Your KIDDING , RIGHT????????

Im so disgusted that we are taking away the holidays that we have celebrated for decades in our schools so we don't offend anyone. Really what other country would do this None. When are we going to stop the nonsense.

Just like most other things in this country, the groups in the minority are dictating what the majority of people can or can't do. This PC BS is getting out of hand.

This is crap.it's an American!!!! Holiday. If foreign people don't like it go back to your third world country. And get over your sucky religion

The excuse of the absentee rate is absolutely false. I am offended that the school district doesn't celebrate Halloween. What about me? I want to know specifically what religious group is offended. Is it the Mormans? Absolutely not. The politically correct never consider the Christians so WHO is it?

Please don't tell me that the School Superintendent really said that the nine percent absentee rate on Halloween was almost double the usual rate of four percent.

Is this school board up for re-election?

When was the vote? Who vioted for and who against and where are the minutes...anyone got a link to that info?

Thank goodness. There is no reason to celebrate Halloween at school. There's trick or treating for that. A fall festival could be combined with an educational activity. Where is the educational value in Halloween?

This is just ridicules. Let the kids be kids for a day. Micromanaging children's lives does not make for a good learning environment. I never heard of anyone being "offended". This is the kind of story that we make fun of when we hear about it in other parts of the country.

WOW! What a disgrace!

I say we clean house of the School Board and the Superintendent as well! Children look forward to this celebration every year. You are constantly staking this away for the kids because of fearing for others beliefs. I am sure glad I do not have any children in the Phoenixville School District right now or I would be calling the Super ever day and letting him know that you are violating those childrens rights to dress up and be the super hero they want to be for a day! Shame on the Super and the School board for making this ludicrous decision. Lets clean house and start over fresh!

I would be interested to see what the absentee rate is this yr. I think some parents don't want their kids wearing nice costumes to school so they may keep them home as well because they don't want them to feel left out. Our school stopped it but we have a costume party instead so the parents can come as well. Iris for the younger grade. On the other hand maybe some just can't afford to buy costumes ? Or just don't celebrate it, possibly a foreign person, but who knows. It is sad today that many business have to be so PC.

This comes from a school board that states 9% is almost double the usual 4% absentee rate. Perhaps the board should not be making decisions!

The same reason they banned Christmas and Easter. They are great at raising our property taxes, but not much good for anything else.

I think it is a disgrace that our traditions are being taken away to satisfy customs of other countries. If you don't like it, leave. I don't think other countries change their traditions to satisfy immigrants coming into their country.

Absolutely moronic decision - pandering to the PC crowd - living an "I'm offended"-free life is neither a civil nor a human right - please, get over yourselves.

Happy Halloween! Merry Christmas! In God We Trust! One nation, under God!

First and foremost, if absenteeism is up 5% isn't it the school district's business to do something about that? The "parties" only took up a small portion of the day, there were still classes happening the rest of the day. It is very disruptive to have a high number of children missing when you are trying to teach your lesson plans.
And secondly, the parents who I knew that kept there children home were Christians, not some minority.

sorry their children.

The only way to change it is to show up at school board meetings, this is ridiculous

Looks like the School Board is preparing our children for their futures. You know, go to work, have a job that is just a job, with nothing fun to look forward to. The kids do get to spend days taking tests though. Lots of parents complain about so much time being taken away from the kids for "testing", but they don't take drastic measures to decrease "testing marathons". Oh, and how about the substandard cafeteria food. LOTS of complaints about that! They get fruit that is spoiled, bread that is moldy, etc. Haven't seen any movement on getting a better food service. But hey, lets spend our time taking away the fun stuff because thats like pushing the EASY button!

Sadly, the full board won't be meeting until after th 31st, but I say all parents and students come together to insist on a Special Board Metting and community conversation, I'd like to hear from families that think that Halloween at school was not a good thing and why.

I'd also like to hear from the families who kept their children home and why.

Then I'd like to hear what effort was made by the district to contact parents and involve them in this decision. I get phone calls and emails all the time, nothing on this.

And I promise. My daughter will be wearing her costume on the 31st.

I didn't know religious nuts ran the school district, but I do now. Will J. Scott Smiley burn in hell for assisting the Halloween Candy Drive for PACS? The ones to blame are the Board of School Directors and the Superintendent of Schools. I wonder if the crackpot parents who complained about Halloween being a Wiccan festival are the same ones with the kids scoring Below Basic or Basic in the AYP.

Su Gould- your husband is on the school board if I'm not mistaken. Please let us know who made this decision and which members voted against the costumes and parade. I'm not even sure if this was a board decision or from Fegley. I don't want to jump to conclusions without knowing the facts. Your input would be greatly appreciated!

It was a pagan rite a few hundred years ago. Now it is just a day/week for children, of all ages, to have fun. Obviously the adults who oppose this are unsure of how to have any fun.

Utterly Ridiculous

Ridiculous,whats next????

Four open seats, but less open minds!

Ridiculous! Simply ridiculous...

In Phoenixville, every day is Halloween. Next year, vote out the board members who went along with this nonsense.

Don't like American tradition. Leave the country. Stop imposing your beliefs on us.

Thanks Nancy, I am considering it. I have attended the last few School Board Finance Meetings, and for the last two years attended Borough Council & was on Parks & Rec.

We have issues with both groups not reaching out to our community regarding issues and votes.

I am working on starting a monthly community discussion group, "What Matters Most" and after the election hope to host this on the last Sunday of every month, not sure where yet, but looking for a location.

We need to talk about what is important, and who we want to run for school board and council who will make are real effort to involve more in decisions, not make them in a vacumn.

Political correctness at its worst. When did Halloween become a religious holiday. As a kid, growing up in Philly, it was a time to dress up, trick or treat & enjoy the season. How many years ago was it a Pagan holiday, not in anyones lifetime who is alive today. What are you cowards, on the school board, going to take away next? What special interest group backed you down on this?

This is ridiculous! I for one very much dislike Halloween but I do NOT agree with the districts decision to ban it in the schools. Let the kids be kids!!! Stop taking things away that made this country great!

So let me understand this -- PASD is cowtowing to parents who are forcing their kids to be truant? Why doesn't PASD follow the Student Handbook or modify it for this situation instead of cowtowing to religious nuts?

