The 'Freedom to Present Christmas Music in Public School Classrooms or Assemblies' initiative
One California woman is pushing for a measure that would put more Christ in Christmas at schools. According to Josh Richman of Inside Bay Area, the state gave Merry Susan Hyatt and her brother David Joseph Hyatt (Joseph and Merry, get it?) permission to start collecting signatures for their Freedom to Present Christmas Music in Public School Classrooms or Assemblies initiative. The draft of the initiative for mandatory Christmas music in schools states:
52710. The people of California find and declare both of the following:
(a) Listening to, or performing, Christmas music during the holiday season is a longstanding American tradition and a significant element of our cultural heritage as Americans.
(b) The parents and guardians of public school children should have the right to decide whether or not their children may hear Christmas music in the classrooms and assemblies at those schools.
Therefore, the Hyatts propose the following:
52711. As used in this article, "Christmas music" includes, but is not necessarily limited to, carols, songs, and instrumental works whose subject matter relates to the celebration of the Christmas holiday or to the season during which that holiday is observed.
52712. (a) Each public elementary and secondary school shall provide opportunities to its pupils for listening to or performing Christmas music at an appropriate time of year. The appreciation or performance of the Christmas music may be incorporated into the subject matter of an arts or social studies class, presented for cultural enrichment during a school assembly, or both.
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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/scavenger/detail?entry_id=50872#ixzz0VrLw5MRs