Hey Kids, Be Respectful While Playing Disrespectful Songs

Marybeth Hicks

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Today’s update on America’s culture war comes from the village of Wintersville, OH, population 4, 067. This charming enclave is home to 21 churches, an authentic drive in movie theatre, and perhaps the only high school marching band in the nation that has turned the vulgar music of Britney Spears into a football halftime show.

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Tags: Media and Culture , MSNBC

Marybeth Hicks

Marybeth Hicks

Marybeth Hicks is the author of Don't Let the Kids Drink the Kool-Aid: Confronting the Left's Assault on Our Families, Faith, and Freedom (Regnery Publishers, 2011).

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Steve641 Wrote: Oct 26, 2009 3:10 PM

I understand everyone having a problem with illicit lyrics, but judge for yourself before making a opinion. you tube, search indian creek high school marching band and play the halftime show of 9-4-09. Keep in mind this is a school of 600 kids and 150 of them are in the band. They are good kids and don't want to offend anyone, they just want to be up to date and perform. They receive standing ovations at football games for the performances even from opposing teams parents. So quit picking on the band geeks and find some cheerleaders or stoners in the parking lot to pick on.

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Mike ATX Wrote: Oct 02, 2009 4:28 AM

Read the article, they did a vocal version. And it doesn't matter if they chose the songs because of the lyrics.

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Lib at Heart Wrote: Oct 01, 2009 2:27 PM

Who said the songs were selected because of their lyrics? If they were, playing an instrumental version completely defeats the purpose, because there ARE NO LYRICS.

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Gestell Wrote: Sep 30, 2009 7:59 PM

Uber: You don't get conservatives on school prayer at all. The 'moment of silence' isn't nearly enough for them. What they want is to have official prayers, led by teachers, in classrooms, during class time. So silent prayer isn't even in the running on this issue.

lib at heart: It doesn't matter if the song is played as an instrumental. Parents know what the words are, and that's enough to get the ball rolling. {Hint: see how many conservatives would raise a ruckus if they knew that the tune to our national anthem was really originally that of a British drinking song. Whoa! call out the censors]

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Anominus Wrote: Sep 30, 2009 5:52 PM

Just because you label something a "conspiracy" doesn't mean it isn't accurate. There's nothing shady about this - It's all out in the light. You are just too blind to observe it.

It is impossible to deny that the leftist media covers for Obama and his administration either by not reporting his doings / gaffs or simply glazing over them. Consider this especially in light of the mockery they pursued against Bush for the last 8 years.

Likewise, it is impossible to deny that ACORN, which is currently facing criminal charges on many levels, including voter fraud, had a large hand in electing Obama.

Public school teachers are government workers, and as a government worker myself, I am quite aware that government...

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cashe Wrote: Sep 30, 2009 5:23 PM

Welcome to the culture wars.

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Caveat emptor Wrote: Sep 30, 2009 4:20 PM

"The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1962, in Engel v. Vitale, that official organization, sponsorship, or endorsement of school prayer is forbidden by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution in public school. Teachers and school officials may not lead classes in prayer, but prayer is permitted at voluntary religious clubs, and students are not forbidden from praying themselves."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moment_of_silence

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Caveat emptor Wrote: Sep 30, 2009 4:12 PM

"There was no mention of government in this story at all. It has everything to do with teachers and parents exercising their authority."

Public school teachers are government workers.

"You liberal morons started all this with getting the government to remove religion from school. Talk about telling 'other people's children what they can and can't do at school.'"

Religion is not outlawed in school. Most if not all schools set time aside for private prayer. It's called a moment of silence.

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tedmug Wrote: Sep 30, 2009 4:10 PM

Let's see. You are really against obscenity and against promoting it but you see nothing wrong with playing a song that was selected precisely because of its lyrics. Twice in one show?

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Caveat emptor Wrote: Sep 30, 2009 4:08 PM

"Of course! That explains everything! I'm sure it has nothing to do with the Information Branch of the government (left wing media) that only reports how "great" Obambi is, groups like ACORN which are rife with voter fraud among other scandals, leftist teachers and principals who run public schools and indoctrinate students with their ideologies rather than teach useful life skills, not to mention all you socialist twits who were never disciplined by their parents or taught to think for themselves. Nope... Must be those damned conservatives and their government style morality!"

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Anominus Wrote: Sep 30, 2009 4:02 PM

"What is the obsession of Conservatives with wanting Government to tell other peoples children what they can and can't do at school."

There was no mention of government in this story at all. It has everything to do with teachers and parents exercising their authority. You liberal morons started all this with getting the government to remove religion from school. Talk about telling "other people's children what they can and can't do at school."

"Censoring the books, music, speech and clothes of students.... Why is it that Conservatives see a role for Government in this activity?"

In case you weren't aware, children do not have a right to free speech. They are typically bound to the authority of an adult until...

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Lib at Heart Wrote: Sep 30, 2009 3:50 PM

Where's the obscenity in an instrumental version of a song?