Unauthorized Absences/Truancy
When a student is absent from school without authorization:
• 1st offense – Warning (Student Conference)
• 2nd offense – Administrative Detention.
• 3rd offense – Extended Detention; students of compulsory school age will
receive a letter of first notice which indicates the next unexcused absence will
warrant the initiation of legal proceedings.*
• 4th offense – Saturday Detention (parent/guardian will be notified by mail.)
• 5th offense ISS
• Continued absences beyond the sixth (6th), unexcused absences will result in
administrative conference and disciplinary action at the administrator’s
discretion.
*If the student is under seventeen (17) years of age, each day of truancy
(unlawful absence) is calculated towards the three day count for unlawful
absences. Upon reaching a third truancy, a Notice of Truancy will be sent to the parents/guardians of the student. Once parents have been sent a Notice of
Truancy and another unlawful absence occurs at least 4 days after the receipt
of the notice; a citation will be issued for truancy. This may result in a fine up
to $300.00 plus court costs. Policy 204 Title 22 Sec 12.1

it ridiculous the who do not like sould move to another country any stop with the religious out of it i wish i still live phoenixville i would run for shcool board in stand of it getting better it gettin bad down in pville so and it for the kids stop takeing from them

All Hallows Eve is also a Christian holiday

I love discussions like this. It lets me know who the bigots are once they start spouting off ignorantly assuming its "foreigners" who caused this decision.

JK, yes my husband is on the school board, sorry this is not something we discussed at home. I went to the Pottstown Mercury site and searched Phoenixville Halloween to find the story the Patch took from. It sounds as though the principals from the elem schools approached Dr Fegley and asked to change the tradition to help keep absenteeism down. As a past Schuylkill Elem. parent I know our children did not wear costumes to school. In 2001 when my daughter started 1st grade the art teacher took on a huge project of each student making a themed paper bag mask, and there was a parade. Never were the students allowed to wear costumes. My last child left that school 4 years ago and there still were no costumes. It sounds like the only difference for that school is the crafts and games will be fall themed (most were already). I don't have any idea what the other elementary schools did for their parties.

This is a damn shame....then you wonder why we have kids acting out...let these kids use their imagination, let them be creative stop forcing adults. Beliefs on them...You teach you don't take away...I am not jewish, but know and respect Haunaka..I am not african american, but know about and respect kwanza...stop this political correctness stuff already! Its getting so freaking out of hand!!!! If parents keep their kids home on the day of the party, then its not considered a legal absence now is it? Just stop it already...let the children be children for GOD'S SAKE!!!

A small group of the religious nuts actually believe that the Trick-or-Treat For UNICEF program (born in Pennsylvania 62 years ago) is part of some conspiracy to cede our sovereign power to the United Nations. I heard that last week, I kid you not.

http://youth.unicefusa.org/trickortreat/About/trick-or-treat-for-unicef-history.html

Your taxes pay Dr. Fegley's salary so call him up and tell him what's on your mind. 484-927-5010. If enough people call him, maybe he'll change his mind. Beefing on here doesn't really accomplish much. Next Wednesday is Halloween. If your kid loves it, send them in their costume.

Sad. It is a holiday tradition based in the UK. It was tons of fun for me coming up as a young person (eons ago). Celebrations were combined with art. Kids had fun. UNICEF was always part of the "Civics/Social Studies". The district were I have been employed for 28 years caved to a vociferous few who claimed that the celebration in its present form it is "Satanic Worship".

Lisa, nothing to do with this article, but I have seen some pretty offensive Halloween costumes. Not all children dress up as fairy princesses and superman.

The Superintendent says, "We're coninuing the tradition." Which tradition -- the one set by Seattle's Lafayette Elementary School? To children, Halloween is a favorite holiday. It is not based on "religion." In fact, it's a pagan holiday that draws criticism from certain Christain groups. Having a Halloween Parade in the school hallways or on the school grounds for an hour in the afternoon does not distract from the learning process. Children change into their costumes only then; they do not wear their costumes all day in the respective classrooms. In fact, it just might be a perk to those who otherwise have reluctance for coming to school. Absenteeism nearly doubles on Halloween? That's not enough reason to ban a favorite "tradition" for youngsters, as well as for grown ups who would "have fun" in disguise in school.

And that is another valid point Su, and if that is the reason, that is entirely different from the stated reason in this article.

What a stupid decision...

My question has to do with how decisions are made. This may or may not end up being the "best" decision, but I would like to understand why and how it was made, not simply be presented with a decision with no community input.

I agree with Lias Longo's remarks. She pointed out that there are Spirit Days, PJ days, dress up days (and dress down days, too, I suppose) throughout the school year. To me, those days can be far more more distracting for the course of the day because those who comply wear those clothes ALL DAY, not just for an hour in the afternoon on/the day before Halloween. PASD, kindly reconsider this unnecessary decision. Try involving the parents in such decision-making.

I am extremely sorry to hear this. Halloween is one of the few opportunities that young people have for imagining and 'being whatever they want to be,' where they can use their creativity (costumes), and try on different personas and roles. Halloween is a time for imagination and limitless possibility, which I certainly hope is still being fostered in our schools, especially since, according to Albert Einstein, "Imagination is more important than knowledge."

Owen J Roberts and Great Valley have these festivities. Phoenixville is becoming too PC. Will Dr. Alan Fegley have the kids walk in uniform with there right hand held high next? The PASD masked the two last Jewish holidays with Act 80 days. I think I'll send our children to school in a Halloween outfit anyway this year. It's our religious decision.

Since the kids are also off the other holidays, Good Friday, Christmas, I think it is a good thing to acknowledge and respect the Holy days of other religions, we celebrate a variety of holidays, and I have always been impressed by the inclusivness of the PASD. I think this debate may have been happening behind closed doors, with calls and emails to the district, and if that is the case I hope Dr. Fegley will respond with a clarifying statement.

Honestly, the problem is too few of us, and I include myself, show up at meetings. I have yet to get to a Parent/Principal forum, or full school board meeting, and until we all start showing up, decisions like this will be made without our input.

Link to calendar, I'll be trying to attend the next full board meeting, but still think we need to call for a special meeting to discuss this decision and to understand how and why it was made.
http://www.pasd.com/Page/2

Does this mean our beloved Phoenixville Halloween Parade is at risk of being turned into a "Fall Festival Parade?" UGH.
If you don't want your children to participate in Halloween festivities, keep them home. Why do the officials always panic and cave in to the those few squeaky (fun police) wheels? What ever happened to "majority rules?"

