Pastors for Peace behind class trip

The stink continues to grow from The Beacon School's class trip to Cuba, as it is revealed that a New York congressman endorsed the trip and that the group's travel agent was an old friend of the Cuban dictatorship.

The New York Sun reports:

ALBANY — A Democratic congressman who represents New York City wrote a letter endorsing an illegal spring break trip to Cuba taken by a group of Upper West Side public high school students accompanied by their history teacher.

Three days before the start of the trip, Rep. Jerrold Nadler sent a letter to the Beacon School teacher, Nathan Turner, saying he was "pleased" to learn of the nine-day journey, which he described as a "unique opportunity for cultural exchange."

The trip, which was chaperoned by Mr. Turner and organized by a left-wing community group in Manhattan, violated federal travel restrictions to Cuba prohibiting high school educational trips to the communist dictatorship. The teacher led the students to Havana despite being denied permission by the education department, which is investigating the trip.

And which "left-wing community group in Manhattan" organized the trip?

Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization/Pastors for Peace, which with its "Cuba Caravans" to illegally deliver assistance to Cuba, has plenty of experience in violating restrictions on travel to Cuba, and encouraging others — like a bunch of high school kids — to do the same.

In an editorial, the Sun clearly states what truly is at issue in this case:

The case of the Beacon School trip to Cuba is shaping up as a real test for the federal authorities, as to whether they will mount an aggressive investigation of any wrongdoing in this case. It strikes us that it would be useful for the authorities to use all the powers at their disposal to find out who knew what, and when, about this trip and what the legal implications were. The case is also a challenge to (schools)Chancellor Joel Klein and Mayor (Michael) Bloomberg, as to whether they are employing individuals to teach our children who are siding with the communists — or are indifferent to the dangers of communism — and who care little about obeying our laws.