American Conservative News Politics & Opinion - The Land of the Free » Patti Bankson

When Tragedy Knocks

Patti Bankson — Sat, 04 May 2013 13:13:48 +0000

I agree with President Obama’s description of Monday’s Boston Marathon bombing(s) as a “Heinous Act of Terrorism”. As we know, it’s not the first heinous act of terrorism that’s been inflicted on our country, not to mention many other countries in the world. And, unfortunately, it’s probably not the last. As can be expected, there are more questions than answers… WHO did this? WHO would DO this kind of thing? And, HOW do we keep ourselves safe? HOW do we keep this from ever happening again? Whether we get the answers we’re looking for, or not, those questions will be part of our conversations well into the future.

In the meantime, maybe we should talk about how many times we’ve decided that doing something, even if it’s wrong, will actually help us to achieve our (well) intended, but misguided, goal… a perfect life and a perfect world without pain.

How many petitions have been signed… how many senate hearings held… how many lawsuits filed, overwhelming our courts, to no avail? How many normal, American activities have disappeared from our every day lives and the lives of our children? The list is already too long, and it’s growing by the minute, or the event.

Maybe we need to ask different questions, like… when did we decide that living in a cocoon, totally invulnerable to this risky thing called, “life”, was a good thing? When did we lose track of the fact that just waking up in the morning could be dangerous? What should we do… never get out of bed?? When did we start to forget that “Nothing ventured, nothing gained” isn’t just a cross-stitched motto our grandparents hung over their mantle, it’s a truth… When and how did we start thinking that the way to have great communities was to ensure that even those who don’t venture, will still enjoy the “gains”?

The idea that we can protect ourselves all the time, from every possible threat is pretty unrealistic, and false… the truth would be kitchens without knives, forks, skillets, tables or chairs… hunters without a sport… peace-loving citizens unable to protect themselves from lawless predators, or a tyrannical government… people living as zombies. Walking and talking, maybe, but, without challenges, without the joy of achievement, without connections to each other because we’re so afraid of being hurt… no excitement, no fun.

If you’re reading this, you’re still alive. So it’s not too late to set yourself free, if you’ll just remember that when something bad happens, with God’s help, you’ll handle it. Meanwhile… go out and feel the wind blowing through your hair, enjoy the sun on your face, walk in the rain, play games with your children or grandchildren… Life’s knocking at your door… don’t be afraid to open it.

When Tragedy Knocks by Patti Bankson syndicated from The Land of the Free.

One Nation Under…

Patti Bankson — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 09:39:58 +0000

When all is said and done… when the current evolution of our country is complete… when the result of that evolution has changed America from a well-respected Super Power, a nation under God, to nothing more than another third-world country, drowning in corruption and poverty… when it’s too late to ask, “How did this happen?” How did we get here?” What will the humanists, and atheists, et al, think when they realize the deities they’ve chosen to worship, are nothing more than mortal men and women? What will they think when they discover that, their deity of deities, the icing on their cake, the man they’ve placed on the WH “throne” has been, from day-one, just smoke and mirrors. The bigger question than “What will they think” is, to whom will they turn? Not themselves, of course, because they gave up their freedom and independence long ago. And, probably not GOD, because they quit acknowledging Him, quit recognizing the authority or claims of God, long, long, long ago.

Obviously, what’s happening now, didn’t start just yesterday. It’s been a long time coming. But, when it started isn’t so much the point, as is the fact that we are where we are today… and this monumental failure of government is upon us, with a vengeance. Unfortunately, (or fortunately; however you see it) God is no bull-in-the-china shop. He doesn’t just barge into one’s life, uninvited. Since the non-believing folks mentioned above are pretty unlikely to send that invite, they’ve got a bigger problem than they realize. See, not only are they un-inclined to look for life lessons, and guidance from God, they decided in the last two elections that Barack Obama was the “god” from whom they’d learn those life lessons, and from whom they would seek guidance. Looking over our current political landscape, I’d say… “Rots a ruck!”

Let me share with you references from Wallbuilders.com, which they called his acts of hostility toward people of Biblical faith… just one of the areas in which he blatantly says he believes one thing, but proves otherwise by his actions.

· In April, 2008, Obama spoke disrespectfully, and disdainfully, of Christians, saying they “cling to guns and religion” and have an “antipathy to people who aren’t like them.” (How antipathetical of him!)

● In February 2011, Obama fully implemented a plan he announced in February, 2009, to revoke conscience protection for health workers who refuse to participate in medical activities that go against their beliefs. (In other words, you can believe whatever you want… as long as it’s what he tells you, you believe!)