My child went to Barkley for 5 years and they never had a Halloween parade. They had fall festivals and dress as your favorite musician day. Despite the harsh wording of the headline, this is not new to PASD. I didn't like the decision, but we made the best of it.

Link to list of school board members and their email addresses, I have emailed two members and asked how we call for a special meeting to discuss this and to learn how and why the decision was made. I need more info so I can understand.

http://www.pasd.com/domain/12

The article in the Mercury that Su mentioned has a lot more information, esp concerning the number of kids kept home by parents because they "are not allowed to celebrate Halloween." It also mentions the inappropriate and violent costumes that some kids chose to wear.

http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20121020/NEWS01/121029934/phoenixville-elementary-students-will-celebrate-fall-festival-instead-of-halloween&pager=full_story

^^P-ville resident forever: What is wrong with scheduling the Act 80 days to coincide with the Jewish holidays? That allows Jewish kids to observe their holidays without missing school. Christian kids already get Easter and Christmas off, remember?

Contact info for Dr. Fegley

http://www.pasd.com/page/45

To Richard H.,
By your interpreting my use of the term "mixed marriage" to mean "race" related perhaps is an indication of your biased racial attitudes, not mine.
All of my comments were referring to "PC" (politically correct) postures, and not anything to do with race.
Calling me a bigot demonstrates your stupidity and lack of civility.
Based upon your own comments, I believe I can correctly call you a jackass!
BTW, I'm voting for Romney/Ryan. Not because I'm bigoted, but because they are the best choice to get our country straightened out. Try to have a nice day!

PS - It is amazing that this issue draws so much public comment. The Patch and Mercury print so many other articles about the good things Phoenixville schools are doing.

Phoenixville has been rated highly in local and national publications, our AP scores are well above state averages, we send kids to college all over the United States, from local community colleges to the Ivy League. There are a lot of good things going on here.

For many years now....Barkley School hasn't had a Halloween Parade (where the kids dress in costumes and parade around the school). They turned it into a fall festival with fun games and healthy treats for the kids. The kids could dress up as 'farmers' (wear straw hats, overalls, flannel shirts etc...).

Parents should gather together if you all feel so strongly about this and form a peaceful protest in front of the school admin offices. Its still your constitutional right to do so. I no longer live in the area but I surely would have joined in, todays kids face enough and are forced to grow up toooo fast. Let them be kids for just a little longer, even if it is designing their own masks in art class so each child has a costume...or did they do away with art classes already? I feel so sad for todays youth...so sad!

This has been a pretty good discussion this morning. Mostly. It really points out how as parents and taxpayers, we need to be more involved. I'm as guilty as the next person of not paying enough attention to the board meetings and the like. Whether you watch it on TV or in person it is important to stay informed. Personally, I am going to make a better effort to stay in tune.

Statistics show that Halloween is getting more and more popular every year, so now Phoenixville will bow to a few overly-sensitive individuals who have opposing opinions and expect everyone else to feel the same way they do. And every time one entity knuckles under, it's not long until the next ridiculous demand is made. Please reconsider, PASD. Ask ALL of us how we feel on this subject and let the majority rule. We live in a democracy, after all. Right?

Thank you Stephanie for chiming in. I really didn't know what the other Elementary schools were doing, anyone from E. Pikeland care to comment about the history there? So it doesn't sound like this really is an issue. Sounds like the principals made this decision years ago.
Get your costumes out and go door to door, and I hope none of your little ones missed the fun parade that went down (up) Main Street last week.There is still Halloween out there :)

EASBSN - the dress like the opposite gender day had nothing to do with Gay Pride! It was one of the homecoming week spirit days and there were 2 themes to choose from each day. Kids also dressed like their favorite teacher, sports team member, retro, etc etc. It was just a way to add a little spirit to the week.

By the way, they also played the traditional powder puff football game. Girls were players and boys were cheerleaders - also not affiliated with gay pride, as far as I know!

To Richard H.
Surprise! I agree with your comment re: "religious zealots" and that the Halloween cancellation decision was "stupid". Perhaps you're not a jackass after all.
Thanks for the heads-up about my initial comment disappearing. I did not remove it.
Who did??

After reading the article in the Mercury, one issue brought up had to do with socio-economic and "play weapons".

First, if the "competition" was the problem, why not stop the competition? And rules are rules, no weapons, even play weapons, I can support that.

I don't remember ever celebrating Halloween, or for that matter, any other holiday in school as a child. School was for academics, not parties.
When My oldest started school, she went to Renaissance. There, they asked us to choose storybook characters and dress the children up as then as opposed to commercial/store-bought costumes. i went to the trouble of making my daughter's costume only to find that she was the only one not wearing a store-bought costume. When my second transferred to Schuylkill in fourth grade, I was very happy to find that they made masks instead of having costumes. It puts a lot of pressure on the kids and parents to have really great costumes when they wear them to school. The only time we were ever allowed to dress up in the school district I grew up in was for "Senior Dress Up Day". While we love Halloween and have had some really fun and scary Halloween Haunted houses and parties at our house, I don't know if it's necessary to celebrate it at school. I think it would have been nice to ask the parents, perhaps that should have been done. I personally, couldn't have my son wear his costume to school. It won't fit through the door and would be destroyed by the time he left school. It seems as though a lot of people are up in arms. I guess it's time to call an emergency meeting of the school board.

Wow, 119 comments and counting thus far. The story regarding Dr. C only has a few so far.
I think the real issue reflected here is not necessarily strictly about the Halloween festivities as much as it is on what the administration's priorities. "Banning" Halloween is EASY, it's not messy, so they'd think. I wish they'd leave long standing traditions alone and face down more difficult issues, like cafeteria food and the like.
There are and soon will be far larger problems to deal with than this issue. Can we not let kids be kids. And don't give me "distractions" as an out. The biggest, most useless distraction of all is the state testing. Talk about something that does our students absolutely no good at all.

TBT, I have read all the opinions and they are all over the place. For any issue to have been put to a vote there had to be a time when this issue was born. My though is WHO -individual or group- pumped life into such a silly issue causing a statistical analysis study and controversy that, until now, I have only read in these blogs in response to this article. I have always recognized "some traditions require transition" in today's society. Given the "unpopular" reaction expected by our school board these types of issues concerning traditions should be discussed looonnnnnngggg before a decision is expected. Our school board after citing a statistical analysis should have compared the absentee issue to a prior change in tradition or policy that supports the boards position. Where does it end? Someone will soon take issue with the mythical bird the Phoenix claiming that the bird and the idea of rebirth does not represent any bird or belief identified in their particular culture or religion

I emailed two Board members. This was not a Board decision but seems to have been made by Dr. Fegley based upon discussion with the school Principals.