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Keith488 Wrote: Sep 30, 2009 3:40 PM

Well said- i lean republican - but its exactly those things that make me cringe at the republican party.

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scott s. Wrote: Sep 30, 2009 3:39 PM

probably learned how to run a marching band from Stanford U.

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Keith488 Wrote: Sep 30, 2009 3:39 PM

You were being sarcastic. If you dont like it- don't watch/listen/attend/be involved. Music is part of school - the kids showed interest in the music and got involved with what they wanted to do. Again -I see problem here. If you don't want to submit your child to what you feel are the vulgarities of the world - home school them, and lock them in their room.

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Caveat emptor Wrote: Sep 30, 2009 3:30 PM

What is the obsession of Conservatives with wanting Government to tell other peoples children what they can and can't do at school.

Censoring the books, music, speech and clothes of students.... Why is it that Conservatives see a role for Government in this activity?

You know why Conservatives loose elections. It's cause people don't want Big government legislating morality for them.

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Dennis2045 Wrote: Sep 30, 2009 3:21 PM

was simply that some things are inappropriate for school. I don't care if students and some parents dig obscenity, there's a place.

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Keith488 Wrote: Sep 30, 2009 3:15 PM

thats a stupid rule as well. I can understand not having a giant school prayer group, but if a group of kids wants to pray, go for it. I blame that on idiot parents who are overly sensitive to well.... everything. If a kid doesnt want to be involved school prayer, then dont pray. I fail to see the big to do about about unless a school was trying to make everyone pray, but that was never the case (that i have heard of). Common sense goes along way, to bad it isnt common.

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Dennis2045 Wrote: Sep 30, 2009 3:02 PM

Don't be absurd. It's school, not a party. You know school, where they don't even allow prayer.

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Keith488 Wrote: Sep 30, 2009 2:13 PM

I applaude the band leader for letting their members pick the song. Its giving their students a voice and a vested interest. That may draw more people into the band.

Correct me if im wrong, but aren't school bands playing music and not actually singing a song? So who really cares if the F-word is in the song? These kids are listening to the music, its what they like - I can tell you from my experiences i never was interested in school music because basically, the music sucked. Do you want to ban music that you find offensive or something? Do you really want to go down that path?

sidenote- The author finds an issue with "hip dance moves"? Really? Didn't we already address this.... IN THE 50'S with Elvis?

Id...

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Lib at Heart Wrote: Sep 30, 2009 2:13 PM

Let's see...kids were given the opportunity to pick songs for the show, and they selected current, popular songs. Go figure. Before we bother going any further, let me just ask you this: Are there any current songs popular among young adults that conservatives WOULDN'T find offensive?

Personally, I think actually using the Helen Keller lyric during the halftime show was across the line, as some could consider that offensive. But I don't have any problem with an instrumental version of the songs. Anyone who finds an instrumental version of a song offensive or off-limits is obviously way too easily upset. You need to get a life.

Either way, it's a subject for the school and the community. The opinion of Ms. Hicks or anyone...

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p18 Wrote: Sep 30, 2009 1:17 PM

After all, we're all basically good- it's been proven by the millions of neglected children grown up to be model citizens. They don't need guidance- they should guide us!

What a load...

And this whole teenage rebellion thing probably comes from parents too spineless to put their foot down and say enough is enough.

We've been playing moral limbo for years, setting the bar lower and lower and what has it gotten us? Rising crime rates, teenage pregnancy, broken homes, drug abuse and kids turned adults who think the world should revolve around them. But yeah, let's go with the "What can you do, kids will be kids" schtick. Well, no one can limbo forever- eventually the person a.k.a. society falls.

I suppose the...

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tedmug Wrote: Sep 30, 2009 12:57 PM

Paul, when you put vulgar in quotes you betray your bias, Of course the lyrics are vulgar, the description does not have to be qualified with quotation marks. Hunter, the song says a lot more then tell us that Helen Keller was blind. It says that the ideal woman should be blind, mute, and deaf. Her only redeeming quality is her ability to satisfy with the lower half of her body. That is what the song is saying. Kids are not to be left alone, they are to be taught and raised up from egocentric infants to responsible, considerate adults. It appears from the vacuity of your comments that you were left alone.

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Hunter24 Wrote: Sep 30, 2009 12:38 PM

Kids want to play music that upsets some parents? Wow, stop the presses. Why does this even merit coverage? Kids always like music that upsets their parents. It's called teenage rebellion. Ever heard of rock and roll? And the "scathing refernce" to Helen Keller - what's it saying about her? That she's blind. Um, yeah. I'm sure some kids actually learned who Keller is from this song. Nice to hear that Wintersville parents are not the knee-jerk reactionaries that this author is. Leave the kids alone.

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Paul3345 Wrote: Sep 30, 2009 10:57 AM

Seriously, do some parents have nothing better to do with their time. The kids are not even singing the "vulgar" lyrics, so what is the problem? These people are just crazy.

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