Diversity!

Post by **Leisher** » Mon Dec 14, 2015 9:49 am

NY principal bans Santa, holidays, and the Pledge of Allegiance.

I used this article rather than others because they get into the details of all her moves, which paint a better picture of her.

Malcolm · Post by **Malcolm** » Mon Dec 14, 2015 10:26 am

Leisher wrote:NY principal bans Santa, holidays, and the Pledge of Allegiance.

I used this article rather than others because they get into the details of all her moves, which paint a better picture of her.

No they don't.

Kim bought seven 70- to 80-inch Sharp flat-screen smart TVs, which retail at about $3,000 each. After painting over and removing historic murals, she had the TVs mounted in the auditorium — three over the stage and two on each side.
...
Kim holds a lottery for students to get academic assistance after school or on Saturdays. She also started a “professional learning period” in which teachers observe each other in class, but it eliminates one period of core instruction a week for students, staffers said.

That's not even Santa-related.

Post by **Leisher** » Mon Dec 14, 2015 11:27 am

No they don't.

So you read all the other articles on saw on this and compared each? Impressive.

That's not even Santa-related.

None of that is Santa related...point?

It does show she has some very odd ideas that don't seem to be in the best interest of her students.

Malcolm · Post by **Malcolm** » Mon Dec 14, 2015 11:51 am

Leisher wrote:
No they don't.
So you read all the other articles on saw on this and compared each? Impressive.

That's not even Santa-related.
None of that is Santa related...point?

1) The non-Santa insanity concerns me. I don't give a fuck if someone calls Thanksgiving "Harvest Festival" and I don't care if they call Santa the "Diabetic Annual Gift Person."

2) I wouldn't have guessed those from her stance on holiday things.

Post by **Leisher** » Mon Dec 14, 2015 12:06 pm

Calling Thanksgiving a "Harvest Festival" does bug me. Thanksgiving is a national holiday. I mean, if folks are being offended by Thanksgiving then either they need to pack up and leave or we need to do away with all holidays.

Valentine's Day? It hurts the feelings of single people.
July 4th? Hurts the feelings of the English and everyone who hates the imperialistic U.S.
Thanksgiving? Hurts the feelings of native Americans.
Christmas? Hurts the feelings of non-Christians, I guess?
Kwanzaa? Hurts the feelings of people who don't like made up holidays.
Memorial Day? Hurts the feelings of people who think war is the ultimate evil.
Labor Day? Hurts the feelings of people who are disabled and can't work. Also, the unemployed.
Flag Day? Whose flag? Got to dumb this for "All Flags Day".
Columbus Day? Hurts the feelings of native Americans.
Presidents Day? Hurts the feelings of all groups who were oppressed during that time frame.
MLK Jr Day? Not until there's a Cesar Chavez day!

I think the other stuff paints a more interesting picture of how odd her policies are in all areas, not just holidays.

Malcolm · Post by **Malcolm** » Mon Dec 14, 2015 12:14 pm

Columbus Day? Hurts the feelings of native Americans.

1) It's a fact Chris was not the first dude to discover America (losing out to the Vikings by a few centuries). There are more worthy explorers that deserve a holiday. He was also a religious wacko who had no qualms parading the remains of dismembered heathens in the streets.

The document also describes how Columbus put down native unrest and revolt; he first ordered a brutal crackdown in which many natives were killed and then paraded their dismembered bodies through the streets in an attempt to discourage further rebellion.

"Columbus's government was characterised by a form of tyranny," Consuelo Varela, a Spanish historian who has seen the document, told journalists. "Even those who loved him [Columbus] had to admit the atrocities that had taken place."

Valentine's Day? It hurts the feelings of single people.

How? Because they realize they're free?

Christmas? Hurts the feelings of non-Christians, I guess?

Let's call it "Winter Solstice Day" as it was originally hijacked from that.

Labor Day? Hurts the feelings of people who are disabled and can't work. Also, the unemployed.

Damn, if you want to talk about made up holidays...

Beginning in the late 19th century, as the trade union and labor movements grew, trade unionists proposed that a day be set aside to celebrate labor. "Labor Day" was promoted by the Central Labor Union and the Knights of Labor, which organized the first parade in New York City.

Sounds like commie bullshit to me. You already get rewarded for labour, it's called "salary."

I could go on.

Edited By Malcolm on 1450113743

Post by **TPRJones** » Mon Dec 14, 2015 12:30 pm

Sounds like some PC bull to me, too. But then

Ninety-five percent of the 1,600 kids at PS 169 are Asian or Hispanic.

so culturally it may be that those holidays just don't matter to these students. So, you know, whatever.

Bottom line is if you don't like this, Leisher, then you probably shouldn't let your kids go to PS 169.

Post by **Leisher** » Mon Dec 14, 2015 1:17 pm

Malcolm wrote:
Columbus Day? Hurts the feelings of native Americans.
1) It's a fact Chris was not the first dude to discover America (losing out to the Vikings by a few centuries). There are more worthy explorers that deserve a holiday. He was also a religious wacko who had no qualms parading the remains of dismembered heathens in the streets.
The document also describes how Columbus put down native unrest and revolt; he first ordered a brutal crackdown in which many natives were killed and then paraded their dismembered bodies through the streets in an attempt to discourage further rebellion.

"Columbus's government was characterised by a form of tyranny," Consuelo Varela, a Spanish historian who has seen the document, told journalists. "Even those who loved him [Columbus] had to admit the atrocities that had taken place."

Valentine's Day? It hurts the feelings of single people.
How? Because they realize they're free?

Christmas? Hurts the feelings of non-Christians, I guess?
Let's call it "Winter Solstice Day" as it was originally hijacked from that.