We can request a meeting with Dr. Fegley to hear why and how this decision was made. This is why we all need to go to Board meetings.

TBT, any decision made by Dr. Fegley, specifically surrounding issues that can expect to stir immediate public reaction, are embraced by our school board whether they support, over rule, or take no position on his decisions. All three are a response and fall directly on their computer they stare at during the televised SB meetings.

I could write a full page commentary on this story but what would would be the point? This is total nonsense and a pure overreaction. If the school district wanted to wake up the silent majority I believe it has done so. The school board needs to re-think this decision on Halloween, because to believe it has anything to do with Religious Connotations is absurd! Sincerely, Richard J. Devaney

Such a shame for the kids. It's ridiculous. Halloween is a community event that is one of the few holidays that actually promotes neighbors & neighborhoods interacting with each other and opening your doors to the entire borough regardless of religion, political affiliation or race.

If anyone is interested in running for school board (Democrat or Republican) in 2013 feel free to contact me. Ideally send me an email after November 6th. Thanks

Brian Peppel
Chairman, Phoenixville Republican Committee
brian@peppel.com

Are you,superintendent, the reason my school taxes are so high??? I ask this because I can see you are not worth one damn dime of my money. You are bowing to a few uneducated people to take away what little fun kids have left in their lives. Halloween is a pagan custom and has become an American way of allowing children to legally terrorize a neighborhood in search of treats!!! Joan Kalavik

Dr, Fegley and the board are hipocrites. Now, take Dr Fegley.... He allows a (couple years back) two vulgar comedians to come into the middle school and make insensitive raciast jokes. YES YOU DID DR. FEGLEY! Your were even there. These two comedians were making bucks and so was a sports team. THAT WAS OK FOR FEGLEY. They talked about all types of minorities, indian jokes, you name it. Nothing done about that.

Now little kids can't trick or treat. How about we look a little deeper into whats going on. Whats up with TROY? Are we spending any time going through his old computer? What up with Craig? Can we help him with that AMEX situation? Whats up with Colin? Where did he did he get the idea that chuckin' out ballots was a kosher thing to do?

Fegley needs to answer for a few things. The board? They get all the information and d nothing.

A Phoenixville Patch blogger weighs in with some thoughts on the Halloween-pocalypse http://phoenixville.patch.com/blog_posts/i-shall-run-with-scissors

I bet Patch is giving you a gold star for getting all of these comments, eh Tom? Nothing like throwing a little bait to the fish.

A television news crew recorded a segment today, just before noon, outside of Schuylkill Elementary. Female reporter, blonde hair. My hubby and I decided not send our two lovely girls to K though 9th in Phoenixville. PASD just doesn't cut the mustard. I never expected to make such a decision, as my side of the family is 80% elementary school teachers, three public and one private.

This is really no big deal. I have two kids at Barkley and for Halloween the past few years that just had a theme to dress up as. It wasn't like they could come in any costume they chose, and frankly it was a pain to put together another costume just because of the theme, and probably a financial hardship for some families. I love the Fall Festival idea, sounds perfectly fun and appropriate at school. Kids will have plenty of time to dress up and trick or treat that night. When I told me kids they could not have cared less. Mainly they enjoy the class party.

I swear some of you people don't even have children and just like to complain about schools because your tax dollars go towards it, but really don't think things through.

Ooo Jamie you're 1 for 2. I do have kids in PASD but I do love to complain, I love it so much that I wake up everyday just whining my head off. It's just one of my few pleasures in life. Thanks for thinking of me. I'm ever so glad that you don't like complaining " frankly it was a pain to put together another costume just because of the theme".

It's not so much complaining as it is making observations.

If the town is so concerned about the religious aspects of Halloween, why do we have a pagan-themed bon-fire in December?

We are doing a survey on our Phoenixville Group Page on this subject. Join our group and be part of the survey... https://www.facebook.com/groups/2242169606/10151105821959607/?comment_id=10151105847349607&notif_t=group_comment_reply

I just hope hope the PASD reed heads remember to put their hip boots on every morning. I am still not over how celebrating Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Memorial Day, July 4th, et,al. just totally ruined my childhood and left me totally bereft of my self esteem as an adult!! PASD officials spend entirely too much time in the staff coffee room and not nearly enough time outside. The lack of oxygen has that effect.

I have grown up in this town and watched so many things change some for the good and some for the better. When my daughter started Schuylkill 3 yrs ago, I found out then that they were not allowed to bring in their Halloween Costumes. Frankly, I was thrilled with that idea. What they do is work on masks in art class OR they have the choice to come in an outfit "handmade" of their heritage.
Now this year they are not allowed to do any of it. Why do we feel we need to change what has been for as long as I can remember and even further back. This is just not fair to cancel Halloween altogether. Why can't we just have "themed" parties?
Honestly, though how many kids are really going to be SO upset they can't wear their costumes into school? It sounds like 2 out of the 4 public schools in Phoenixville already stopped letting you bring costumes in for some time now.

I was told that Fox News is covering this topic at 5pm, if anyone is free to tune in.

Halloween is Halloween....But let's not forget something here..they are still having the celebration...what it is being called will be different..."Phoenixville Area School District’s elementary school students will celebrate a “fall festival,” No matter what it is called...people gather with their children to have fun!

I'm not sure why everyone is so upset. The elementary schools have not had costumes for several years. (It started when my now 21 year old was there). They did animal mask or author/book mask and then they had a party. They are still having a celebration. The kids will trick or treat at home and Phoenixville does have the Halloween Parade every year. I'm not a fan of Halloween anyway because it means I have to walk around in the cold weather! :) But this is really nothing new for the Elementary Schools. I think this might be a good time to show our kids how to adapt to something different and have fun with it. They will still have Halloween. I've spoken to my 3 that are in school and it seems that the parents are more upset than the kids are about the situation. Again just my opinion!

