As we enter that wonderful time of year when atheists and city councils clash over manger scenes and “holiday trees” in the public square, a smaller-scale clash over God and government from November is beginning to make waves, and it involves a first-grader and a poem she wrote to honor her grandfathers.
6-year-old child forced to remove "God" from poem about her grandfather http://t.co/SWfeBLBA #Christ-haters
— toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) November 30, 2012
Todd Starnes has brought attention to the story, which was reported by the Hickory Record in North Carolina last week. A six-year-old girl at West Marion Elementary School was asked at the request of a parent to remove the mention of God from a poem she was set to read at the school’s Veterans Day program. Her poem, written for her grandfathers, both Vietnam veterans, included the line, “He prayed to God for peace, he prayed to God for strength.” The girl did as she was told, but parents raised their concerns over the incident at a school board meeting.
“After consulting with the superintendent … we jointly decided that we must err on the side of caution to prevent from crossing the line on the Establishment Clause of the Constitution,” school principal Desarae Kirkpatrick explained.
Quite a few agree that the school did indeed cross the line, but in the opposite direction.
It's OK to put #Christmas commercials on TV to entice shoppers. But a child can't use #God in a poem at school? #HolyHolyHoly
— Joseph Phillips (@MoJoe_46) November 30, 2012
https://twitter.com/westcyn/status/274295325609586688
https://twitter.com/railgirl1952/status/274290174538686466
School Removes God From First-Grader's Poem http://t.co/tjLEPqXv ☄Extreme PC strikes again. This is no longer America…
— I give a hoot! (@PapaElia) November 29, 2012
North Carolina School Orders 6-Year-Old Girl To Remove Word “God” From Poem She Wrote For Veteran’s Day…STOP THE INSANITY
— Kathleen O'Brien (@KathleenOBrien8) November 29, 2012
@PAC43 Makes me sick. The poem was written about reality. "He prayed to God for peace." So … take that out?! Because.. it isn't true? wha?
— Consent of the Governed (@ImaConservativ1) November 29, 2012
School orders 6yr old girl to remove "God" from a poem she wrote about Veterans day. What happened to freedom of speech and religion? WTF
— Dave (@RainManDave) November 29, 2012
https://twitter.com/levitikon/status/274266539010686976
https://twitter.com/moderncomments/status/274266476087750656
Get your kids out of public schools NOW! —->@foxnation School orders 6yr old to remove "God" from poem?
— sandy grits (@sandygrn) November 29, 2012
Good Grief… a six year old can't express herself in a poem and mention GOD.. We are completely lost. God Help Us. http://t.co/pHGwfwHr
— Joyce Krawiec (@joycekrawiec) November 30, 2012
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