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| Home Front: Culture Wars |
| Declaration of Independence Banned update |
| 2004-12-09 |
| Nearly 3,000 people packed the Flint Center in Cupertino for a live broadcast Wednesday of Fox News' ``Hannity & Colmes'' talk show featuring Stephen J. Williams, the teacher at the center of a reinvigorated debate about the place of religion in public schools. Williams, who teaches fifth grade at Stevens Creek Elementary School in Cupertino, reiterated his position that the handouts he gives students with history lessons are a natural part of U.S. colonial history and that he presents God modestly in his class. ``Some people say I'm trying to teach Christianity all of the time in my class, but 99 percent of what I teach is secular,'' Williams, 38, said on the show. Williams said he is stunned at how the lawsuit he filed against the Cupertino Union School District over restricting his use of religious materials has snowballed. ``I'm blown away at what a hot-button issue this has become,'' he said. ``I think for many people it strikes at the heart of the heritage of this nation. The Founding Fathers were clear that their right came from God. That is in the basic documents.'' Many in the audience seemed to agree with Williams' stance, applauding him during the broadcast. Cupertino is not Berkeley, but is not far from it. This reaction is surprising unless the audience was stacked with supporters, which the reporter would have picked up on. ``I support him,'' said Tom Forese, 30, who works in commercial real estate. ``Most elementary schools are requiring the teaching of Islam, and I agree with that. But it's equally important to teach the Christian view.'' But Kate Froesberg, a 50-year-old parent whose son was in Williams' class last year, said Williams goes overboard in presenting God in the classroom. ``Everyone has been very tolerant of him at school, but there are many complaints,'' she said. ``He's got an agenda. He's overdoing it in trying to make a case for Christianity.'' Williams sued the Cupertino Union School District recently, saying his civil rights were violated when he was told by Stevens Creek Elementary School Principal Patricia Vidmar to refrain from using supplemental teaching materials on colonial history that had religious references. Among Williams' controversial teaching handouts are excerpts with multiple references to God from the U.S. Constitution and from various state constitutions. There also is a handout created by Williams called ``What Great Leaders Have Said About the Bible'' -- quotes from U.S. presidents and Jesus. But the district says it has not banned any historic documents. Williams and his attorney, Jordan Lorence of the Alliance Defense Fund, plan to be interviewed on ``Good Morning America'' this morning. The two have already been on several radio and TV talk shows. The Alliance Defense Fund is a conservative group that supports Christian causes. Joanne Jacobs has a post with several other links on this story as well as comments about the educational value of flatulence, pubic hair and fornication. |
| Posted by:Mrs. Davis |