East Pikeland has a Halloween Parade where all the children dress up and walk around outside the school. The parents are invited to attend and it is a very nice way to bring the community together. Dr. Fegley's letter to the parents cited conformity at all the schools and not having some children feel left out as the reasons for this change. It's funny that there was no mention of the absentee argument. There are no individuals only the collective. How about the k-kids figure out a solution to this problem? What a great way to teach critical thinking!

Fox News had a story on it. All the parents they interviewed on camera didn't like it. They didn't have any anti-Halloween bible thumpers. Another local news will have it too, I just didn't get the station name off the truck when we drove past Schuylkill Elementary.

It's contagious!

http://www.wcsh6.com/news/watercooler/article/218933/108/Halloween-celebration-canceled-in-Illinois-school-district

Paul, I don't believe that the school district used the word "banned" That was the press. My girls tell me that this change does not apply to the high school (not sure about the middle school). The high schoolers are allowed to dress up, as long as they do not cover their faces.

As an American, I think it's silly to make this an issue of "rights" and as a Christian, I think it's silly to make this an issue of "religion". In our current culture Halloween is a fun holiday to dress up and get candy with no religious overtones. Historically it was a religious observance (by the way Jan is only half correct about the history) but it eventual became hodgepodge of different beliefs. I think people are a little to tightly wound on both ends of this thing. I personally think it's silly to simply call it something else - I don't think that would change the fact that parents let their kids skip school for Halloween. I am indifferent to the "right to wear a costume to school for Halloween." We must choose our battles - and this is certainly not a hill to die on!!!

Why did they even say anything about this..GET RID OF THE WHOLE SCHOOL BOARD...WHO COMPLAIN,, AND SOMEONE DID... A SINNER I BET .... SOME WACKO,, WHO DONT WANT KIDS TO BE KIDS? THERE IS NO SANTA I BET THEY TOLD THEIR KIDS..... OH IS THERE SANTA IN SCHOOL THESE DAYS?????? IF THERE IS I BET THEY WILL WITCH ABOUT HIM... THIS IS UNREAL....... MOVE BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM.. AND WITCH THERE..

At Schuylkill, we have have halloween (without halloween costumes but with art project assignments), a winter holiday party (which is what it has been called for years), and a Valentine's day party. Not sure why Valentine's gets to stay while Halloween has to go. Perhaps that will be another article for February. But, to be honest, the kids would tell you that it does not matter to them what the holiday/excuse/reason is that they get to have a party. They simply love that they get to have a party. Special treats, special games, special crafts, and 45 minutes excused from lesson time. The way I see it, the only difference this change brings about is a good one - without the parade (which at Schuylkill was a snails-paced traffic jam of kids standing around barely able to get in and out of the building and in which parents could barely see their kids) they actually have time to do the fun stuff the parents spend weeks thinking up for them and to be social with their classmates.

This is why I send my kids to catholic school. I could not stand these types of decisions. I agree with the majority...Halloween is for the kids and should be on. If my kids went to pasd i would send them to school in their Halloween costumes next week.

For all those offended that Halloween has been taken away from their children that enjoy dressing up for this occasion, should quadruple the absentee % by letting their children stay home that day! Maybe dress up and have their own parade at Reeves Park.

Call it PC if you want to, but nationally, most of the so-called "religious objections" to Halloween come from evangelical or born-again Christians (26% of evangelical or born-again Christians say they have a religious objection against Halloween, 1% of the population at large says the same).

Link: http://www.gallup.com/poll/25282/roughly-americans-religious-objections-halloween.aspx

~ Phoenixville Area School District Bans Halloween Survey ~
Folks we took our own survey on our Phoenixville Facebook Group on this story posted in Phoenixville Patch. Come on over and take a peek at the results...
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2242169606/

Well, it's too late now for this year, but the Phoenixville Band has already participated in marching in the annual Phoenixville HALLOWEEN PARADE. Maybe they won't be aloud to do it in 2013. What a shame!

Why not just get rid of the government schools and give everyone a voucher to go wherever they want to?

I always thought Halloween was dressing in funny costumes and going around and getting candy. What is religious about that? If you don't like Halloween don't send your kids to school with costumes. Maybe the school could have a room where all these kids from looser families can sit and think about something else.

Diversity? hahahha All men are created equal. Creation is at conception or when you are actually born depending what one believes. After that time, people either become winners or loosers depending how they are raised, if they are even raised. Quit the diversity crap.Everyone is not the same.

Why should my kids have to give up something because a few people don't like it?

Go back to where you came from and take your culture with you. Most of you just leach off the system anyway.

Get rid of the government schools controlled by liberals and lazy teachers and administrators.

I am sending my kids to school dressed in a costume dressed as muslimes with a target on their costume.

I doubt it David. Again, this only applies to the elementary schools and kindergarten center, not the High School and Middle School. The High Schoolers are allowed to dress up as long as they don't wear masks or hide their face.

time to get rid of the government schools trying to cater to the 1% so everyone else has to go alone. Lets go with vouchers and we won't need a school board cramming this crap to the kids. We won't need the lazy teachers and their union either.

It's comeing.......

Why not just get rid of the government schools and give everyone a voucher to go wherever they want to?

I always thought Halloween was dressing in funny costumes and going around and getting candy. What is religious about that? If you don't like Halloween don't send your kids to school with costumes. Maybe the school could have a room where all these kids from looser families can sit and think about something else.

Diversity? hahahha All men are created equal. Creation is at conception or when you are actually born depending what one believes. After that time, people either become winners or loosers depending how they are raised, if they are even raised. Quit the diversity crap.Everyone is not the same.

Why should my kids have to give up something because a few people don't like it?

Go back to where you came from and take your culture with you. Most of you just leach off the system anyway.

Get rid of the government schools controlled by liberals and lazy teachers and administrators.

Phoenixville is NOT more diverse than the many other public schools that allow non-violent costumes for a parade at school. The few odd families that think elementary school children dress up to worship the devil are sick for thinking so. The other public schools in our region do not bend for them. Why is a PUBLIC school changing to please a few extreme individuals? While many children have a guardian who takes them out on Halloween night to trick-or-treat, this is not the case for all children. Their Halloween fun is at school. Taking away the parade and outside games from them and from the parents/friends who come to school to watch is soooo sad. Especially the Kindergarteners!!! I think schools get better results from children when they have a few fun things to look forward to. The excuses given are lame. The decision makers are hoping that this was the easy solution to not offend anyone. Everyone is entitled to their beliefs and freedom of speech, but should understand that offense can be found by one group or another in all American holidays. I chose to send my children to PUBLIC school. If I wanted all American Holidays stripped from my school, I could have sent them to a Charter School out near Downingtown that does that. I think the decision to remove all Halloween or Fall activities that involve dress-up and a parade is poor.

