Putting Prayer Back in Public Schools
On Thursday, March 1st, the Florida State legislature passed SB, 98 www.flsenate.gov /Session/Bill/2012/0098/BillText/Filed/PDFwhich gives individual school districts the freedom to allow student led “inspirational messages” during mandatory assemblies and other school sponsored events. The bill was sponsored by a Democrat,
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State Senator Gary Siplin, and was overwhelmingly passed with bi-partisan support. A fact that might surprise many conservatives and Evangelicals. The bill now awaits the probable signing from Governor Rick Scott. Other states are taking notice and waiting to see how this law will play out in the practical application of public school policy.
As a Christian and a mother, I should be elated about this. Over the past few decades we have seen the First Amendment being twisted and perverted into an instrument to deny Christians the right to freely practice our beliefs in public. Activities that are actually a positive influence on campus such as the annual See You At The Pole or groups such as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes are routinely banned from school property even though these activities are completely voluntary and take place outside of regular class hours. Teachers are forbidden to acknowledge their Christian beliefs on their school website bios and are reprimanded for publicly expressing their beliefs even when they are outside of the school setting. This is wrong and is in opposition to the true intent of the First Amendment.
This bill, however, is a bad idea. The bill’s only strongpoint is that it puts the authority for implementation in the hands of the individual school boards. This is right because the boards are better able to determine the needs and beliefs of their communities better than the state government can. The bill seeks to protect the schools from First Amendment litigation by giving the responsibility for choosing, who delivers the message and its content, to the discretion of the students. School officials and employees are forbidden to interfere in any way with the students’ decisions. There is absolutely no way a school board can define what constitutes an “inspirational message” without violating the rights of one group or another. These messages could be anything from a prayer or devotional to an anarchist rant, or hate group rhetoric. Any student who has an ax to grind or just simply enjoys stirring up trouble will now have a platform. Time and precious school resources would be wasted on the litigation that is sure to ensue if any school board tries to implement rules to curb the chaos.
The school system in Florida has many challenges. Fixing a broken system of accountability is one. Though it is a well-intentioned attempt at restoring morality in the school system, this law will not work. The only way to improve the quality of education in Florida or anywhere else in this country is to remind the schools that their purpose is to serve their students, parents and taxpayer supporters, not the other way around. The only way to accomplish what this bill is trying to do, is to implement school choice.
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Another Powerful Painting By Jon McNaughton
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Full Civic Literacy Exam
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Today on the Neal Boortz show, he was talking about this test from the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. It is scary that the test average for college professors was 55%. And yet, they keep increasing tuition costs. Go figure.Here’s the link. give it a try you will find it interesting.
By the way, in case you’re interested I scored 84.85%.
http://www.isi.org/quiz.aspx?q=FE5C3B47-9675-41E0-9CF3-072BB31E2692
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Understanding the Occupiers
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Though it started months ago, and no longer makes daily headlines on the major news networks, the Occupy Movement is still plugging away. Tenaciously spreading its anti-capitalist mantra to anyone who cares to listen. This movement has been applauded in the media as a great social movement, but how great has it really been? Just what has truly been accomplished that will benefit the whole of society? To get a better handle on the kind of people who are, or have participated in an Occupy protest, I have a few questions I would like to ask. I would appreciate a direct response to these questions from anyone who is or has participated in an Occupy protest for more than a week.
- Are you currently employed? If so, how did you get the time off from work to participate in this protest? If no, are you actively seeking employment? If so, how are you conducting a job search while attending the protest?
- If not employed, are you a student? If so, how are you managing to attend class and keep up with your homework while attending the protest? What is your grade point average?
- Do you own a home or rent? If so, how are you paying your mortgage, or rent and utilities while you are attending the protest? If not, where were you living before you encamped at the protest? Did you have to contribute financially in any way, in order to live there? Will you be able to return there when you are through protesting?
- Other than student loans or education grants, are you receiving any form of government assistance? If so what kind?
- Do you depend on your parents for any kind of financial support? (To include trust funds)
- Are you married? If so, are both of you attending the protest?
- Do you have any children?
- What visible positive effects can be seen in this community due to the presence of this protest?
- Are you old enough to vote? If so, are you planning on voting in the presidential election?
