European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 13, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse The stars and stripes Page 10 columns James j. Kilpatrick saturday december 13,1986 silent night survives assault of school critics what do you know the apostles of common Kosc in this matter of Church and stale have won a Sweet Victory Down in Seminole county Fin. As a consequence silent night has survived an assault by Iti foes and Little children May not be prohibited from singing the most familiar of All Christmas carols in the Public school. The Story merits the attention of school officials everywhere for it emphasizes what the supreme court has been saying ail along. The constitutional prohibition against Laws or official acts respecting an establishment of religion cannot be interpreted to ban voluntary individual religious expressions that in no Way arc acts of the state. The affair began Early in december 1984 at the Tuscawilla Middle school the choir director mrs. Diann Regan had chosen a group of songs for her sixth seventh and eighth Grade choirs to sing at a pre Christmas concert. Among the selections were silent night hanukkah dance and Jingle Bell two Days before the scheduled concert one Parent sent a note saying that she was jewish and she objected to her daughter s singing Christian carols. Mrs. Regan took up the complaint with the school s Princi pal Curtis Hughes. In the belief that he was complying with established policy Hughes banned both silent night and hanukkah the Story hit the newspapers. At about the sometime Young Olivia Myers came to her second Grade classroom at Pine Crest elementary school with some homemade Christmas cards she intended to give her Tom Wicker school males. The cards carried a Slicker in the form of a painting of Jesus Christ. The assistant principal or dered the child to Stop it at once. Meanwhile at Jackson Heights Middle school the Pat was holding its annual Christmas contest. Each homeroom chose volunteers to decorate the classroom door facing the hallway. The artists were to receive a prize for the Best Effort Rebecca Reichert and several classmates were chosen in Robert Gau Dreau s classroom. They set to work and created a nativity scene. Gaudreau thinking he was complying with policy ordered the poster removed. All this was Loo much for the outraged parents of Olivia Myers and Rebecca Reichert with a big assist from concerned women of America and its staff attorney Jordan Lorence they went into . District court with a suit against the school Board the school superintendent and the involved teachers. They con tended that such carols As silent night Are part of the nation s cultural heritage. They argued that Olivi a s personal Christmas cards were protected by her constitutional right to the free exercise of religion. As for Rebecca s door decoration it could not be banned because of its Content. The suit was a Long time in maturing. It was t until this past october just before la Case was to go to trial that the county school Board acknowledged that the children s civil rights unintentionally had been Vio lated. Under a settlement agreement each family was awarded 12,500 in damages. Of greater importance. Superintendent Robert w. Hughes issued new policy guidelines. Henceforth schools will be permitted to a themes traditionally associated with a particular Bolt Day season As Long As the religious aspect of a theme a not emphasized further school music program May contain music which is religious in origin ind nature As Long As it ii traditionally associated with the particular Holiday season being celebrated. And As Long As the inclusion of such music is not based on religious As for students artwork their paintings or posters May embrace religious themes As Long As such themes Are not the product of direction or suggestion by the teacher making the general classroom displays of traditional religious symbols should be balanced with non religious symbols of that Are free to communicate among themselves about any subject controversial or otherwise As Long As the time place and method of communication do not directly and negatively affect Good order and disc limitations on student speech and writing cannot be Content based All this makes sense. The settlement agreement follows the supreme court s ruling in the matter of the Faw tuxes r.i., municipal creche it accords with other decisions on the rights of extracurricular religious clubs at Public colleges. Under this policy no religion is advanced none is suppressed. Let us hear a chorus of All is Calm All is and get on with the yuletide season. A univ trial Prim by Kate Reagan Gate clearly different than watergate Secretary of state Shutlz said in Brussels that Reagan Gate was absolutely in total contrast with watergate1 because president Reagan unlike Richard Nixon a decade ago wants All the farts disclosed. That remains to be seen but the two scandals Are different All right. Over Nixon s 25 years in Public life for example he had acquired a backlog of personal hostility Best exemplified in the nickname Helen Gahagan Douglas pinned on him in 1950 Tricky Dick. But until disclosure of his dealings with Iran Reagan was the Benefi Ciary of affection unmatched in Modem presidential history. Former popularity won t save him from the consequences of his actions any More than animosity caused Nixon s downfall. But at some crucial Point in the various investigations of Reagan s administration a More generous Public and press attitude toward him could make a difference. Second if it could have been shown that Nixon really did not know about misdeeds by his subordinates mostly in Domestic political matters he might Well have avoided resignation. Perhaps in the cliche most favored by Wishful thinkers then and now he actually could have put the scandal behind him and completed a useful second term. That is absolutely in total contrast to cur rent events. If Reagan ultimately is proven not to have known what a own National Security Council staff was doing he will be no better off perhaps worse than if it turns out that he masterminded the whole scheme. After All there might be something though not much to be said for a president who at political risk wrongheaded by ordered an action thai he was con Vinced served the National interest. But there s nothing to be said for a president so inattentive to duty that Middle rank Navy and Marine officers on his staff were Able to embark unimpeded on a course almost certain to undermine the foreign policy of the untied states in some of its most important concerns relations in the persian Gulf and the mid dle East opposition to terrorism hemispheric Security Allied Unity. Presidents Are elected to watch such mat ters not to Nap after lunch. If disastrous abroad the scheme Reagan either did or did not know about was catastrophic at Home. Spat Buchanan is pipe dreaming when he lays republicans owe it to Reagan to give him their rapport. Apart from the usual Well adv cd count of those on a sink ing Thip what loyalty should republicans extend to it Leader so obtuse that he allows through policy or ignorance his administration and his party to be associated with Aid 1o terrorists and Arm to Ayatollah Khomeini the most important difference Between watergate and Reagan Gate ironically is that Reagan probably won t be impeached or forced to resign though toe offences resulting from his policy or his somnolence on the Job Are More serious than any charge the House judiciary committee approved against Nixon. The reason is not that Reagan is better liked although that s not unimportant or that a democratic Congress will hardly make George Bush an incumbent president in time for the 1988 Campaign. Rather in Reagan s Case National Security really is involved the Money pipeline from the Aya touch siran through Switzerland to the Central on the Kara Glan Border was established by Reagan or by other m his name acting under color of tee president s High responsibility for National Security and he great latitude As commander in chief of the armed Force Sand primary architect of foreign policy. Never mind that the policy was misconceived Back fired and collapsed or that certain Laws May have been broken. If precedent is a guide Congress will Coqui Doerthe scheme to have been undertaken within the obscure limits of a president s National a purity pow ers which it neither can nor wants to define too precisely much leu punish an incumbent for stretching. For much the same Cason no impeachment Chart was made of Caine Nixon for the secret bombing of Cambodia. No one moved to impeach for the senseless Security policy that resulted in lome 210 dead american servicemen in Lebanon. It no Nan Likely that a Leriou impeachment move will Tutt even from i dealing with the Ayatollah no matter what Reagan knew Oronea he knew it och Wadi Kevn a
