That is nothing more than blatant anti-Christian bias mixed with a confusion of legal nonsense. Professor Drobac's mention of a "majoritarian society" makes no sense in this context. Furthermore, she congratulated Dean Tarr on upholding the First Amendment, conveniently overlooking the fact that the First Amendment also assures freedom of religious expression--not of a right never to be offended by any religious symbolism.

Professor Drobac's most magnificently ironic assertion came when she claimed to agree with "the prophet" who said "blessed are the peacemakers." Of course, that "prophet" was none other than Jesus Christ, a fact she either conveniently chose to overlook, or of which she is ignorant. Either way, this is not reassuring.  Evidently, Christ can be quoted, but not named.

Further evidence of anti-Christmas bias comes from New York City where Chancellor Joel Klein has ruled that a nativity scene is banned from school displays, while the Jewish Menorah and the Islamic Star and Crescent are allowed. According to the chancellor, the Menorah and the Star and Crescent are religious symbols, but they are permitted because each demonstrates a "secular dimension." As Robert Muise of the Thomas More Law Center in New York City told World magazine: "What's really going on here is anti-Christian bias."

A recent news story from the Oswego Daily News reveals that the problem is spreading from New York City to the rest of the state. According to the report, Oswego Middle School is celebrating the season with a "diversity tree" which is decorated with ornaments "used to celebrate the world's cultural, ethnic, and religious differences." Teacher Debbie Smith was at pains to insist "it is not a Christmas tree." She went on to acknowledge that the idea for the tree is borrowed from the historic German tradition of bringing a tree into a building "and adorning it with decorations of traditional or religious significance." Just don't look for any decorations of religious significance on this tree.

Ms. Smith provided further detail of the diversity tree, indicating that the decorations included cinnamon cookie shapes representing the Middle East as well as wooden shoes for Holland, wheat wreaths for Scandinavia, boomerangs for Australia, origami for Asia, and other culturally-relevant items. The tree topper is a likeness of "Grandfather Frost," a Russian secular substitute for Santa Claus. Santa Claus is outlawed, presumably because Saint Nicolas was an actual Christian figure and bishop of the church--far too religious a figure for Oswego Middle School.

Strike that Word

Recent years have included such atrocities as the county school board in Covington Georgia deleting the word "Christmas" from the school calendar in response to a threat from the American Civil Liberties Union. Two middle school students were disciplined in Rochester, Minnesota for wearing red and green in a Christmas skit and for concluding their skit with, "we hope you all have a Merry Christmas." Alert the police!  Charge these children with an illegal "Merry Christmas!"