- Do you now, or have you ever owned any kind of business?
It will be interesting and probably surprising to see the answers to these questions. I’ll put the results in a future post.
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Pistol Pack’in Pappy
This man should get the Father of the Year Award. His daughter might hate him now, maybe for a long time. But when she grows up (which my also take a while) to be a useful, productive, self-sufficient member of society instead of an entitlement driven drain on her friends and family e.g. the occupiers, she will thank him for that character building moment of national humiliation.
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Red State Blue State Nanny State
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I am not a Catholic. I have no problem with women choosing to use contraception to prevent a pregnancy. I think it’s great when an insurance company covers it.
But just who in the, heck, does the President and his Congressional supporters think they are? How did they come to the conclusion that they actually have the authority to force a religious institution to abandon its tenants of faith? This bill is not about women’s rights, health or contraception.
It’s about a government over reaching its authority and insinuating itself further and further into our private lives.
Who is to blame for this? We are. We have become dependent on the “nanny state”. To many of us are happy to trade away a few personal freedoms, for the government’s promise of a life without worry or want. We want the government to protect us from being offended, or inconvenienced by our neighbors. We want businesses to be regulated so that their profits are handed over to the government and redistributed, so that we can have free health care, a grocery allowance, and subsidized housing. Most dangerous of all, we want the government to be our conscience.
Both liberals and conservatives want the government to restrict behaviors that we find immoral or offensive. We want airwaves censored from sex, violence, and obscene language, yet we continue to tune into shows and buy tickets to movies that contain those very things. Some want women to be able to have an abortion any time, anywhere, for any reason, and some feel that there is never a justifiable reason to abort a baby. Many of us choose our elected officials on this issue alone. Meanwhile we fail to teach our children that a sexual relationship carries with it some heavy responsibilities, and requires a certain level of maturity. We want the government to prevent banks from charging penalty fees when we fail to handle our finances responsibly. We want the police to crack down on drunk drivers, speeders, and red-light runners, but we complain about rogue cops when we are the ones who get caught. We no longer have the ability to make very basic judgments for ourselves.
The Founding Fathers designed our Constitution to limit government. I’m sure they never intended for the Bill of Rights to be twisted and perverted into a device that allows the government to become our teacher, our parent, our God. We need to resurrect our common sense and good manners. We need to stop confusing legal with moral and take responsibility for our own clean living rather than imposing it on others. Most of all we need to use our patronage and our pocketbooks to effect social change rather than placing power that should belong to the people into the hands of the government.
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This painting is a powerful depiction of what is going on in America today. The artists other painting, One Nation Under God” gives me chills.
Provo, Utah (CBS Las Vegas) – In front of the White House a man is sitting on a park bench in the throes of depression. He is surrounded by 43 presidents. In the forefront, purposefully ignoring the depressed man is President Obama, whose right foot is stepping on the Constitution. James Madison is next to Obama, pleading with him to stop.
This tableau is called “The Forgotten Man”, a painting by Jon McNaughton, an artist who is known for his politically-charged work.
The painting, which uses objects such as discarded dollar bills as symbols and scraps of paper with individual constitutional amendments scrawled onto them, has been making the rounds across the Internet.
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Pretty Fly for a White Guy
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When it comes to fairness in this country it seems we have come full circle. We have a black president. Hispanics will soon be the majority in this country. We have doctors, lawyers, scientists, engineers, policemen, firemen, politicians and astronauts of all races and genders. So who is really discriminated against anymore?
I have come to the conclusion that, the most discriminated demographic in this country is…….the white heterosexual male. I know a lot of you are thinking, whaaaaaat? But before you get David Duke to come and fit me with a sheet hear me out.
Yes, once there was a time when being a white male gave him an unfair advantage, regardless of his wealth or social status. But those days are over. Now you have the NAACP, the National Black Caucus, The Hispanic Chamber Commerce, NOW, the League of Women Voters and The Gay Straight Alliance. Our society considers these organizations to be progressive and enlightening. They are not presented as discriminatory. What you don’t have is the NAFAWG (National Association For the Advancement of White Guys), White Voters United or The White Guy White Gal Alliance. Organizations such as those would immediately be considered discriminatory even though they would exist for the same purpose as the before mentioned organizations. To unite people of a specific ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation.
