Oh yeah, and because of federal candy regulations. Not. Kidding.
Boys and girls at a Massachusetts elementary school have been banned from bringing Valentine’s Day candy or cards over cultural equality issues and federal guidelines regulating candy.
Parents of students at Salemwood Elementary School in Malden, Mass, received a letter informing them of the policy – that impacts not just Valentine’s Day – but all holidays.
“We have many different nationalities, cultures and languages spoken,” Principal Carol Keenan told Fox News. “Because of that we don’t honor specific holidays.”
Keenan said she did not want some students feeling left out.“This is done with all good intentions – to have all students be accepted, to have all students feel like they belong,” she said. Malden is the second most-diverse city in Massachusetts and the school is home to students from 67 different cultures. David DeRuosi, superintendent of Malden Public Schools, defended the principal’s decision – explaining that with new residents and new mandates “certain traditions we have to modify and adapt.”
“We’re always looking at how to combine the traditions that have been a part of Malden with its ever-changing face,” he told Fox News. Keenan said they were not cancelling Valentine’s Day. Instead, the elementary school is going to celebrate a modified version.
“Every student is making a friendship card for another student,” she said. “I wanted to make sure that every single student is given the opportunity to get a card and to also give a card. I didn’t want some students feeling left out.”
DeRuosi said there are also strict state and federal guidelines governing what kind of food is allowed inside a public school building. “No candy, no cake, no cupcake,” the superintendent said – noting their hands were tied. “You can’t send cupcakes anymore.” Parents and local residents said they are furious at the decision.
As the saying goes, the road to hell is paved with ‘good intentions.’
Whatcha wanna bet they bend over backwards to accomidate Ramadan?
Next: abolish all religions.
Then, provide every girl with a boyfriend, every boy with a girlfriend, (Oh, and every boy who wants one, with a boyfriend, every girl who wants a girlfriend… you get the picture) No one should feel left out!
And new National Anthem: John Lennon’s Imagine:
…Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace
Ding, ding, ding! That’s it, Shifra. They’re trying to make us into the BORG (greatest enemy of the Federation). Simulate, resistance is futile!
The school’s excuse is that “we have many different nationalities, cultures and languages spoken” and that “this is done with all good intentions – to have all students be accepted, to have all students feel like they belong.”
Then teach them the cultural norms of America! That’s one reason our motto is “E Pluribus Unum”- out of many – one.
I’m reading this after putting my son’s Valentine’s Day cards together for him in a hurry this morning, as I had completely forgotten about it *until* this morning. (Derp.) But I was happy to do it, because it’s the little class parties celebrating holidays that not only bring bright spots of novelty into your kid’s school experience, but also help kids connect better with each other and with the culture around them in general by allowing them to participate in it.
When I was in elementary school, there was a boy my age whose family was Jehovah’s Witnesses; as such, he didn’t do the holiday things with us. And as far as I remember, he wasn’t ostracized or picked on for it; it was just how his family did their church thing. (I was a shy kid, so I can’t speak for everyone, but I felt bad for him!) As such, I have a difficult time believing that this change is made solely or even largely out of fear of kids getting picked on.
Stuff like this is stupid and nonsensical, yes. But it’s also, in its own right, dangerous. What they’re teaching those kids, native-born American and immigrant alike, is that American culture needs to be subverted to all other cultures; that hurt feelings are the worst thing that could ever happen to anyone; and that you not only have a right to not be offended, but that anyone who does anything not completely in line with your own personal way of thinking needs to be shut down..
Ladies and gentlemen, societal decay, brought to you by: The Teachers’ Unions. I know I have a raging case of the warm fuzzies. Or, you know, the double facepalm — one or the other.
Sucks to live in MA. Geesh, what’s a kid to do?
I hate that this crap is going on, are you kidding me? This is still America. Wake Up, people!
Seriously! That’s what I’m thinking – it must suck to live in Mass! But, how sad…
The school administration’s Valentine to students:
“Roses are red
violets are blue
If you bring candy
We’ll expel you!”
Libs: Sucking all the joy out of life, so we can be as miserable as they are.
>>Massachusetts elementary school
Massachusetts, natch. “We’ll be sure the little buggers have condoms however.” /libs