If parents are truly unhappy about this call Dr, Fegley and complain. He personally made this decision, without the school board, and he can change it. Halloween is a great opportunity for our kids to use their imaginations. Having the parade was a great time for the school community. Parents and grandparents, friends and neighbors enjoying being a part of a fun tradition. it is the stuff memories are made of. Funsuckers. That is the best word I can think of for those who wish to take away or alter until it is unrecognizable the fun of Halloween Party Day at school. Funsuckers. By the way, it is embarrrassing that this is what PASD made the news for. I'm constantly telling friends in other districts how great PASD is. This kind of small-minded, petty nonsense is not what we want our district known for. - Kim S.

So, it sounds to me that the 3 elementary school Principals got together over the summer and talked about the way they each functioned and thought it might be a good idea to be consistent. They then went to the Superintendent and talked about the changes they were making (perhaps a list of year long functions) and he gave a nod to it. Fast forward to current time: the newspapers decide to use sensational headlines (I consider the word banned a bit inflammatory for this non story) to get people to look at their paper and maybe read some of their advertising. Just look at how the community reacts. I will repeat what Judi said a while back, nothing much is changing, the elementary school Principals are just using each other as sounding boards to see what works and adjusting accordingly. I feel this is a good thing in our small school district. Seriously, pre 2001 Schuylkill stopped costumes. The students will still have a party and that my friends is what they care about :). They will go trick or treating in their neighborhoods if their parents allow, just like last year. They will have their memories and they do not have to be the same memories you and I had. They will still be children until they are ready to grow up.
Newspapers in small communities should not blow things out of proportion just to watch neighbor vs neighbor.

The Renaissance Academy is taking the opposite approach! Renaissance Academy is holding a haunted house at Franklin Commons Oct. 19, 20, 26 and 27. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Fridays, 6 p.m. Saturdays. Live actors, special effects. Tickets cost $8 in advance at www.rak12.org and are available at Renaissance Academy. $10 at the door. Proceeds benefit construction of the academy's new campus.

Franklin Commons
400 Franklin Avenue
Phoenixville, PA 19460
(610) 983-4640
franklincommons.net

This is political correctness run amok. As someone who graduated just two years ago, I can say that this is probably one of the dumbest things I've seen the School District do. You don't often get a chance to walk around the halls in costume, especially in high school, and costume-encouraged 'spirit days' are nothing compared to Halloween. As someone who was in the school district from 2001 all the way through graduation, It's utterly preposterous that anyone would think at this point that Halloween as we currently know it has overt religious connotations anymore. At the very least, my generation, and those that come after it, know Halloween mainly as the one day of the year where you can dress up in a scary/awesome/fun costume and go door-to-door for free candy from the neighbors and generally have a good time.This is a disgrace. Halloween celebrations are a part of being young. It makes no sense to take it away when it's not really hurting anyone.

In Mexico All Hallows Eve and November 1 and 2 are times to remember the ancestors and those family members who are passed away. Having each classroom build a "Day of the Dead" altar and bring in a momento of someone no longer in their lives that they miss very much or a photo of their ancestors would be meaningful and a chance for teachers to talk about death. Costume parades are an expense on both the budget and Mom or Dad's time. I am glad they are being curtailed.

I do wonder what the absentee rate is the day after the Super Bowl? Or other sport event? Are we going to cancel those as well?

Rather amusingly a poll on the above link currently gives 90% of readers (correct figure stated on 26 October 2012) vastly disagreeing with such a fascist-like ban on this traditional Celtic festival. The aim appears to be to replace our customary Halloween with a more politically-correct so-called ‘Fall Festival’. What utter poppycock! This is exactly the same type of spin what many fundamentalists tried before, yet under guise of a Christian-named ‘Festival of Light’…Fundamentalists have been seeking to ban this great Pagan festival for many years and now blinkered officialdom is aiming them. I am currently writing a large piece about this issue for UFO Digest. I have also written reams about it in my books. Freedom of belief must be preserved. They have already banned Halloween in South Russia so what next? Do you want a democracy or a society run by priests with hidden agendas?

What upsets me the most is that they ban Halloween but we will have Fall Festival. Really people stop taking our beliefs and renaming them and tweaking them for others that came here to make their lives better. This is our country a country made by immigrants who came here struggled and made this country what use to be an amazing place. Now its all about PC. dont want to hurt anyone's feelings. oh well cant sugar coat things forever. Get over it suck it up . You came here to improve your life and what you are doing is making OUR lives an utter mess.

There are many issues here. Primary among them is that the administrators seem to be giving in to an illogical premise. Somehow, although they don't explain how, an American tradition is potentially offensive to some. First, this says that some out there are intolerant of this American tradition. This is a multicultural society. They had better learn to deal with cultures and subcultures that offend them. These administrators are doing the opposite of that. Instead of teaching them to get along and deal with our multicultural society and traditions, they are teaching them to try and shut down what they don’t like. Its a contradiction.

Dovetailing from that, why do the administrators feel that the event or side that has to be compromised is the long standing American tradition? Why not stick by our American traditions?

maybe one of the posters here can answer as to why or how Halloween is offensive to other cultures, who seem to be intolerant, and why the administrators gave in to their intolerance? That is rewarding intolerance, not teaching tolerance.

It's that some parents think that if their kid participates in Halloween that they are being brought closer to S A T A N. They want to force their views on others, to keep them from S A T A N. PASD buckled. Even scarecrows are banned. I can't figure that one out. Why is the school system against keeping birds away from agricultural crops?

Superintendent Alan Fegley: “It takes a while to change a culture. I’m not afraid to change it.”

http://www.timesherald.com/article/20121026/NEWS01/121029615/reasons-why-phoenixville-school-district-spends-so-much-on-education&pager=full_story

What the mouthy church fundamentalists behind these anti-Halloween crusades should be admitting to is the vast and provable danger to our children of Christian clergy abuse. This is a heinous and ongoing problem that the Church has largely swept under the table for decades but now has to face due to the mega claims for victim compensation. This is the REAL evil in our midst, not apple bobbing and pumpkins…

Superintendent Alan Fegley blamed the high costs in Phoenixville on $5 million from the budget going to charter schools. School board member Joshua Gould named both the Renaissance Academy (who boldly celebrates Halloween) and the Center for Art and Technology-Pickering. And while Phoenixville ranks high in Pennsylvania on PSSA scores, it ranks poorly as compared to its counterparts in Chester County. PASD and parents should concern themselves with why.

