California Man Sets Himself, American Flag, Christmas Tree on Fire to Protest Religio

[Logan13]

Dumb-ass!

California Man Sets Himself, American Flag, Christmas Tree on Fire to Protest Religious Names
12/23/06
AP

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — A man used flammable liquid to light himself on fire, apparently to protest a San Joaquin Valley school district's decision to change the names of winter and spring breaks to Christmas and Easter vacation.

The man, who was not immediately identified, on Friday also set fire to a Christmas tree, an American flag and a revolutionary flag replica, said Fire Captain Garth Milam.

Seeing the flames, Sheriff's Deputy Lance Ferguson grabbed a fire extinguisher and ran to the man.

Flames were devouring a Christmas tree next to the Liberty Bell, where public events and demonstrations are common.

Beside the tree the man stood with an American flag draped around his shoulders and a red gas can over his head.

Seeing the deputy, the man poured the liquid over his head. He quickly burst into flames when the fumes from the gas met the flames from the tree.

The deputy ordered the man to drop to the ground as he and a parole agent sprayed him with fire extinguishers.

"The man stood there like this," the deputy said with his arms across his chest and his head bent down, "Saying no, no, no."

The man suffered first degree burns on his shoulders and arms, Milam said.

Kern County Sheriff's Deputy John Leyendecker said the man had a sign that read: "(expletive) the religious establishment and KHSD."

On Thursday, the Kern High School Board of Trustees voted to use the names Christmas and Easter instead of winter and spring breaks

[Snrf]

Damn, he lived..

[biglouie250]

they should have let im cook.

[SMAN12b]

ONLY first degree burns.....someone should have had marshmallows

[3Vandoo]

****ing liberals leftwinger, thanx to these pussies, we are now a pig pussified nation!

christmas is christmas! thats it thats all!!!!!!

you dont like it, go to a third world muslim fascist country like all the whinners

[crash187ct]

wow.....thats crazy....guy seems pretty devout

[Tock]

Ya, that guy was nuts.

But what do you think of the idea of closing the school for religious holidays? Should they give equal time off for every religion? Or should schools close only on Christian holy-days, and never for Jewish/Muslim/Buddist/Hindu/Wiccan holy-days?

Seems to me that if the school board was going to mention one religion's holiday, they're gonna have to mention all of 'em, and do it in a way that is fair and equitable. Or just go with something generic, which is what they already had.

An interesting question might be, "What would Jesus do?"





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http://www.bakersfield.com/102/story/90627.html

Easter, Christmas break it is
High school district approves name change
BY LISA SCHENCKER, Californian staff writer
Thursday, Dec 21 2006 10:05 PM

Kern High School District students will no longer have winter and spring breaks; they'll have Christmas and Easter breaks.

District trustees voted 4-1 Thursday morning to change the names of the breaks to Christmas and Easter breaks. Trustees Ken Mettler, Chad Vegas, Bryan Batey and Joel Heinrichs voted in favor of the name change. Board President Bob Hampton voted against it.

Mettler and Vegas said they voted for the name change to uphold American tradition.

"Christmas is a federal holiday," Mettler said. "It can certainly be recognized at the Kern High School District level."

Batey said he voted in favor of the change for many reasons including because he believes it has wide community support.

Heinrichs said he was torn on the issue and hesitated before voting. He said he ultimately voted in favor of the change so the community could move on to other educational issues.

"It is a reasonable accommodation of tradition and less distracting for students in the long term," Heinrichs said after the vote.

Hampton was the lone board member to vote against the change.

"The spiritual side of students belongs at home and in church," Hampton said shortly before the vote.

The vote followed discussion from trustees and heated comments from more than a dozen community members. Most, including Christians, Jews and people of other faiths, spoke out against the name change.

"There are so many other religious and ethnic groups in Kern County," said Stockdale parent Devinder Singh Bains. "Other religions are just as important."

Temple Beth El Rabbi Cheryl Rosenstein was one of several local Jewish community leaders who spoke. She also submitted a letter to board members before the meeting signed by her and more than 10 other local religious leaders, including the leaders of several Methodist churches, Congregation B'Nai Jacob and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Kern County, among others.

"What is truly 'American' and 'traditional' is the fact that our citizens -- and students -- come from everywhere, and celebrate many different things," the letter said. "Please leave spiritual matters to us in our homes and houses of worship, where they properly belong."