There are no scholarships set aside only for white guys, yet there are numerous scholarship opportunities exclusively for blacks, Hispanics and women.
There are no start-up loans for white guy businesses even though being a white male doesn’t automatically grant you a higher economic status. There are however, loans for minority businesses.
White guys have no rhythm or sense of style, they can’t dress and Lord knows they can’t dance.
Affirmative action doesn’t apply to white guys. They have to get a job or promotions strictly on their own merits and work ethics.
White guys have to endure being called crackers, gringos, chauvinists and homophobes. But heaven forbid they call a woman “sweetcheeks”. Uttering the highly forbidden “N word” could get him sued or fired.
The time has come for a truly level playing field. For all forms of public financial, educational, and employment assistance to be color and gender neutral and be based solely on need. So that all persons regardless of their gender, race, or sexual orientation, can have the freedom to pursue the vocation of their choice and to live by the consequences of those choices.
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“I owe you no apologies, nor will I accept those apologies made for me by others.
If you dislike me – You dislike me not for what I am, but for what you are not. By my own sweat, I have created a lifestyle which I desire for all men.To the world I have shared my wealth and given my blood; not because of obligation, but by my free will. I have fed the hungry of the world. Many bit my hand; I used the other hand. I defeated my enemies in battle, then pulled them up from the ashes of defeat. Once strong, they again attacked; I turned the other cheek. Though I am strong, I have never used my strength to rule others. But do not misjudge me, I will not allow the fear of my own strength to become my weakness. If you wish to rise…
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Where is the “Wow”
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I am the Independent Voter and I am waiting to be wowed. The Democratic Party does not understand me and the Republicans have taken me for granted for far too long. I am not an elite intellectual nor am I a backwoods buffoon. I am the key to victory in the next election. The deciding factor in which direction our country will go.
I am not impressed by the half-truths, out of context quotes and out right lies broadcast in your political ads. I don’t care if you paid your taxes at a 30% rate or a 15% rate. I don’t care if it took you three times to figure out how to make a marriage work. I don’t care if you did or didn’t change your mind about an issue. I don’t care if you stumbled over a question during a debate. I don’t care if you smoked pot in high school, posed nude to pay for college, pick your nose or sleep with a teddy bear.
I do care about keeping my job if I have one, and finding one if I don’t. I care that I might not be able to afford a gallon of gas, or a week’s worth of groceries. I want an honest day’s wage for an honest day’s work. I want to be able to take my child to the doctor when he’s sick and not worry about if I can afford it. I want to see that brand new, mostly empty strip mall in my neighborhood filled with shops. I want clean air, clean water, and food that is safe to eat.
I don’t care if the man down the road is a billionaire because he inherited a thriving business that his father built from scratch. I just want a level playing field where I have the opportunity to do the same.
I worry that our quest to be a “tolerant” society will blind us to the machinations of our enemies, and I fear that our over burdened, over restricted and under manned military will not be able to protect us.
I want the schools to teach my children how to be competitive in an ever-changing world economy. Teach them basic academic skills. Train them in critical thinking, not what to think, but how to think. Don’t waste a school day filling my child’s head with politically correct, social, moral, and spiritual indoctrination. It is not the government’s place to teach my children right from wrong, or to boost their fragile egos. That is my job as their parent.
I want to preserve the wonder and majesty of nature. I want to have pristine parks and sparkling lakes. I want to be a good steward and manage our resources well, but I don’t want the Government telling me how. That oil well eyesore is a beautiful thing when it is the secret to feeding your family. I just don’t get that upset about the last remaining sub species of a toad, when there are thousands of other toads, and that toad’s existence will cost a family their farm, or a town a hundred jobs.
I want to feel safe in my home. I want to have the right to protect it from thieves, vandals and government intrusion. I want to be able to do as I see fit on my property, as long as I don’t pose an actual threat or nuisance to my neighbors.
The current administration has let me down, as have others before it. I want to know what you, if elected President, will do to restore this country back to its place as leader of the free world. To help us grow a vibrant economy, to secure our boarders, to give the power back to the people the way our Founding Fathers intended. Court me, impress me, wow me. The future of our country is at stake.
Observations and Opinions of a Middle Aged Housewife 