● April, 2009: When speaking at Georgetown University, Obama ordered a monogram symbolizing Jesus’ name be covered while he made his speech. (Can you believe the university… a private research university in D.C., founded in 1789, making it the oldest Jesuit and Catholic university in the United States … actually did it?)

Think these are isolated incidences? Huh uh! No, No! In future articles, I’ll bring more proof that Obama, who, among other things, claims to be a Christian, is not who he says he is. Not even close.

One Nation Under… by Patti Bankson syndicated from The Land of the Free.

Character Counts

Patti Bankson — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 09:52:04 +0000

When I sat down to write this, my first thought was to tackle the “He Said, He Said” issue of Monday night’s debate. In fact, I was ready to email it to the newspaper, when my husband read something to me from a book he had just received in the mail. It was one of those light-bulb moments… it changed my mind, and my direction, because it brought my attention back to what is important, and what is not.

Pointing out that grown men don’t always play “nice” in the sandbox, and picking the one who kicks the most/least sand would be the easiest, most obvious thing to focus on… but certainly not the most important.

The hardest thing we have to do as citizens is to wade through the verbal debris that is today’s campaign style. That’s what causes many to take the easy way out… the short-cut… to deciding for whom to vote. Do we base our decisions on a candidate’s looks? His coolness? Where he’s from? Who he hangs out with… like the Hollwood elite, or Wall Street movers and shakers, or just plain folks from his small hometown? Do we listen to the critique of a candidate, or do we lean on who, or what, we believe him to be? As in, letting him tickle our ears with “sweet nothings”? (You know, he talks sweet, but really says “nothing”?) Do we do our own fact-check, or do we just let ourselves believe everything we hear?

In his book, “How Do You Kill 11 Million People?” Why The Truth Matters More Than You Think”, author Andy Andrews asks: How can we tell if a politician is telling the truth? He then reminds us of the old joke, “How can you tell if a politician is lying? If he’s moving his lips.” I think we’ve all learned that just because someone “says it, doesn’t mean it’s true.”

In this “Silly Season”, when big decisions are ours to make at the polls, remember this piece of advice from author Andrews:… “past performance serves to reveal future behavior. A person who has exhibited a pattern of lying is a liar.” Etc. Some call that character assassination, but how can we assassinate something that may not exist?

When you want to test a person’s character, give them power. Power corrupts. And, because it does, the higher the office, the more important Character becomes. Not style or intellect.. Some of the most intelligent leaders in history brought disaster to their countries.

Great leadership is a product of great character. That’s why character matters. And that’s why that’s all we should consider when we vote…

Character Counts by Patti Bankson syndicated from The Land of the Free.

Promises, Promises… But Can They Deliver ?

Patti Bankson — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 09:22:38 +0000

Many people don’t realize most political talk is about “tickling” our ears – saying what the candidate knows people want to hear. Consequently, this painful truth must be understood, it is just NOT POSSIBLE for a presidential candidate to deliver all things promised in a campaign.

A presidential candidate may have the best of intentions, but once elected, all a president can do is “present his case” to congress and hope they’ll “go along with him”. This rarely happens. One of the reasons is that a lot of people will vote in a president from one party and a congress from the other. I guess they believe they’re putting a kind of checks-and-balance system into place. In reality, what is usually put into place, is gridlock.

Food for thought: The difference between the Democrat and Republican parties lies in their “parenting styles”. Republicans are generally seen as the party of “less is more” – less government and taxes. Simply put, Republicans want the government (parent) to create an atmosphere favorable to business, then to get out of the way so they can grow their companies, and not be dependent on “Daddy”.

The Democrats, on the other hand, believe government is supposed to be “Daddy”… making sure the “kids” are taken care of, even after they should be out on their own. A couple of problems with that “philosophy”: A parent’s job is to take a child from newborn, utter dependence, on to mature, self-sufficient adulthood. In other words, helping children (citizens) get to the place where they look to themselves FIRST, not to the parents (government) first, for the solution to their problems. If parents do their job well, at some point, their job will be finished. However, many entitlements seem to keep people dependent on “daddy” far too long. The other problem with the entitlement philosophy is that, contrary to popular belief, there is NO FREE LUNCH! (Or much of anything else, for that matter.) There may be someone getting something free from the government, but only because someone else is paying for it. In other words, short of printing new money daily (QE3?) there’s only so much money available to do everything that’s necessary and/or promised. Translation: more promises = more taxes.

