BANNED from the classroom: the Declaration of Independence.
Before you do a double-take, let me assure you, it's no mistake. In a recent attempt to remove God from the public square, the document that symbolizes the founding of our nation has been censored in a California classroom.
Principal Patricia Vidmar prohibited Stephen Williams, a Christian fifth-grade teacher at Stevens Creek Elementary School, from distributing excerpts of the Declaration of Independence, writings from some of the founding fathers and other documents such as George W. Bush's 2004 National Day of Prayer proclamation, some of which mentioned religion. The Alliance Defense Fund filed a lawsuit on Williams' behalf two weeks ago in U.S. District Court for infringing on his First Amendment right to teach all aspects of U.S. history.
Williams' impetus for teaching his students about the religious underpinnings of the founding of our nation was a student's inquiry about the significance of "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance last year (which was banned for a time in California, thanks to Michael Newdow). According to Williams, he had a three- to four-minute discussion about this with his students, incorporating current events (Newdow's lawsuit) and the historical background behind the words "under God." The principal received a complaint from a parent, and then later on in the school year she asked to review Williams' lesson plans in advance. William Penn's "The Frame of Government," Samuel Adams' "The Rights of Colonists" and the Declaration of Independence were rejectedby Vidmar because of their "religious content," according to the lawsuit.
The separation of church and state argument in this case is mediocre at best, and the complete absurdity and irrationality of such an occurrence should not be downplayed amid the usual outcry from the ACLU and other organizations. In essence, an outstanding teacher is being subjected to an unreasonable degree of scrutiny because of his own religious beliefs.
As a history and social studies teacher, Williams can't just skip over the part in history about the Declaration of Independence and its significant implications or the views of the founding fathers. Within what framework would you base the rest of U.S. history? That would be doing a disservice to his students and the taxpayers of Cupertino who expect their dollars to educate students with accurate and complete information.
Even the Cupertino Union School District acknowledged this in a press release issued Dec. 7: "The District's entire curriculum is based on the California State Standards... [which] includes the study of America's Founding Fathers and the political, religious, social and economic ideas and beliefs that led to the birth of our great nation." The California Department of Education classifies the course's focus on "the creation of a new nation" as one "founded on the Judeo-Christian heritage..." in its History-Social Science Content Standards for Grade Five.
If the California Department of Education affirms this as a fact, then there should be no problem with Williams educating his students on the nature of this heritage. This is not a valid or logical separation of church and state argument. The state is simply incorporating an indisputable fact -- proven by historical documents, such as the ones Williams attempted to utilize -- into its curriculum, and Williams is adhering to it.
Being a dedicated educator, Williams presented a comprehensive overview of the history of religious references in America's establishment as a nation. He even went the extra mile and gathered primary sources to provide historical background. In a recent Hannity and Colmes interview, Williams stated, "My intent, as I explained to my principal, was to show where the wording from the Declaration of Independence comes from." He wasn't proselytizing or leading his students in prayer. He didn't distribute copies of the Bible or even discuss passages in the Bible (which is even allowed in public schools if it is in a historical or literary context).
Williams is not on a religious crusade to indoctrinate his pupils. In fact, less than 5 percent of his material he passes out to the class mentions God or Christianity, according to the lawsuit his attorneys filed. He has taught lessons on a variety of religions and religious holidays, including Ramadan, Kwanzaa, Diwali, Hanukkah and the Chinese New Year with no complaints. He wasn't allowed to teach about Easter, however, because, the lawsuit states, it's a "Christian religious holiday."
The District maintains that it "has not violated anyone's constitutional rights," although Williams is the only teacher who has to submit his lesson plans in advance, while other teachers also distribute materials with religious content, such as the Declaration of Independence, which was pointed out in the press release from the school district after it received concerns and complaints. The fact that he is a Christian teaching history should have no bearing on his right (and responsibility, as dictated by state law) to teach about historical documents from different perspectives.
Williams is simply attempting to do his job, providing inquisitive students with knowledge they desire to acquire. If only the principal would let him.
Whitney Blake is a Cavalier Daily associate editor. She can be reached at wblake@cavalierdaily.com.
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