Rantz: Elementary school cancels ‘exclusionary’ Halloween, won’t answer basic questions

A Seattle-area elementary school again canceled Halloween celebrations. The principal called it “exclusionary” because not everyone celebrates the holiday.

After torturing children with absurd and unscientific COVID protocols, like socially-distanced lunch outside on the pavement, you’d think Principal John Simard of Brookside Elementary in Shoreline would want kids to have fun. No such luck. He emailed parents to explain that while some children may be looking forward to Halloween, he cannot allow any celebrations.

Wokeness killed another holiday celebration where kids could have fun. This move should be condemned, not celebrated as inclusive.

Rantz: Seattle school cancels Halloween over ‘equity,’ says Black kids don’t celebrate

School pretends Halloween is exclusionary

There are some students that do not celebrate Halloween. And if they don’t celebrate, then no one can, the principal says.

“Many see Halloween as a fun candy-filled holiday,” Simard writes. “They enjoy the community-building benefits that a shared experience can bring. This may be true for you and your family; I can certainly say it is for mine. However, this is not the case for all. Halloween celebrations are exclusionary for students who come from certain cultural or religious backgrounds.”

Simard does not explain which cultural or religious backgrounds preclude the celebration of a secular holiday. He also doesn’t explain why “Crazy Hat Day,” where students wear crazy hats as they would costumes, is permissible. And although not every student celebrates Thanksgiving, Simard isn’t canceling that holiday’s week-long beak.

The principal also says he wants “this to be a place for all of our students and families.” But by banning Halloween, he’s expressly stating the school is not a place for students and families who celebrate Halloween.

Taking time out of an instructional day? No way!

Simard notes that some families have opted out of celebrating Halloween in previous years. He complains they shouldn’t have to do that. Parents must opt out of age-inappropriate and politically motivated sexual education classes, but opting out of Halloween is one step too far.

“As a public school, should we be hosting events during the instructional day that exclude students? No, we should not. We want this to be a place for all of our students and families,” Simard writes.

Crazy Hat Day is celebrated during instruction day. So is Sports Day, an obviously abelist holiday that makes some children feel left out.

Neither the district spokesperson nor the principal responded to multiple requests for comment. But one parent, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH that he and his family are sick of the politically-motivated double standards.

“Birthdays are celebrated, there are cultural heritage months, Black Lives Matter curriculum and flags, pride celebration, along with all of the other religious holidays that are acknowledged,” the dad said. “Why is Halloween canceled? The school also has other days where dressing up silly, or in colors or in pajamas, is encouraged. I see zero difference in letting kids dress up in costumes.”

The dad called this “unfortunate.”

“Halloween is celebrated in many countries and throughout many cultures across the world,” he continued. “Why are the traditions of the majority being canceled by a few people protecting those that choose not to celebrate? Who is it hurting? And if they are hurting from kids dressing up in costumes, they have bigger issues to deal with personally. Who cares if you don’t celebrate something? Let the ones that celebrate have a good time! No one is forcing them to participate. It’s also ok to adopt new cultural celebrations and the traditions of the country you live in, America.”

Rantz: Elementary principal allegedly pushed erotic fiction, said he’s a ‘lover of smut,’ recorded smoking weed

Why do liberals hate everything?

Liberals are miserable. The only thing that appears to bring them joy is making everyone else as miserable as they are. Exclusionary? There isn’t a singular celebration, event, extracurricular, or sports team that isn’t “exclusionary.” Yet, the school allows those activities.

Not all students are capable of playing an instrument. Some families can’t afford it. Yet, does the school cancel the orchestra? No. They celebrate it. And not everyone has athletic skills or feels comfortable performing in public. So why does the school promote volleyball, soccer, hockey, and golf? In fact, golf is supposedly white supremacy in action — wouldn’t this exclude (and offend) black students?

You can make a number of silly arguments to claim anything is exclusionary. So why do they get rid of Halloween? It has everything to do with the destructive “equity” movement, which brings nothing but anger and division.

Left-wing educators have moved to cancel Halloween nationwide because they note that some students can’t afford nice costumes (or any at all). This is undoubtedly true. Perhaps, rather than using a low-income family to justify canceling a fun celebration, you could get creative, encourage costume donations, or offer alternative programming for the day. But heaven forbid we let kids have fun — a concept that I’m sure some educators will claim is white supremacy culture.

“It’s a truly sad example of what our society has turned into,” the Shoreline dad explained. “The need to cancel everything someone doesn’t like has become the breaking point of the fabric of our country. Cancel culture is just another form of censorship. Censorship is control. I can’t even fathom the fact that I have to write a reporter so my kid and his friends can dress up in their costumes for Halloween. It’s truly upsetting.”

Listen to the Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast. Follow @JasonRantz on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Check back frequently for more news and analysis.

Follow @https://twitter.com/jasonrantz