Unfortunately, voters’ demands have created an unhealthy competition, so that whatever party you’re a member of, if you ever want to win an election, you have to try to meet those demands. Not only is that a thankless task, it’s an almost impossible task as well. Like children, the more demanding voters are, and the more their demands are indulged, the more demanding they get, and the harder they are to satisfy.

I’m writing this the day before the first presidential debate. I know… you’re excited!? You might prefer “Dancing With The Stars” to what you consider dry, boring political rhetoric, but this is the time for us to educate ourselves, know what issues matter, then vote wisely. If you don’t like the direction in which our country is headed, participate. Choosing mindless, mind-numbing entertainment over civics, will leave others making your life-decisions… like politicians would looove to do.

“Experience hath shewn that even under the best forms of government, those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.” Thomas Jefferson

Promises, Promises… But Can They Deliver ? by Patti Bankson syndicated from The Land of the Free.

The Wussification of America

Patti Bankson — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 12:06:28 +0000

We’ve all heard the story about how a frog willingly commits suicide: If you bring a pot of water to the boiling point, and drop the frog into the boiling water, it will, allegedly, jump out and save itself from certain death. However… if you put a pot of cool water on the stove, put the frog into the water, and, then turn on the stove, letting the water (and the frog) slowly come to a boil, it’s all over for the frog and, and voila’… Frog Legs for dinner.

Perhaps you’ve always believed that’s just a gross story about cooking poor, defenseless, little frogs… if so you’ve missed the point, and have probably already joined Mr. Froggie in the slowly warming water, and the two of you are just sitting there sharing a little spa time… clueless.

Really, that’s a story about us… humans, in the U.S.It’s a story about our leaders filling up pots, putting them on the stove, and insisting that we jump in, while they start turning up the heat… whether we like it, or not, whether we want to, or not. Of course, it’s never just about $$, or power… No, no, no. It’s about what they think is good for us… after all, we know nothing. They know everything. And they are determined that we’ll live our lives their way, or else. How did this happen? Maybe the answer is as close as a mirror.

Nobody wants bad things to happen; not to themselves, their loved ones, or their neighbors. Not to adults, or to children. But, when did we become such a society of whimpering, whining wusses… a culture of control freaks who have been allowed to believe that we should be able to live our entire lives without pain, physical or emotional.

That’s why all participants in a sport get a trophy. They may have spent the season picking their noses on the sidelines, but, by golly… they “deserve” a trophy. That’s why sports like Dodge Ball have been banned from school playgrounds. That’s why toddler play areas are constructed of cushy stuff, that doesn’t hurt as much when they fall. That’s why school lunches have become a nightmare to all concerned: the mother packing the lunch, the cafeteria serving one, or the kid eating one… because it must meet somebody’s nonsensical “standards”.

That’s why “those in charge” are deciding whether growing up, and working, on a family farm is an acceptable risk… (do they mean compared to… urban “mean streets”?) That’s why dogs don’t ride in the back of pick-ups… why children are “tied down” in the car… why chicken nuggets is “healthier” than a home-made turkey and cheese sandwich. That’s why illegals are merely “undocumented”… that’s why we have political correctness gone amok… (sigh). How did a whole generation, or two, or three, manage to survive?

Well, we survived just fine, thanks… got hurt, got taken advantage of, sometimes… took advantage of someone else, sometimes… shed some tears, suffered some scrapes and cuts… a few insults, and our share of scraps… rough and tumble, maybe… hair-raising for parents? Yes, that, too. But, boy, did we have the time of our lives… boy, did we have a childhood!

The Wussification of America by Patti Bankson syndicated from The Land of the Free.

Constitution? What Constitution?

Patti Bankson — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 09:19:19 +0000

Do you ever talk back to people on radio and TV? I do! Just as often, I shake my head in disbelief, and ask (rhetorically), “Where did these people come from?”

No, contrary to what some readers want to believe, I’m not crazy. It’s simply that, like a growing number of Americans, I, too, am beginning to believe that, in general, it’s the Liberal/Progressive politicians who are crazy… in particular, the Liberal/Progressive politician in the oval office, Barack Obama, and the Liberal/Progressive politician who is the head of the Department of Justice (DOJ), Eric Holder. With all due respect, of course. And I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt about their sanity. But there is absolutely NO DOUBT! that neither of them (along with many others) has a clue when it comes to The Constitution, or the oath they made to uphold it. Why? The answer is the same as the answer to my rhetorical question above: They’re a product of their times… they’re a product of a public school system/foreign school system that decided in the 1960s to teach their little “sponges” about Moral Relativism, also known as Situational Ethics. Whatever you choose to call it, it’s simply a view of ethics in which absolute standards are considered less important than the requirements of a particular situation. Thus, the standards used to make “moral” decisions, don’t remain static… they change from one situation to the next… they might even be contradictory. For those of us find all the double-speak, and “story”-changing from these two men, and others, rather mind-boggling, there is no other explanation.

