The Daily World Reports:

"People actively choosing not to be inoculated are helping diseases once largely relegated to the pages of history books -- including measles -- make a comeback in cities across the nation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many continue to believe the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism, while others don't trust the federal government or the pharmaceutical companies responsible for these vaccines.

"Kathryn Riffenburg decided on a closed casket for her baby's funeral.

"She didn't want her family to see what whooping cough, her son's first illness, had done to 9-week-old Brady Alcaide. The nearly forgotten disease, which has in recent years afflicted thousands of Americans, left Brady's tiny body swollen and unrecognizable.

"So his mother dressed him in a white baptismal suit and hat and tucked him into a tiny white casket. Brady's burial came just four weeks after his first laugh, and two weeks after his family learned that he had contracted a vaccine-preventable illness."

Even as these horror stories become more common, the anti-science movement in this country is growing. Expect fresh headlines detailing needless deaths of children in future years. Couple this with the handful of faithful true believers who will let their children die -- often from something as treatable as the flu -- rather than seek medical attention because it is "God's will." Hard to believe these are the outcomes a kind, loving God or his gentle Son would have in mind.

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Yikes!  Proof positive of persecution of a precious preschooler! Or ... maybe not so much. The original story was reported by  Fox News reporter Todd Starnes.  He details the assault on the budding religious freedom of this little girl this way:

"A Florida school district is giving teachers a refresher course on religious liberty after the parents of a five-year-old kindergarten student said a teacher told their daughter that she was not allowed to pray before eating her lunch time meal. Marcos Perez, of Oviedo, Fla., said the incident occurred earlier this month in the lunch room at Carillon Elementary School.

"He said his daughter was sitting at a table about to eat when she bowed her head and began to pray. "A teacher saw her and told her, 'you're not allowed to do that,' he said. Perez said his little girl replied, 'But it's good to pray.' The teacher alleged replied, 'It's not good.'

"He said his daughter tried to pray once more but was admonished by the teacher. The child was not formally punished, he said. 'She's a really good girl and if there are rules, she follows them,' he said. 'She knows the biblical values we are raising her with. She was really conflicted but she wanted to submit to the authority.'

Perez said he and his wife were so upset over the incident they sat down with a video camera and had their daughter recount what happened. They posted the video to YouTube. And they also tried to reassure their daughter that she had done nothing wrong."

The story took off like a flash and was picked up by national media and Christian news agencies around the world. What a story -- just in time for Easter! School officials investigated, but there were no witnesses to the incident and no staff admitted to admonishing this child for bowing her head to pray. Further, the school agreed to a "line-up" where the little girl was told to ID the mean ol' lady who told her prayer was bad. And the family has since decided the incident was damaging enough for them to withdraw the girl from the school and teach her at home. After they made a Youtube about it. More on that later.

This is an important note -- there has been a revision to the original story on the Fox News website -- an editor's note with an important disclaimer. Seems the reporter -- Todd Stearns -- has recently written a book about religious persecution ... and it's being published by the company managed by this little girl's daddy.

Ah yes. Let's turn to the Daily Kos for the rest of the story. They have a neat point-by-point breakdown:

"1. The school has no policy against private prayer. No school does. It would be illegal. Also, there never has been an issue with private prayer at this school or any other.

"2. The school investigated. No one said they talked to the girl about praying and there were no witnesses. The girl, when she speaks, is a beautiful child and 5-year-olds don't lie ... but they can be manipulated and coached. All I'll say is listen to the child's youtube. (Yes, the father had the kid make a youtube video about it.)

"3. The 'reporter' who broke the story, Todd Starnes, has fabricated stories suggesting Obama might be gay and the Bible might be outlawed as 'hate speech.'  [note: Read the Media Matters piece on Todd's obsession with Obama's purported homosexuality.]

"Oh, and did I mention he is also promoting a book entitled 'Godless America: Real Stories from the Front Line of Attack on Traditional Values'?

"4.  The father of the girl? Marcos Perez. That might be somewhat relevant in that he is in charge of sales at the Christian book company, Charisma House, that publishes 'Godless America.'  In other words, HE IS DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR PROMOTING TODD STARNES' BOOK ON CHRISTIAN ASSAULT.

"I find it incredible that this incident, which has never happened to anyone else before, happened to the kid of the guy promoting Todd's book on Christian assault. But let's assume for a moment that through an extraordinary coincidence that is exactly what happened. The girl was told 'its not good' to pray by some mystery rogue teacher, or cafeteria worker, or whomever. Here's the thing: That person DOES NOT represent the school! As a parent, I would tell the principal and expect the person to be schooled and even disciplined, and that would be that.

"My first thought wouldn't be -- LET'S MAKE A YOUTUBE VIDEO FEATURING MY KID. But that is what happened.

"(Again, I'm sure this is a coincidence, but notice that his youtube video description talks about how 'our traditional values and religious freedoms are under assault.'  Sounds similar to a title of a book I know! He also gave his email for 'media inquiries' at [email protected] -- how convenient.)"

The Liberty Institute has filed a suit against the school on the parent's behalf, demanding a formal apology. Sheesh...  There must be an easier way to sell books, guys. Seriously.