[lbo-talk] John W. Whitehead: The Right Not To Be Offended: The Supreme Court And Religion

[Joseph Catron]

"Traditionally, the senior members of the woodwind ensemble, the
top-performing instrumental group at Henry M. Jackson High School in
Snohomish County, Wash., select a piece each year to perform during
graduation ceremonies. Having performed Franz Biebl's 'Ave Maria' at a
public concert in 2004, the seniors in the wind ensemble unanimously chose
to perform it again at their graduation ceremony on June 17, 2006, because
they felt its aesthetic beauty and peacefulness would be appropriate for the
tone of the ceremony.

"The student musicians proposed to perform Biebl's piece instrumentally: no
lyrics or words would be sung or said, nor did the senior members intend
that any lyrics would be printed in ceremony programs or otherwise
distributed to members of the audience. However, despite the absence of
lyrics, the school superintendent, Carol Whitehead, refused to allow the
ensemble to perform 'Ave Maria' at their graduation ceremony because she
believed the piece to be religious in nature.

"Ironically, the superintendent reportedly didn't even know that the words
'Ave Maria' are Latin for 'Hail Mary' ..."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-w-whitehead/the-right-not-to-be-offen_b_508513.html

-- 
"Hige sceal þe heardra, heorte þe cenre, mod sceal þe mare, þe ure mægen
lytlað."