In researching this, I found the following very apropos: “Moral Relativism is a worldview. To determine for yourself what position to hold where morality is concerned, you must first determine what you believe about the Origin of Life: Evolution or Creation. Evolution teaches that life is accidental, without meaning or purpose. Whatever you do is okay, because ultimately it doesn’t matter.” (Moralrelativism.com) Thus evolution and moral relativism are “soul-mates”.

However, moral relativism and believing we’re created are antipathetic. Believing there’s a Creator, makes all things created subject to laws, whether natural or divine. (Remember our Constitution??) If we’re subject to a set of laws, then we are accountable to “someone”, and our decisions matter.

Obviously, our 2 top guys, are moral relativists… anything goes, nothing remains static. Just have what sounds like a good excuse if you get caught in your “relativity”.

My question, if I could secure an “audience” with our Emperor, is: Why are you totally dismissing our Constitution… pretending you believe in the rule of law? Why are you suing sovereign states? Because they won’t march in lockstep? Is that why you keep making end runs around people who don’t agree with you, like Congress… like The Supremes? Is that why, in spite of the court’s ruling Monday, you issued your own ruling just 3 hours later, that Home Land Security, and Immigration will no longer take calls from any law enforcement agents calling from an Arizona area code ??

Putting aside the Attorney General, for the moment, let me direct your attention to The Constitution… You only have 2 duties as President: Uphold the Constitution and Protect Our Borders. Did you miss that memo, Mr. President??

Constitution? What Constitution? by Patti Bankson syndicated from The Land of the Free.

FLASH: LAWMAKERS BAN EVERYTHING!

Patti Bankson — Sat, 12 May 2012 11:51:01 +0000

3½ years into Obama’s 1^st (and, please, God, Last!) term, I’m stunned when I hear someone say they voted for him, and would do it again… Obviously those people see a real, or perceived, benefit, to a 2^nd term. Obviously, too, they see little, or no, benefit in continuing to be “The Land of the Free”. Obviously #3, they must not follow the news, personally, or don’t live in one of the many states being inundated with government rules and regulations.

● Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill banning trans fats from his state’s 88,000 restaurants: “Under the new law, trans fats, long linked to health problems, must be excised from restaurant products beginning in 2010, and from all retail baked goods by 2011.” The New York Times called California a “national trendsetter in all matters edible”. NYC,Philadelphia,Stamford,CT, and D.C. suburb,Montgomery County,MD, likedArnold’s trendy idea, and have also banned trans fats. ABrooklyn, NY Democrat even introduced a bill to ban using salt in restaurants.

● San Francisco: Children are in tears over that city’s “Healthy Meals Incentive” which bans toys in “Happy Meals”, if the food contains too much fat, sugar or salt. (Beware the link between unhealthy food and prizes!)

● In Brazos County, Texas, a state law limiting junk food in schools, caused school officials to slap a third-grader with a week’s detention… she was required to be separated from other students during lunch and recess through Friday, when a teacher confiscated a Jolly Rancher she had in her lunch on Monday.

● NYC, one of many others, has banned school bake sales as part of a new wellness policy limiting options in vending machines and student-run stores. (There goes the $$ they used for proms and pep rallies!)

● Oregon regulations restricting small business, had health officials shutting down 7-year-old Julie Murphy’s roadside lemonade stand for failing to get a $120 “Temporary Restaurant” permit.

● D.C. schools,BoulderValleySchool DistrictinLouisvilleandBoulder,COhave banned chocolate milk in their schools.

Bake Sales? Jolly Ranchers? Chocolate Milk? What’s next… Baseball? Apple Pie? Motherhood? Yikes! Speaking of mothers, don’t forget your mother on Mother’s Day… maybe you should give her some fresh flowers, before some legislator with a bad attitude bans them because someone might be allergic… or just bans Mother’s Day, period, because not everyone still has one, and they’ll feel left out… or because some don’t meet certain Good Mother Standards. Whatever! My mother died when I was 24… I still wish I could open my front door and find her standing there… or ring her doorbell and she’d answer… I still wish I could pick up a phone and hear her voice. I believe I’ll see her again in heaven, but, in the meantime, I miss her. So, if you still have a mom, love her now, spend time with her now, because when it’s too late, it’s too late. I know.