Terri Stanton, the district's former director of instruction, said she felt compelled to speak against the change. She angrily left the board room immediately after the vote.

"I am completely appalled this board would be this cowardly and this narrow-minded," Stanton said. "This was absolutely exclusive and divisive."

Several people who identified themselves as Christians also expressed their disappointment.

"It appalls me to think this group would be so insensitive to the feelings of other religions," said community member Jerry Ludeke.

Only a few audience members stood to speak in favor of the name change, including City Councilwoman Jacquie Sullivan.

"Let's educate our children and let them know this two-week break is because of Christmas," Sullivan said.

She pointed out that Christmas is only a few days away. One audience member whispered quietly that it was already Hanukkah.

Community member Terri Rocha also spoke in favor of the name change.

"I'm for Christmas," Rocha said. "It's a time for everybody. I think the more we chip away and chip away, we're left with fractions and divisions."

After the speakers took their turns, board members had their say.

"I just disagree that Christmas and Easter are irrelevant traditions," Vegas said. He also responded to one audience member's claim that some board members were only in favor of the name change in order to win future votes.

Vegas said it's not fair for others to jump to conclusions about his motives.

"I could jump to the motive that some of you have atheist or secular agendas and are trying to suppress me as a Christian," Vegas said before Hampton called the meeting back to order.

Heinrichs declined to comment during the public discussion several times, and then commented shortly before the vote after saying he wished there was more discussion.

"I'm really very conflicted on this vote," Heinrichs said before pausing for several seconds, voting yes and then falling back into his chair. His vote was met with groans from the audience.

Batey also tried to defer comment but ultimately asked Mettler to clarify how the change would affect the district. Mettler said the district will not destroy or reprint any of its current calendars for the change. He also said students, teachers and principals are still free to call the breaks winter and spring breaks if they so choose.

Batey wrote in a statement that he supported the change for those reasons as well as "wide community support."

He also wrote that his support of the item, which Vegas brought to the attention of the board, "sends a loud and clear message that (Vegas) is part of a five-member board and that he is invited to join the rest of us in improving schools, raising test scores, expanding career education and updating boundaries."

[singern]

The dude, the dude, the dude is on fire.
We dont need no water, let the mother fcker burn.........

Sorry had to do it.

[alphaman]

An interesting question might be, "What would Jesus do?"

You think Jesus would want religious holidays for all religions?

We need to start posting more articles about left-wing idiots like this to counteract your propaganda.

[Tock]

You think Jesus would want religious holidays for all religions?

I'm pretty sure he wouldn't want Christian holidays. He'd be more interested in the way people lived, not so much in the days people observed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sermon_on_the_Mount

We need to start posting more articles about left-wing idiots like this to counteract your propaganda.

And what propaganda might that be?

I would think that public schools would want to keep generic names for things to avoid controversy over which religion's names got to be put on what holiday. If I was running a public school system full of Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Wiccans, Jews, and Atheists, that's what I'd do, especially if any of them showed signs of being anxious to file lawsuits over religion. Seems to me that would be the prudent, and fair, thing to do. Maybe someone else would be willing to favor one religious group over another, and be willing to spend taxpayer's education $$$ on purely religious lawsuits. But not me. IMHO, that $$$ would be better spent on books, and not lawyers.

But, as always, feel free to disagree. It's Christmas . . .

[alphaman]

I'm pretty sure he wouldn't want Christian holidays. He'd be more interested in the way people lived, not so much in the days people observed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sermon_on_the_Mount






And what propaganda might that be?

I would think that public schools would want to keep generic names for things to avoid controversy over which religion's names got to be put on what holiday. If I was running a public school system full of Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Wiccans, Jews, and Atheists, that's what I'd do, especially if any of them showed signs of being anxious to file lawsuits over religion. Seems to me that would be the prudent, and fair, thing to do. Maybe someone else would be willing to favor one religious group over another, and be willing to spend taxpayer's education $$$ on purely religious lawsuits. But not me. IMHO, that $$$ would be better spent on books, and not lawyers.

But, as always, feel free to disagree. It's Christmas . . .

You're full of it Tock. I know you thought of becoming a Pastor -- it is also common for such people to consider a career in politics as well. Would you happen to fall under that demographic too?

[Tock]

You're full of it Tock. I know you thought of becoming a Pastor -- it is also common for such people to consider a career in politics as well. Would you happen to fall under that demographic too?

Perhaps.