….Texas Somali Head Start kids enjoy the festivities!
A Minnesota Santa is pretty angry because his usual Head Start gig was canceled after a couple of families complained. Hat tip: Randy. Those who complained presumably told organizers they were offended by the Christian symbol—Santa Claus? Of course, I’m thinking, hey, maybe just keep your kids at home the day Santa arrives. But, this isn’t about protecting young children from the bad influences of Santa Claus, this is about forcing us to change America, bit by little bit.
From City Pages:
The holiday season is a tough time to lose your job — especially if you’re Santa Claus.
For the past four years, Dennis Jackson has dressed up as Santa and entertained kids at the Head Start program in St. Peter.
When he showed up to schedule this year’s volunteer appearances, the administration told him that parents had complained about the annual Santa visits, and that he was no longer welcome.
“They said it’s against some peoples’ wishes,” says Jackson. “It made me mad.”
Jackson says he didn’t get much in the way of an explanation from Head Start, so he penned a letter to the St. Peter Herald earlier this week protesting his dismissal. In the letter, Jackson complains that we’ve all taken this politically correct thing way too far.
“Why should the parents of approximately three or four children take the enjoyment away from 30 to 40 children?” writes Jackson. “I think the parents of these three or four children should sacrifice their wishes instead of Rule.”
Yes, indeed.
This article in the Minnesota Post tells us it was Somali families who complained. And, here is another story with more details.
Meanwhile in Texas
From My San Antonio:
It was the 3- and 4-year-olds’ shining moment to perform, and they didn’t disappoint.
This week, 71 refugee children from 14 countries joined 108 American classmates from the Culebra Head Start to put on the annual winter program sponsored by the Family Services Association.
More than 150 people packed the auditorium at the Neighborhood Place at 3014 Rivas St., where parents parked deep into the South Side community to watch the holiday show.
Pam Espurvoa, a caseworker for refugees, said the staff also had spread the word to parents without transportation that they could join children at bus stops at 3 p.m. and ride with them to the program.
The curtains opened for each class as its members entertained their relatives, teachers and bus drivers with a medley of Christmas chestnuts that included “Feliz Navidad” and “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.”
They held hands as they wished the crowd a Merry Christmas, swaying back and forth.
Gasp! They wore antlers! They jingled bells! THEY WORE SANTA HATS!
As “Jingle Bell Rock” blared across the auditorium, the tots shook bells in and out of synch with the song. Amina Hassan, 3, from Somalia, scrunched her face as she jangled a blue bell in the air.
She’d watched her older sister leave for class last year and cried because she was too young to go. Now she was performing in class shows like her sister.
With a stoic face, she stared out at parents snapping photos with raised cell phones, and shook her chimes until the last note.
The children wore Santa Claus hats that slipped over their eyes. Red balls bulged from their noses. And some girls wore antlers on paper headbands.
Texas Head Start and refugee workers, please accept my apology if this report brings the wrath of the Islamists and the politically correct down upon you.
An after thought: I didn’t research these Head Start programs mentioned in this post, but it came to my attention 3 years ago when researching the refugee resettlement agency,Virginia Council of Churches, that large amounts of some “church” budgets come from the federal government for running Head Start programs. As a matter of fact, Head Start funding made up the greatest portion of the VCC budget at that time.
Update December 20th: Somalis enjoy Christmas party put on by Catholic Charities in Nashville, TN, here. So what is up with those Minnesota Somalis?
Update December 23rd: Minnesota Somalis say Head Start made the decision to cancel Santa and should apologize for placing the blame on one ethnic group–Somalis.