FLASH: LAWMAKERS BAN EVERYTHING! by Patti Bankson syndicated from The Land of the Free.

How do you …

Patti Bankson — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:42:10 +0000

… Lament high gas prices in the U.S.while literally refusing to do anything about them? No, I’m not talking to the big, bad oil companies; I’m talking to our clueless, veracity-challenged President and his cronies/yes-men in Congress. Whaddya mean whaddoi mean?? Doncha know all this stuff?? Like while liberals are yakking about how “Drill, Baby, Drill”, is a stupid, ineffective policy that won’t solve our energy problems, (Likewise, producing more coal, and/or natural gas) that we’d still be dependent on foreign countries. Ah, “veracity” raises its ugly head: Although we have natural resources aplenty, rather than develop them, support American companies here, create jobs for Americans here, liberals choose to go elsewhere. LikeBrazil.

In 2009, “Obama” loaned $2 Billion to Petrobras, Brazil’s national oil company, to develop infrastructure and production there, while slapping the crud out of Americans, and American companies, who’d like to see that happen here… launching a PR war against them while he promotes an offshore drilling partnership with Brazil… while imposing moratoriums on US companies who want to drill in our own waters. Adding insult to injury, not only did “we” loan Brazil big $$, we also told them, “We want to help you with the technology and support to develop these oil reserves safely”. Then promised that “when you’re ready to start selling, we want to be one of your best customers. At a time when we’ve been reminded how easily instability in other parts of the world can affect the price of oil, the United States could not be happier with the potential for a new, stable source of energy.”

How do you do that, Mr. President… how do you slam the door in the face of American business, and American workers who need jobs… how do you choose to support job creation in Brazil when our unemployment rate is too high, and our borrowing and spending are obscene? How do you tell us that the only answer to our energy crisis is algae, while happily pumping American taxpayers’ $$ into the Brazilian economy and oil into their barrels, so that we can then spend even more taxpayer $$ to buy the oil in those barrels. It looks to me that in addition to his law school diplomas, President Obama must have earned diplomas in “Craftiness” and “Wiliness”, because although he likes to do a lot of investing, and loves proposing programs that we really can’t afford, he obviously knows NOTHING about investing, economics or business. I have to wonder who balances the Obama’s personal bank accounts. If they do as well with that, as he does with our country’s accounts, well… let’s just say, they’d be in a heap of hurt along with the rest of us.

How do you do that? I’ll tell you how… you print $$ until the ink runs out, you totally ignore any notion that a budget might be called for (after how many days without one?), and every time you run out of money you squeeze the peons until there’s just nothing left. By that time, you’ve probably managed to really grow your portfolio, like the rest of D.C. elites, leave the White House without a backward glance, and with these words: Let them eat cake, or grass, or whatever…

How do you do that??

How do you … by Patti Bankson syndicated from The Land of the Free.

Anybody but….

Patti Bankson — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 11:22:36 +0000

It started out being, “Anybody but Obama”, then morphed into, “Anybody but Romney”. Actually, that’s where it started, with Romney… whoever started that little slogan, and those who jumped on the “Anybody, but” bandwagon afterward, thought Romney was sure to be the Republican candidate who would (could?) win the party’s nomination, and go on to become President. If I’m not mistaken, that started “way back when”… when we had, what was it, nine candidates? Let’s see, there was former MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty, successful GA businessman, Herman Cain, former NM Gov., Gary Johnson (currently Libertarian Party presidential candidate), U.S. MN Representative, Michelle Bachman, Jon Huntsman, Jr., former UT Gov and Amb to China, and TX Gov., Rick Perry; all “drop-outs”. BTW, please note all of them either now hold office, or did, formerly. That’s the big election message, I think… local and state elections matter, just as much as Presidential/Federal… if you want a say on issues, and candidates, don’t stay home in your recliner on those election days. BTW#2, the citizens of Apopka have a dismal voter turn-out record. What’s the problem, people? I know you’re not content to let others make all you life-altering decisions, because you complain as much as anybody when you don’t like those decisions. Hope if you’re one of the complainers, you’re also a faithful, committed, voter!! Anyway…

The reason we’re at this “Anybody, but…” stage is because there’s something “wrong” with all the remaining presidential candidates: Mitt Romney is too “Hollywood-Perfect”, leaving him Looking Good, while he seems unable to reach out and touch anyone… and he’s “too nice”, no skeletons in his scandal closet. Then we have Rick Santorum, who also seems to have no skeletons rattling around in his closet. Unlike Newt Gingrich, whose campaign song could be “The thigh bone connecta to the knee bone”… remember that silly song? He’s also too feisty and bombastic, in a “go-get-‘em” kind of way that, in spite of it all, seems to resonate to the point of cheers and standing ovations. Last, but not least, there’s Ron Paul, who is considered to be just a leeetle bit too “wacky”.

