Same Old Song

The South Orange/Maplewood Board of Education has banned from their annual holiday concert “controversial” songs like Silent Night, Handel’s Messiah and even Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer among others. These songs are apparently so controversial that even instrumental versions are forbidden by the school district. More here and here.

This inspired outraged WABC Radio co-hosts Curtis Sliwa, the conservative Guardian Angels founder, and outspoken left-wing lawyer Ron Kuby -- two guys who rarely agree on anything -- to poll listeners. Of 3,750 respondents, 93 percent said the ban on carols was "another example of the PC crowd going nuts."

Enlighten-New Jersey thinks Jessica Schneider, as reported by Newsday, has the right take on this kerfuffle:

Jessica Schneider, a 16-year-old who plays in the ensemble band at Columbia High in Maplewood, called the district's Christmas carol ban "kind of silly." She was among a dozen students who formed a group to perform Christmas carols outside in Ricalton Square last weekend.

"Personally, I don't know anyone who objected, and as a student who's part of the school's Jewish population, I would think I would have," Schneider said. "To me, it's just music and it's giving the community something to be happy about it."