Examining the 9 school districts in Chester County from 2010 to 2011:

Phoenixville (PASD) is the most expensive in terms of the "Actual Instructional Expense per WADM".

Coatesville (CASD) has the highest percentage of students lacking proficiency in reading, writing, math, and science.

Phoenixville basically has the 2nd highest percentage of students lacking proficiency in reading, writing, math, and science. Phoenixville basically comes in 8th out of 9 in Chester County, yet it spends the most.

31.4% are not proficient in science
17.0% are not proficient in reading
15.7% are not proficient in math
14.9% are not proficient in writing

What do I mean by "basically", hold on...

Mr.Fegley , you should move to the middle east or Cuba.
We will be at the next school board meeting to tell you how we really feel about you . Time for you to get a new job. Are you a COMMIE PINKO? As the great Artchie Bunker would say!!

amy Jo- oh yes…

Convenient how that like to try and ban native festivals eh, yet do their very best to sweep the clergy abuse horror under the carpet…

http://www.saff.ukhq.co.uk/sickvics.htm

Their priorities (hidden agendas) are therefore highly questionable.

Way to Go PASD! Schools are for learning, not holidays and silly celebrations. Leave that indoctrination to their parents in their own homes.

The fundie attempts to ban Halloween go back a long time.....

http://halloweenchoiceorg.eu5.org/halloweenharding.htm

Here’s more observations….

http://halloweenchoiceorg.eu5.org/

Christian fundamentalist activists always rush in to claim that Halloween is not a British tradition and should not be followed in the U.K. This falsehood relies upon igniting 'Anti-American' sentiment within insular British minds, because the truth of the matter is that Halloween is NOT an American importation, it is an entirely British tradition, which was actually exported to the U.S.A. by European immigrants. Such fundamentally - inspired racism, against our American cousins, should not be tolerated in a modern UK society.

As I say, rather than bigoted idiots in dog collars bleating on about Satan (i.e. the Christian personification of evil, and the guy who has in fact rather comically keep the Church in business for centuries) – society should devote more time to rooting out the self-righteous perverts involved in wide scale Clergy Abuse, which is a VERY real and ongoing danger to our children!

I don't know if anyone will read this. It has been a LONG & active discussion. Regarding Quakers schools - I attended one we paraded in our little costumes, and just like in my school my son's elementary school.had a parade too. The little so ook forward.to the parade, this day and wearing costumes. To them it's like living inside.a cartoon. No worship of anything except.maybe candy. I would be surprised at any retailer.who didn't let their kids enjoy the day. I would encourage parents to encourage creativity from their kids and.make more costumes: mail boxes, bananas, a dinner table even. There are tons.of ideas to be found tjat could control costs for families too. As for families who chose not to participate if an absence is a protest then strangely the 9% beat out the 91% (good going). I hope the school board reconsiders and finds a way to work with the 9% to work with the school about adjusting their children's schedule for the day. I suspect some of them are simply taking advantage by taking the entire day off. Just remember - kids love.the chance to dress up.& show off their costumes. Period. Parents - don't project sour feelings when you explain it all to the little tykes.

American Culture; thanks so much for your interest.

Well to be quite frank, one of the reasons given in the above report for banning Halloween celebrations was: “controversy surrounding the religious connotations of Halloween.”

Given that the “controversy” has always been due to historical Xtian bias against the Pagan religion (that was the one that they usurped you see in the fist place) and the fact that numerous other places have seen Xtian killjoys wishing to denigrate the feast day, one is led to assume that the facts are quite obvious. To ‘some’ of us anyway…lol

Are you saying it is ban because one of the Muslims mothers witched about it??? Well i dont care who witched about it . That Feegely guy should not had done it ..... All of us parents and grandparents need to go to the next schoold board meeting ....

No School - Thanksgiving,,,,No School - Martin Luther King,,,,No School - Memorial Day ...Why are these still days off ? Watch it some will witch and they wil ban these.. There is one that they should because of the recent ones we had and the one we have now No School - Presidents Day...Next board meeting is Nov.8..

Putting the work "Banned" aside as this was not stated by the school district and was used solely by the press, Dr. Fegley has explained himself. And I am not talking about the news articles as they are all biased in one direction or another. Ask the parents of the Elementary school children who received, and read, the letter that was sent home as well as the statement from before school began. There is no mention in either of these about religion.

The request was made by the principals as a way to make what is done by the individual elementary schools more cohesive. As a note, two of these schools have not had costumes in the schools for a minimum of five years.

This discussion has been driven by assumptions, misinformation, and even quotes taken out of context. Yes, people are reacting strongly to this, but even though the statement of not having the "halloween parade/party" was stated in both August and September with the explanation of what was replacing it, no one went ballistic until the article with the word "ban" came out only a week ago.

By all means, go to the school board and ask Dr. Fegely why the decision was made. In fact, you can ask the principals why they made the request. Ultimately, the children will have fun activities and will still have the opportunity to trick or treat that evening when they get home.

Think clearly, and realize that this is small potatoes in the big picture of life.

This was announced in the back to school letters in August. NO ONE raised a fuss back then. It was only when the media picked it up and used the word "bsnned" did anyone have a problem. Here is the letter sent out recently to parents:

http://www.pasd.k12.pa.us/cms/lib02/PA01001354/Centricity/Domain/372/Fall%20Celebrations.pdf

The EP home and school association was planning the fall fest activities with no complaints. It is unbelievable how much attention is being paid to this issue, when there are SO MANY larger, more substantial issues to worry about in our district.

Why is no one up in arms over the recent decision to deny our district the variance to redo East Pikeland elementary. That is a decision that has direct impact on the education our children are getting.

http://www.pasd.com/cms/lib02/PA01001354/Centricity/Domain/1/EP%20Project%20Parent%20Community%20Letter%20October%202012.pdf

I have SO much more respect for PASD now that they have decided to put irrelevant and irreverent costume parties on the backburner. We can't keep up with the Chinese by playing dress-up.

