Censorship in Garden City

My daughter attends Garden City Community School (GCCS); and until recently I was one of their biggest fans. In fact, I put so much "sales effort" into getting a friend to send his kids to GCCS that he actually asked me if I got some kind of commission for getting his kids to attend school there. I do not. And a recent decision by the schools director to censor a song that my daughter had planned to sing in today's talent show has me eating my words.

Yesterday my daughter came home from school and told me that the schools director, Cindy Hoovel, informed her that she would need to substitute the word "Holiday" for the word "Christmas" in the song she was planning on singing (Alvin & The Chipmunks - Christmas don't be late). She refused. And, as such, she chose not to participate in today's talent show.

The excuse offered by Ms. Hoovel for her actions is just that; an excuse. And it further illustrates her lack of understanding of the first amendment.

I once swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, and I gave up eight years of my life to do exactly that. To me, censorship in our schools is completely unacceptable; and I take offense to it. I believe that my efforts to bring this matter into the public eye are a part of the oath I took so many years ago.