- The Orange County, Calif., chapter of the American Red
Cross has canceled the planned performance of a music group at an upcoming
event honoring the organization's volunteers who helped at the World Trade
Center after the Sept. 11 attacks because the group planned to sing songs
that mention "prayer" and "God."
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- "Somebody has gone a little overboard" at the
Red Cross, said Cherilyn Bacon, director of First Act, a choral group made
up of middle school-aged students from a local performing arts school.
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- The group was invited to perform "Heroes' Trilogy"
and to dedicate it to the 9-11 volunteers at tomorrow's event. The arrangement
includes three songs: "America the Beautiful," "Prayer of
the Children" and Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the U.S.A."
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- First Act's rendition of "Declaration," a song
that includes the opening lines from the Declaration of Independence, was
also deemed inappropriate. Bacon says Patricia Johnson, a representative
of the American Red Cross in Orange County, told her the Declaration is
"a political document that may offend" some.
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- Lynn Howse, public affairs director in the Orange County
Red Cross office, defended her organization's decision on the Fox News
Channel yesterday.
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- "We need to remain a neutral organization,"
she said. Howse said another group from the same school will perform in
place of First Act and that the program will still include patriotic numbers.
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- While there have been issues raised by public school
districts throughout the U.S. about the religious content of songs students
perform, the charter school First Act represents has no problem with its
repertoire. As a California charter school, it receives some private funding.
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- "The school is totally supportive," Bacon told
WorldNetDaily. She refused to divulge the name of the school, citing the
desire of administrators not to be drawn into the controversy.
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- Bacon mentioned that her group has received rave reviews
for its moving rendition of "Heroes' Trilogy," which was arranged
specifically to commemorate Sept. 11.
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- "The kids have performed these songs for a wide
variety of organizations, from the Democrat and Republican Parties to the
Santa Ana Interfaith Council," she said in a statement. "Without
fail, the performance has brought tears and instant standing ovations.
From Muslim to Hare Krishna to Christian to Jew there has been unanimous
applause."
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- Cindy Boragno, mother of one of the performers, was stunned
by the Red Cross' action.
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- "What rot! This is outrageous," she said. "To
think that the word 'God' cannot be used in a song."
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- Student Malorie Bryant expressed disappointment at the
withdrawal of the group's invitation.
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- "We were so excited to finally be able to perform
our special 'Heroes' tribute to the real heroes themselves," she said.
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- Surmised Bacon, "By taking this 'neutral' position,
[the Red Cross] has just offended most of America." ___
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- Ron Strom is a news editor for WorldNetDaily.com.
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- http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=26765
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