Dr. Scott McLeod (Dangerously Irrelevant) and Justin B. (Edjurist) have a contest going that Matt Tabor has described it as glib, ideologically-driven tripe. (Don’t you love how Matthew turns a phrase?).

Here’s a quick description of the contest (you’ll have to visit Scott’s web site, Dangerously Irrelevant) to see it:

It’s time to play… Spot that holiday violation 2008!

Christmas 2008 is right around the corner and that means it’s time to play…

SPOT THAT HOLIDAY VIOLATION!

What is shameful is how some commenters are turning in other education entities…one disreputable commenter shared this in the hopes of winning some unknown prize:

Here is my submission for egregious violations – Deer Park ISD’s Technology Department Xmas message.
http://www.dpisd.org/otherPages/TechVideoCard/TechVideoCard.html

then had the temerity to ask, Uh, do I have the winning entry, Scott?

It’s disappointing that Scott and Justin are both encouraging this sort of behavior, making mountains out of molehills. Scott writes:

You’ve got a pretty strong entry there…We’ll see what rolls in between now and Dec 23!

While Justin posts a long diatribe that calls for a third judge to now decide between these two huckster lawyers out for a few links and clicks to increase their Technorati authority!

I thought it was awesome. I don’t really have a problem with the word Christmas … it is very much a secular part of our society and I certainly don’t think wishing someone a Merry Christmas is an Establishment Clause violation. Its when it goes beyond just the “Merry Christmas” and actually starts to become religious that things get hairy.

Say in the background of each of those spots in the video you put religious imagery like the manger and the wise men and baby Jesus and chapel. That might make the video a violation … but like most people you know better than to take a school district video and fill it full of religious images.

That’s really all the Establishment Clause is looking for – a common sense separation of church and state. By-products of religion that have become elements of our standard society are fine (check out my post on yoga: http://www.edjurist.com/blog/does-yoga-violate-the-establishment-clause.html), it is when attempts are made to make those by-products overtly religious that problems come up.

Sigh. Where is the appeal to nobler intentions?
;->

Update 12/22/2008: In the interests of transparency–and recalling the old observation that if you have to point out a joke, well, it wasn’t much of one to begin with–I wrote the comments above. So, the responses from Scott and/or Justin are to ME as the commenter. I was having fun, tongue-in-cheek. If I missed the mark, now that revels are ended…

If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumber’d here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend….

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