Silencing Night
A staff member of the city of Riverside, California ordered a high school choir to stop singing Christmas carols at a city-owned skating rink. The rink was hosting an appearance by Olympic medalist Sasha Cohen and the employee ordered the choir to stop singing out of fear of offending Cohen, who is Jewish. Cohen did not make any request for the music to be stopped. But the city employee brought along a police officer to enforce the silencing of the choir.
A city staff member, accompanied by a police officer, approached the Rubidoux High School Madrigals at the Riverside Outdoor Ice Skating Rink just as they launched into "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman" and requested that the troupe stop singing, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reported Thursday.
Cohen, the 2006 Olympic silver medalist and 2006 U.S. National Champion, had just finished her performance at the rink on the downtown pedestrian mall, and was signing autographs.
Choir director Staci Della-Rocco said she complied with the request "because a policeman told me to stop. I didn't want to have a big old huge scene in front of my kids," according to the newspaper.
The city staff member, special-events employee Michelle Baldwin, could not be reached for comment. City Development Director Belinda J. Graham confirmed the incident.
Again, Cohen made no request for the group to stop. This was all done on the initiative of Michelle "Scrooge" Baldwin, apparently. Merry Politically Correct, Non-Denominational Celebratory Day, Unless That Offends You Too, In Which Case, Never Mind™.
PC Run Amok | Gaius Friday, 15 December , 2006
Other Links to this Post
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Stop The ACLU — Friday, 15 December , 2006 @ 6:03 pm
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Right Voices » Blog Archive » Saturday Links — Saturday, 16 December , 2006 @ 8:56 am
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Blue Crab Boulevard » Tidings Of Comfort And Joy. And Lawyers. — Sunday, 17 December , 2006 @ 6:54 am
By bernie, Friday, 15 December , 2006 @ 10:12 pm
This is what is taught in colleges today: no offensive speech. We are graduating idiots and cowards, that is to say, liberals. Oh, I’m sorry, did I just offend someone?
By Gaius, Friday, 15 December , 2006 @ 10:15 pm
You’re breathing. Someone will object, trust me!
By darwin, Saturday, 16 December , 2006 @ 7:20 am
“This is what is taught in colleges today: no offensive speech.”
I think it’s more like no free speech for anyone that dares mention anything remotely associated with religion, conservatism or just plain common sense.
The choir director should have stood her ground and calmly but firmly stated that unless the city staffer could produce proof that they were violating a law or city ordinance, they will continue to sing.