Cupid Banned in Effort to Reduce Valentine’s Day-Related Violence

by Allie Sivak ‘11

Love was certainly in the air this week as love-struck students throughout the halls exchanged roses, chocolates in the shape of dainty hearts and vows of affection. Ah yes—the usual elaborate celebratory customs of Valentine’s Day were in full swing. However, there was one slight difference in the way couples displayed their unwavering love for one another this year: a complete absence of the pudgy symbol of love himself, Cupid.

Cupid’s underpinnings date back to ancient times. In Greek mythology, he was known as Eros, the son of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. To the Romans, he was Cupid, the son of Venus. Roman myths portray him as cruel and mischievous. Today, he is displayed as a happy spirit dedicated to uniting lovers. Though there are many different accounts of the chubby, winged child’s origin as the emblem of Valentine’s Day, he has been long associated with the legend declaring that if a person happened to be shot with one of Cupid’s arrows, he/she would undeniably fall deeply in love. Since the commercialization of Valentine’s Day, Cupid’s classic image has adorned countless gift items. However, in the past month, a string of complaints from several groups of parents have arisen at PTA meetings across MCPS. Many parents, particularly those of elementary schoolers, feel that the school system often overlooks the danger that Cupid poses to their innocent children. They cite his blatantly violent bow and arrow as a key reason for their discontent with the iconic character. In perhaps the most enthusiastic demonstration of concern, parents gathered outside the MCPS central office sporting signs calling for a removal of Cupid and the image of his sharp weaponry that is used to target innocent and unexpecting civilians.

One mother recounted a trip to the local grocery store that left her in a state of utter disgust. “My seven-year-old daughter, Mary Anne, selected her Valentine’s Day cards as she has in previous years. Usually she chooses cards that have images of Barbie or ponies featured on them. However this year’s selection featured Cupid, bearing menacingly sharp arrows. I just did not think this sort of barbaric weaponry was appropriate to distribute to a class of impressionable youngsters,” she chided.

It is unclear as to why parents have just recently turned against the flabby baby in the clouds, when he has been the icon of love for so long. No matter the reason, however, parents’ concerns were addressed at an MCPS conference on February 10th. To ensure that children were not subjected to any unnecessary displays of violence, it was decided that Cupid would from here on out be banned throughout the entire school system.

Those children who brought any form of Cupid decorations or gifts on school grounds were asked to dispose of the material immediately. At Brooke Grove Elementary School in Olney, one third-grader had to be sent home after she broke out in a fit of tears after her teacher threw away a Valentine she received from an unidentified secret admirer because it displayed a heart pierced by an arrow.

Superintendent Jerry Weast, in a memo sent to schools, explained the decision by MCPS. “While it may seem odd to forget about Cupid in all the Valentine’s Day festivities, in the long run a peaceful, less dangerous character will be beneficial to the lives and pure minds of our children and emphasize what the holiday is truly about.”