Penna Dexter

Some public education officials are conflicted this time of year. Oh it’s fine for educators to celebrate all the trappings of Christmas at school. Even to get a couple of weeks off because of it. But dare mention the real reason for the season, the birth of Jesus Christ, and you’re censored. That’s what happened to Dedra Shannon, a staffer at Patterson Middle School in Killeen, Texas. She decorated the school’s nurses’ office door with images to recreate a classic scene from the beloved animated television special, “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” You know the scene. It’s the one where Linus explains to Charlie Brown the real meaning of Christmas. Charlie Brown is wondering why he’s not happy about the Christmas season when everyone else seems to be. He’s particularly dismayed at the over-commercialization of the holiday. The kids suggest Charlie Brown try directing the Christmas play as a possible solution to his depression. Ms. Shannon’s door decorations included Linus and the scrawny Christmas tree Charlie Brown picked out for the play. He was mocked for choosing the tiny sapling, and this only adds to his frustration. He finally asks loudly if anybody really knows what Christmas is all about. Linus answers with the annunciation to the shepherds scene from the Gospel of Luke. Ms. Shannon’s door decoration included part of this: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior which is Christ the Lord.” Then Linus says, “That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.” The principal told Ms. Shannon to take her decorations down because of — well, you know — that part about Christ. The principal said it’s “an issue of separation of church and state.” Fox News’ Todd Starnes wrote of the incident: “Public schools are supposed to be in the education business and Ms. Shannon was simply educating students about the true meaning of Christmas.” That’s what Linus was doing when he quoted scripture to Charlie Brown. The state of Texas actually has a law on the books that supports what Ms. Shannon was attempting. It passed in 2013, with bipartisan support, and was signed by the governor. Its purpose is to protect the constitutional rights of students, parents, and staff. The Merry Christmas Law states that no school official in Texas can silence a Biblical reference to Christmas. Based upon this law, the Texas attorney general has called upon Killeen’s school board to intervene in the censorship at Patterson Middle School. The door decoration would still be up if not for those words Linus spoke about the birth of Christ. But Ms. Shannon told Todd Starnes, “I just took the entire thing down. I wasn’t going to leave Linus and the Christmas tree without having the dialogue.” Exactly. Sometimes the secular Left even opposes Santa Claus and Christmas trees. But they’ll tolerate those. What they won’t allow and simply cannot countenance is keeping Christ in Christmas.