Thanksgiving kindergarten protest in my very own backyard
Lovely Claremont, California.
Claremont parents clash over kindergarten Thanksgiving costumes.
"For decades, Claremont kindergartners have celebrated Thanksgiving by dressing up as pilgrims and Native Americans and sharing a feast. But on Tuesday, when the youngsters meet for their turkey and songs, they won't be wearing their hand-made bonnets, headdresses and fringed vests.
Parents in this quiet university town are sharply divided over what these construction-paper symbols represent: A simple child's depiction of the traditional (if not wholly accurate) tale of two factions setting aside their differences to give thanks over a shared meal? Or a cartoonish stereotype that would never be allowed of other racial, ethnic or religious groups?"
Source.
See also the update, Claremont school Thanksgiving costumes create a commotion. Eventually this became a protest and counter-protest of about a dozen people on either side. You may especially enjoy the comments from people all over the country who don't live here freaking out about how our sacred Thanksgiving traditions are being taken away.
And here is the LA Times opinion essay.
I don't exactly know what to think. I'm in favor of little kids dressing up and having fun, and also against hurting people's feelings. I do know that it's dumb to get angry about "those liberal college professors" ruining Claremont. Dude, Claremont is a liberal college town. We've got, what, about half a dozen colleges? We have a flippin' Folk Music Center with little hand-typed poems posted outside. Complaining about liberal college professors in Claremont is just. . . weird. It's like moving to Paris and being upset because there are all these French people.
Also, I am not pleased that this made the Drudge Report and that it was all over the right-wing blogs. If Bill O'Reilly decides that there's a War on Thanksgiving, I will be really annoyed.
Claremont parents clash over kindergarten Thanksgiving costumes.
"For decades, Claremont kindergartners have celebrated Thanksgiving by dressing up as pilgrims and Native Americans and sharing a feast. But on Tuesday, when the youngsters meet for their turkey and songs, they won't be wearing their hand-made bonnets, headdresses and fringed vests.
Parents in this quiet university town are sharply divided over what these construction-paper symbols represent: A simple child's depiction of the traditional (if not wholly accurate) tale of two factions setting aside their differences to give thanks over a shared meal? Or a cartoonish stereotype that would never be allowed of other racial, ethnic or religious groups?"
Source.
See also the update, Claremont school Thanksgiving costumes create a commotion. Eventually this became a protest and counter-protest of about a dozen people on either side. You may especially enjoy the comments from people all over the country who don't live here freaking out about how our sacred Thanksgiving traditions are being taken away.
And here is the LA Times opinion essay.
I don't exactly know what to think. I'm in favor of little kids dressing up and having fun, and also against hurting people's feelings. I do know that it's dumb to get angry about "those liberal college professors" ruining Claremont. Dude, Claremont is a liberal college town. We've got, what, about half a dozen colleges? We have a flippin' Folk Music Center with little hand-typed poems posted outside. Complaining about liberal college professors in Claremont is just. . . weird. It's like moving to Paris and being upset because there are all these French people.
Also, I am not pleased that this made the Drudge Report and that it was all over the right-wing blogs. If Bill O'Reilly decides that there's a War on Thanksgiving, I will be really annoyed.