I am sorry that you misquote and misinterpret my statements. I am proud of this decision by PASD as a taxpayer in the district. "We see the world not as it is but as we are"

Hello again American Culture

Sorry – I do not know your real name as you address me from beneath this rather quaint nom de plume. With respect, you really need to clean your rose-tinted glasses and get your head out of the sand and maybe even try to listen. Let me recap for you.

Proof (on a vast and historical basis alone) that the Church has been suppressing the Pagan faith and all its deities, customs and traditions, is so 'obvious', yet you seem blissfully oblivious to this – entire situation yes? Proof is so clear that most people with logical minds do not require spoon feeding over such an apparent issue. Whether or not any killjoy anti-Halloween bans have been created with subconscious, Xtian -orientated, bias may of course be open to debate herein, yet the facts as previously stated, still remain and are a significant factor.

PS..

Note please also that I use the word “Fundamentalists” also as a generalisation. May I ask - do you have 'personal' problems with Muslims (you seem to be a little fixated on these folks)? Of course Muslims and others of various monotheistic persuasions also wish to remove any traditional Pagan festivities – that goes without saying. In fact they frequently support the Church in wanting such bans, like they do with Pro-life and say Gay issues. Are you unaware of all this? All the larger monotheistic faith systems are accountable for denigrating original Pagan culture so why are you stamping your feet at me in this particular instance? This just seems rather strange! Sadly the” logic” you appear to hold so dear is woefully lacking within your current debate. I would say that you have simply not thought this one through properly. Fundamentalism is the problem. My outline is aimed at preservation of our traditional native festivals – but what, may I ask, is yours? It is somewhat difficult on the internet trying to communicate with anonymous persons sheltering behind pseudonyms, especially when they may also possess uncertain agendas.

Best wishes

Hello again American Culture
My, how frazzled you have become since your previous post. No, I could never be described as a ‘Liberal’, that contention is more laughable than you could ever know. This shows how ill-informed you really are. It is so nice that you have such a high opinion of yourself that you are clearly both judge and jury on this thread. Well done you! To be candid, I usually ignore anonymous cowards who like to agitate others. However, I shall reiterate that you seem incapable of listening to others. The ‘proof’ is clear that those who have BANNED this event have been influenced (directly or subconsciously) by historical and indoctrinated Xtian bias against Pagans. What more proof do you need, can you not see this (or perhaps it conflicts with your private agenda)? This outrageous ban is an affront to all Pagan families and a draconian move that insults freedom of belief. This is a case of religious prejudice against Pagans, UNLESS all other religious festivals are banned also. Whilst rushing to Xtian defence, I note that you conveniently also ignored my questions concerning your feelings about Muslims – why? I gather that you are VERY close to the issue at hand, hence your abstract and increasingly ridiculous remarks. I wonder what elevated position you may hold herein. Your integrity status is therefore effectively zero and due to your continuing anonymity quite insignificant!

American Culture, hello.
Yes, then we may have similar ideals at hand. We could bash each other day and night but that would be asinine and unproductive – yes? I post under a real name and always have done. I believe that others should have the dignity to do the same, if they truly believe in what they say! Using AKAs to berate others is unfair and simply not nice. I am pleased to hear that native traditional preservation is important to you also. I give in to NO type of fundamentalism from any quarter and have attacked all forms at length. I simply challenge other larger system that use bully boy tactics against other smaller ones. I think we shall have to disagree about the nature of intolerance. You see, banning what to some of us is a sacred feast day is pure intolerance, unless similar bans exist towards other faith holidays also. You simply cannot ban one lot and go on to support others – can you not see that?
It has to be all or nothing or else your school is open to allegations of religious prejudice. And it may be the judge who you have to convince about this self-inflicted problem, not me, if it ever goes to court as a question of serious parental litigation.
If, as I suspect, you have a ‘highly relevant’ position in all this then I hope my remarks have given you food for thought at least. It is easy to rush into unwise actions and this ban is well over the top and potentially costly for your establishment.

So you want to fight on rather than agreeing to differ like adults? Fine! You are far too sensitive for all this I fear and clearly in need of illumination. Bleating away, like a lost sheep, under your quaint little pseudonym will not help your personal dilemma either. You are now drifting into the realms of fantasy. Yes, it goes without saying that PC is also a factor in this outrageous move. But the whole culture that PC is developed on is Xtian – biased via historical inroads – can you not see that? If you are sincerely against banning Halloween then you should be working ‘with’ not against me. You also go on to display the fact that you have been brain-washed by PC. This is illustrated by the way you say recognised religions! Recognised by whom – the State, the school, the other religious sects in place that hold monopoly? What if a person holds a sincerely held religious belief that is NOT recognised by your system? Do you dismiss them? You are missing the main grist of the debate that is aligned to the historical bias of the Church that has been seeking to rid society of Halloween for centuries, via a sea of anti-Pagan propaganda. You just cannot get past this fact, but if you could bypass your ego (which is your stumbling block I fear) then we may have lots to debate that could be most productive my friend. Fight or talk like grown ups - your choice...!

TO AMERICAN CULTURE AND PAT REGAN: I have been monitoring this lunacy for some time now and decided this continuing back and forth dialog will not determine who wins or looses this debate. For the record, I just read and fully agree with "American Culture" as far as the political correctness is concerned and the religious aspect for this anti-Halloween party is just pure crap.

I remember two things from Elementary School: My 2nd grade teacher freaking out on the class every other day & getting dressed for our Halloween Parade. In thirty years, you'll remember the worst & the best moments. What a shame we're preventing children from creating happy memories.

Dear Pat,
Delighted to find you here and then learn of your book covering Samhain. If you don't know about it, you might enjoy reading "The Guru Papers: Masks of Authoritarian Power" by my friend Joel Kramer. Joel and his co-author Diana Alstad cover a lot of ground in that book. Anyway, if you don't know about it...

The Guide To Trading Candy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wGdYhmFH-DQ

Believe me, it is not the foreigner that wants Halloween cancelled. In Texas the Christian fundamentalists are the ones who condemn Halloween and have fall festivals. The folks from other countries love to get out with their kids and enjoy trick or treating and enjoy participating in this tradition

Really!!!! What about the rights of all people. Just don't send your child. This country is not equal rights as it advertises. I guess New Orleans should have to stop Mardi Gras too! I am offended by Muslim garbs and they still where them. Our childrten have nothing to enjoy but technology (which will be the downfall). Communist we are becoming. EQUALITY FOR ALL IS BS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!