So, there you have it, ladies and gentlemen of the conservative/Republican persuasion. The candidates, talking heads and pundits have all done their jobs and their homework. On January 31, it will be Florida’s time to do our job… hopefully we’ve all done our due diligence and are ready to get out there & rock the vote!

P.S. If you’re one of those out there, looking ahead to the general election, (still) leaning in Obama’s direction, before you pull that lever, or make your mark, ask yourself THE question: are you better off now than you were before Barack Obama? Millions of people across this country… Conservatives, Independents, and yes, gasp! even Democrats are screaming, “Nooooo!”, because we realize that if he’s re-elected, (Shudder!) every day will be an ugly, déjà vu day… until he’s done driving America over the cliff that already looms before us. Don’t give him permission to keep driving. Please.

Anybody but…. by Patti Bankson syndicated from The Land of the Free.

Offended? Get Over It!

Patti Bankson — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 09:30:18 +0000

Jennifer Ahlquist is offended. I’m offended. Anyone else offended? Have you filed your lawsuit yet? Me, neither. But, Jennifer Ahlquist has.

Don’t know Jennifer? She’s a student at Cranston High School West, in RI, who sued the city of Cranston, and its school committee, in April, 2011. Her suit “asks” to have a mural/banner removed from the school that’s been hanging there since it was donated by the class of 1963. School officials argued it was a historical memento of the school’s founding days, and didn’t serve any religious purpose. U.S. District Judge Ronald Lagueux rejected their claims that the mural’s message, starting with “Our Heavenly Father” and ending with “Amen” was purely secular. I’m not a legal expert, but even I know that the school should’ve come up with a better argument, because that one’s a loser.

Here’s the deal: Ms Ahlquist professes to be an atheist, thus, she said, the mural made her feel “excluded and ostracized”… geez, times have changed… I thought that’s what high school was all about… teen angst, acne, feeling excluded and ostracized. Guess not. Anyway, she, and her ACLU attorney, accused the school of violating the Establishment Clause of the Constitution’s First Amendment, which (they say) prevents the government from promoting one religion over another. Huh?? This is what it says: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or PROHIBITING THE FREE EXERCISE THEREOF…”

This judge relied on a 2005 Supreme Court decision in which the justices ruled that “particular care is called for in the separation of church and state in public schools.” They said that displaying the Ten Commandments on the Texas State Capitol grounds was acceptable… but wouldn’t be on public school grounds… Why? Because of “the impressionability of the young.”

Are we supposed to wait until their belief systems are etched in stone, and then try to teach them how to be decent, law-abiding human beings? Oh, yeah… How’s that working for us?? Let’s see… we’ve got babies having babies, kids clueless about who their “Daddy” is, losers blatantly selling dope on the streets, other losers protesting because someone has more than they do, a president (a definite product of the times) “preaching” enmity between “the classes”, corrupt politicians, crooked business people, and… Tim Tebow… a young athlete who should be seen as a great role-model, but is, instead, ridiculed for not sleeping around, not swearing, not partying, and for living his faith, to the best of his ability. He doesn’t seek the limelight, he shrugs it off. Yet, there’s such an antagonism out there toward God and religion that someone like him, with his values, his clean life-style, is unacceptable?

Ironically, dog-killer, Michael Vicks, or serial-adulterer, Tiger Woods, or out-of-my-mind-crazy-from-substance-abuse, Charlie Sheen, or Miss Call-me-beautiful-but-not-too-late-for-the-partay, Paris Hilton, all seem to be more acceptable to expose our “impressionable” youth to than Tebow. What, are we afraid he might make a (good) impression on them? God forbid. Ooops… can I still say “God” out loud, and in public? Yep, but the clock is ticking.
“Loving free speech is easy, until we hate what somebody said.” Gene Policinski, www.thefirstamendmentcenter.org

Offended? Get Over It! by Patti Bankson syndicated from The Land of the Free.