guilty, including the honorable gentleman who, in total professionalism, said “You see these fists? They’re about to eff you up.”—except he didn’t say “eff.”
Jurors found two former Fullerton police officers accused in the 2011 beating death of Kelly Thomas, a 37-year-old homeless man, not guilty on all charges on Monday.
Former Officer Manuel Ramos and ex-Corporal Jay Cicinelli were accused of causing the death of Thomas in a violent struggle in the Orange County college town, prompting angry protests and closely watched criminal proceedings.
A coroner’s report stated Thomas died of asphyxia due to chest compression and injuries to his head and chest during the struggle on July 5, 2011, at the Fullerton Transportation Center.
The prosecution had argued that officers’ beating of Thomas was unwarranted and that Thomas was not a threat to police.
Defense attorneys responded that Thomas struggled back against officers – who called for backup after striking him repeatedly – and that he succumbed to heart problems due in part to drug use.
I highly recommend you watch the full footage. I think the OC Weekly blog describes it pretty accurately:
The footage–complete with an audio track–clearly showed the overweight Ramos hulking over a seated Thomas, placing latex gloves over his hands while speaking derisively to the homeless, schizophrenic man. At one point, Ramos even threatened to beat up Thomas, whose only crime was to have taken some discarded letters out of a trashcan.
The footage also showed Cicinelli repeatedly punching Thomas in the face with his Taser while other officers, including Ramos, sat on top of Thomas, who can be heard repeatedly crying for help, saying he can’t breathe, apologizing and asking for his father.
Yes, hearing Thomas cry for mercy is an exquisite experience. For Manual Ramos and his many helpers the sound of pain and fear seemed to work like an aphrodisiac.
Reading about this story from Will Grigg, I followed a link about Ramos’ affectations of gang culture and had to look up what a chola is. On face book, Ramos claimed he wanted a female sexual partner who would violently attack others because “there’s something very sexy about a lady who will beat a b—-h down for disrespecting her man.”
I guess we can say that Ramos got his fantasy to come true. The jury was his chola.