Labor Day? Hurts the feelings of people who are disabled and can't work. Also, the unemployed.
Damn, if you want to talk about made up holidays...
Beginning in the late 19th century, as the trade union and labor movements grew, trade unionists proposed that a day be set aside to celebrate labor. "Labor Day" was promoted by the Central Labor Union and the Knights of Labor, which organized the first parade in New York City.
Sounds like commie bullshit to me. You already get rewarded for labour, it's called "salary."

I could go on.

Thank you for making my point for me.

Bottom line is if you don't like this, Leisher, then you probably shouldn't let your kids go to PS 169.

It's not just PS 169 though, it's everywhere. Hell, it's been pointed out in numerous threads here at all levels of education whether it's elementary school teachers making their kids pledge allegiance to Obama or college professors docking conservative thinking students.

I don't care if 95% of the kids are Asian or Hispanic at PS169. They're Americans, right? So Thanksgiving should be a thing for them as should the pledge of allegiance. Hispanics are very Catholic, so there's Christmas.

IMHO, her moves aren't about diversity, but pushing her beliefs.

Malcolm · Post by **Malcolm** » Mon Dec 14, 2015 1:18 pm

Thank you for making my point for me.

That tradition shouldn't be given a blind pass just because it's "been that way?"

Post by **TPRJones** » Mon Dec 14, 2015 4:05 pm

Most of the holidays we know now didn't exist 100 years ago, or if they did they would be nearly unrecognizable to you were you to go back to 1915 to see what was done then to celebrate. Just because they were what was done when you were a kid doesn't make them sacred.

I totally agree that the PC bullshit is a bunch of PC bullshit, but claiming that all these holidays are some sort of eternal flame sacred American-Fuck-Yeah thing is also bullshit.

Malcolm · Post by **Malcolm** » Mon Dec 14, 2015 5:37 pm

Someone needs to explain what Saint Valentine, a dude venerated for restoring someone's sight then being beaten to death and beheaded, has to do with greeting cards. I'm not saying he'd disapprove (if "he" was indeed a singular historical person), but he'd be wondering why his feast day was associated with see-through lingerie and chocolate. Let's at least call shit like it is, "Corporate 'Buy Some Shit' Day."

Edited By Malcolm on 1450132897

Post by **Leisher** » Tue Dec 15, 2015 9:21 am

Most of the holidays we know now didn't exist 100 years ago, or if they did they would be nearly unrecognizable to you were you to go back to 1915 to see what was done then to celebrate. Just because they were what was done when you were a kid doesn't make them sacred.

I'm not calling anything sacred. I'm making a point that we're constantly doing away with everything because someone thinks someone else might get their feelings hurt. (You know, except white males. Fuck them.)

My point was what isn't offensive to someone? If we're protecting everyone's feelings, then we literally have to cancel everything, rebuild society and watch as we still fail. You cannot please everyone in any scenario.

Currently, these PC people have the evil, right wing Republicans they can shake their sticks at, but eventually they'll turn on each other. We've already seen it multiple times like the Penny Arcade gender identity thing from last year or the white woman who identified as black.

Although, in this school's case I did find changing Thanksgiving and not reciting the pledge to be the most interesting part of the story. End of the day, these are U.S citizens in a U.S. city in a U.S. school paid for with U.S. tax dollars, so you'd think U.S. culture would apply to them.

Malcolm · Post by **Malcolm** » Tue Dec 15, 2015 11:35 am

you'd think U.S. culture would apply to them.

US culture doesn't get a free pass and it's got nothing to do with hurt feelings. It's got to do with traditions that need to be examined more closely because perhaps they were put in place for unsound reasons or have been warped over time.

Post by **Leisher** » Tue Dec 15, 2015 12:58 pm

Malcolm wrote:
you'd think U.S. culture would apply to them.
US culture doesn't get a free pass and it's got nothing to do with hurt feelings. It's got to do with traditions that need to be examined more closely because perhaps they were put in place for unsound reasons or have been warped over time.

It has everything to do with hurt feelings. This move was all about "diversity" and political correctness. It's right there in the memo!

This was not a federal, state, county, or city directive. This was one principal acting alone based on her own belief system.

You might want to argue about traditions that are dated, but you aren't her, and what you're suggestions involves discussion, not acting without input from all involved parties.

Malcolm · Post by **Malcolm** » Tue Dec 15, 2015 1:04 pm

I didn't connect these bits earlier:

“We definitely can’t say Christmas, nothing with Christmas on it, nothing with Santa,” PTA president Mimi Ferrer said administrators told her. “No angels. We can’t even have a star because it can represent a religious system, like the Star of David.”
...
In a recent directive to all schools, the city Department of Education said it permits holiday symbols including Christmas trees, kinaras (candleholders for Kwanzaa), dreidels, Hanukkah menorahs and the Islamic star-and-crescent. Displays that “depict images of deities, religious figures or religious texts” are prohibited.

Gods, saints, and books are off limits but religious symbols are in? Now they can go fuck themselves until they get their shit straight. Menorahs are in but the Torah is out?

Post by **TPRJones** » Tue Dec 15, 2015 5:15 pm

That's from two different sources. The city DoE says all that is fine by them, but then at that particular school the administration is being more restrictive. It's different levels having different restrictions, much like the differences often found in fed and state rules.

They're guilty of many things, but I don't think inconsistency is one of them, at least not in this case.

Malcolm · Post by **Malcolm** » Tue Dec 15, 2015 5:21 pm

This is still a bit strange considering damn near every second-generation Asian I've known does the Thanksgiving and Christmas thing, minus the jeebus aspect. Given her other acts of idiocy, I'm inclined to lean towards "psycho" as opposed to "eccentric savant."

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