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Bell ringing brings controversy

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by Casey Hoff

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Madison Metropolitan School District Superintendent Art Rainwater should be ashamed of himself.

In arguably the most absurd decision ever made by the Madison School District, Chavez Elementary School canceled a third-grade, voluntary field trip to raise money for the Salvation Army by having the kids ring the bells for a couple of hours. ONE parent complained, who is too cowardly to give his or her name, saying in a phone call to the school that he was "concerned about promoting religious organizations through the Salvation kettle point collection."

This parent apparently believes that the voluntary field trip is a violation of the separation of church and state. Chavez principal Howard Fried capitulated to this disgruntled parent's demand by canceling the field trip and stating, "My feeling is that we can certainly accomplish the same goals by having a service project within an organization that doesn't have a religious affiliation, and I'm hoping that sometime in the future they'll come up with an alternative."

Chavez Elementary Principal Howard Fried said the decision to put an end to the field trip came from top administration officials after a parent objected: "When the objection was raised, the administration downtown told us, in no uncertain terms, not to allow it."

MMSD spokesman Ken Syke later cited the decision to end the field trip as a separation of church and state issue, saying, "Contributions by students to the community are very valuable, but we have to keep that separation."

The establishment clause says that the government cannot establish a religion: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof". That's not what's happening here, and the Supreme Court has ruled over and over again that this type of activity is constitutional. The Salvation Army isn't proselytizing to these kids. It is Christian-based, but no one is required to be a Christian to receive assistance or to ring the bells. Atheists and agnostics are welcome to be bell-ringers, as well as anyone of any faith or lack there of.

In addition, there are children that go to Madison Public Schools receiving assistance and housing via the Salvation Army right now! No organizations do more for the poor in this community than the Salvation Army, and that "evil" Catholic based St. Vincent De Paul.

Ruth Ann Schoer, development director for the Salvation Army, explained to The Capital Times that it is very common for schools all across the country to engage in bell-ringing field trips every year and that the exercise is not about religious indoctrination in any way: "Hundreds of students ring for us. Historically, every year, we have many student groups help us out. All of the money we raise goes to feed, shelter, and clothe people. It doesn't go to promote religion." Later, Shoer added, "It is unusual for kids to be prevented from bell ringing for the Salvation Army."

This is an outrageous decision by the Madison School District to cancel the field trip, and Art Rainwater ought to rescind it immediately and apologize. Ald. Zach Brandon, who has a third grade son at Chavez who was supposed to go on the field trip, was on my radio program Friday morning. Brandon explained that his child participated in the same field trip last year. By the way, Brandon is Jewish, not Christian. He explained that the Salvation Army now has a bunch of vacancies to fill in terms of bell ringers, since one out of touch, overzealous parent complained about something so unwarranted of criticism.

Apparently Mr. Art Rainwater thinks it's more important to cater to the needs of some cockamamie parent than to make sure that poor people in this community get the food and assistance they need this holiday season. Also, poor people don't give a damn whether they receive the assistance from the Salvation Army or the "Secular Army", and neither do I. The point is that helping out the poor and disadvantaged is an important lesson that the kids should learn.

It is unfortunate that we have such a vocal extreme minority of over-sensitive, disingenuous parents around the country that have the relentless power to railroad local officials and ruin a perfectly legal, proper, and important field trip for third grade kids to learn an extremely valuable lesson — that helping the poor in their greatest time of need is so vitally important and the moral decision to make.

I hope Mr. Art Rainwater reconsiders his ridiculous decision, and gets into the Christmas, oops I mean Holiday, spirit!

Casey Hoff (choff@badgerherald.com) is a University of Wisconsin student and host of "New Ground with Casey Hoff," live Monday through Friday, 9-11 a.m., on Madison 1670 The Pulse.

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Anonymous (December 13, 2005 @ 8:39am):

Well said! It seems that we as a community are less concerned with service to the poor, hungry, and needy among us, than we are with fear that one anonymous parent might file a law suit because of a voluntary field trip to be a bell ringer. What are were teaching our children through our behavior?

Anonymous (December 13, 2005 @ 9:51am):

I'd like to see an actual supreme court cite that it's constitutional for a public school to have its students raise money for a religious organization during school hours.

Anonymous (December 13, 2005 @ 11:32am):

Too cowardly to give their name? Why do I have a feeling that if they did give their name you would accuse them of trying to make their child a panw in their political game? You are absurd.

Anonymous (December 14, 2005 @ 7:53am):

Well said, the separation of church and state is getting to the point of religious persecution. I hearted that in some schools people are not allowed to where red and green because those are Christmas colors. When it comes to religious freedom we are defiantly going backwards in this country.

Anonymous (December 15, 2005 @ 10:15am):

The Salvation Army may not require one to be Christian to receive their social services...but is there an accounting of where the funds raised by the kettles go?

Unless The Salvation Army has stopped doing missionizing work in addition to their disaster relief, thrift shops, etc, then the money raised from those kettles could be funding the missionizing, unless they keep it separate.

Originally, the disaster relief and thrift shops was *in addition* to their primary mission of spreading the word of Christ, so I would be extremely surprised if their primary mission has changed.