The Lebanon, Missouri case, in which Principal Kevin Lowery of Lebanon High School said a Christian prayer at the school graduation, has now drawn to a close. After stonewalling the Freedom From Religion Foundation’s (FFRF’s) complaints twice, the school board finally produced a bunch of emails about the issue in response to a request under Indiana’s “sunshine act” (their equivalent to the Freedom of Information Act). They had no choice but to respond, for they were required to by law.
The series of emails included this communication from Principal Lowery to Lebanon’s Superintendent of Schools. It is copied to all members of the school board. This is public information which I have permission to reproduce.
As you see, Lowery apologized to the superintendent and said this (in case you can’t read it):
“I apologize for bringing negative publicity to our school district and assure you that future remarks at any school activity will not reference God or anything that radicals would perceive as offensive.”
Notice the “radicals” part, clearly referring to those of us who advocate religious neutrality—secularism—in the public schools. He couldn’t resist that one little dig. Nevertheless, given his promise, I think the issue has been resolve to the satisfaction of those of us who were concerned. It is curious, but a sign of the obdurate religiosity of Lebanon’s school board, that this email was not simply sent to the FFRF as a response to their initial emails. It had to be forced out of them through freedom-of-information requests:
However, this doesn’t completely close the issue. If you followed the case, you’ll know that Lebanon High School was infused with religion: it was presented not only in the form of school prayers at graduation, but invocations at school assemblies and proselytizing over the public address system. Given that Lowery says that he will no longer refer to God in “any school activity,” I hope he abides by his promise. But if any slip-ups happen in the future, I hope the students who wrote to me or to the FFRF will bring them to our attention. Keeping religion out of a place like Lebanon High requires eternal vigilance!
In the meantime, we have some exciting cases coming up of teachers pushing creationist and religious views on public-school students in the South—transgressions of the First Amendment so egregious that they will boggle your mind. Stay tuned.
I never knew that complying with the constitution made one a “radical.”
Yeah. But hey, it’s progress – they might come kicking and screaming into the 18th century, but at least they come.
18th century, HA!
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Supertramp! What happened to them?
Century of the Fruitbat, isn’t it?
Hust keep taking the dried-frog pills, B— … um… John.
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But you live in a country founded on the principles of violent terrorist revolutionaries. Why are you surprised?
Is there a country which wasn’t?
b&
New Zealand.
Also Canada. We are America’s goody two shoes brother, as they said on the Simpsons & we didn’t rebel against our English overlords. 🙂
I think the Māori and Inuit would both like a word or two with each of you….
b&
That was more abuse than revolution. And I’d say in Canada it is Huron that really got screwed by picking the French side, poor bastards.
You know what they say: free radicals can cause premature death.
You mean Missouri, no?
They’re not much different
As an ass hat seventh grader I once apologized to a teacher saying ‘My dad says I have to apologize to you’… Sounds just as weaselly as this letter.
A thousand apologies for my ignorance – what is an “ass hat”? Do you carry your ass around in your hat? Or, is it another to say that one is suffering from craniorectumitis?
Urban Dictionary
Thought radical was a euphemism for Cahmunist. Or is that Liberal or Socialist?
And Atheist means simply subversive (and probably also strident).
Radical means almost the same as fundamentalist: different in its roots rather than in its foundations. Comes to mean ‘drastic’ in action.
Could I ask what the precise request was that was made under freedom of information?
Someone from Cahmun? I can’t find that on the map.
A bit like Trinidad and Tobago: Toot and Cahmun, you know, somewhere in Egypt, near the pyramids
Note he didn’t apologize for the actual offense. He apologized for bringing negative publicity upon the town.
Radical is the newest moniker used to show that your opponent is just some wingnut no one should pay attention to.
I noticed that word was used in the Canadian Parliament recently over, IIRC, continuing to make RCMP hats out of the traditional fur they have alway used. I didn’t know they had fur hats. The RCMP decided to no longer use the fur (muskrat) and the government over turned the decision. Because that’s what my government does – concerns itself with these types of important decisions.
The words, “Our government will always stand up for Canada’s hunters and trappers” and then referred to “anti-fur” people as “radical environmentalists” or some such.
& sub
Consider yourself lucky…while Canadian politicians are forcing the police to wear hats they don’t want…American politicians are forcing the military to buy trillion-dollar weapons systems nobody wants….
b&
Maybe our governments should share – hats for weapons. It’s free trade so no duty.
If we started down that path, before long you’d offer us some maple syrup for the fire extinguishers in the White House….
b&
Colospectives don’t need hats anyway since it’s so cosy warm where they keep their heads.
I would advise eye protection.
You’ll see this across the board. Whether you’re left or right, someone who strongly stands for something you disagree with is likely to be called a radical.
Proudly a pro freedom radical atheist.
What a baby. If you’re going to apologize, the apologize, don’t make yourself a victim and passive-aggressively attack people.
The issue was one of constitutionality and for the legally noncompliant Principal Lowery to refer to the watchful citizenry intent on seeing that the Constitution is upheld, as radicals is petulant, graceless and unprofessional.
If I’d been involved in this and the emails had been released with only a moderate amount of whinging, I’d have redacted the addresses of the school board members. Just out of politeness.
By wearing their anal sphincters as neck ties, they’ve lost the right to such politeness. I’m sure that these addresses will be unusable for years to come. So sad.
In somewhat related news that no one here will find surprising, a study was done showing that religiosity is more influential than education in regards to creationist beliefs.
Quite the victim. I’m guessing the “hate emails” he were all those that failed to express a bounty of Christian love in their support of his actions. Oh dear – I have just contributed to the growing wave of ridicule. The prophecy has been fulfilled!
should read “hate emails” he …
one more try: “hate emails” he received…
LOL. I are radical! Phear me!
Radical: has new ideas = dangerous
Conservative: has no ideas = safe
On another note, the editorial ‘columnist’ at the Lebanon Daily Record, has been fired.
This is from one of the citizens who posts on the local forum:
“It is a foreign group of “zealots” that have taken it upon themselves to rewrite the Constitution or to see that their way of perceiving the existing Constitution is adhered to.”
I was so hoping that they would bring suit against the school district.