Separation Of Intelligence And State

This is the most bizarre separation of church and state shenanigan I've heard in quite some time:

"Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU), has issued a disturbing policy which requires all employees to refrain from using the word 'Christmas' in oral or written form. This directive was given by the university upon legal advice of the Oklahoma Attorney General, W.A. Drew Edmondson. Liberty Counsel sent a demand letter to SWOSU following a complaint from a university affiliate.

The statement was issued by The Liberty Council and is posted in its entirety at Tapscott's Copy Desk. It continues:

John Misak, the [SWOSU] Director of Human Resources [definitely not the Director of Human Intelligence], recently visited various university departments and employee groups and informed everyone that any decorations featuring the word 'Christmas' in any work or public areas of the university must be immediately removed. He also instructed everyone to discontinue the use of the term 'Christmas' in their speech while on the job. This censorship specifically includes exchanging greetings of 'Merry Christmas' among employees or with non-employees, whether initiated by a non-university employee or not. Christmas remains a legal holiday for state employees, including those at SWOSU. The directive does not include any other legal holidays such as Thanksgiving or New Year’s.

Folks, this is at an institution of higher learning, showing just how oxymoronic that term has become.

SWOSU tried to deny the charge for a while today, but employees have confirmed to Tapscott that it's true:

A veteran administrative employee of SWOSU confirmed that she and her colleagues in her department were told by their boss "to take the word 'Christmas' off of our email signatures and not to use that word in any official correspondence."

Connie Phillips, SWOSU's admissions coordinator, said she refused to comply. "I told them they could write me up but I was not going to take it off my signature."

But the next sentence is the real kicker:

Other SWOSU employees were resisting the orders as well. "The people in the business office had a decoration up with the word 'Christ' in it and they were told to cover it over. They did but then they took it off. It's been on and off about three times now, I think."

Can you imagine a better example of a skirmish in a culture war?

Expect a howl, a big howl, especially since Atty Gen Edmonson is already an infamous rights-tromper for prosecuting three men for the heinous crime of advocating fiscal responsibility from elected leaders. This is a man who apparently lacks any concept of the Constitution, the Federalist Papers, Freedom of Religion or Freedom of Speech.

If you would like to call Edmonson and wish him a Merry Christmas, you can reach him at 405-521-3921.

hat-tip: memeorandum