Everybody at some point was young enough to think it inconceivable that they could die. That's why you do so many stupid and reckless things the younger you are. More often than not, we come out okay and maybe just learning a lesson to be more careful the next time. Unfortunately, others don't survive.
When I saw this article in the local Sunday paper, my stomach sunk. If you don't know the kids, you feel sorry and bad for the parents, but then tend to move on. In a small town like Cartersville, though, it seems everyone has a connection. Therefore everyone is affected.
My connection to this goes back to my first year of teaching. Everyone will tell you that your first year in that profession is the roughest one. Even though I ended up loving being a teacher, that first semester sucked. Kids will take advantage of you and smell blood in the water. It was in my freshman geography class that I had Zach Shedd.
There are kids who make teachers want to quit, and there are those who make the job fun. Zach was one of the latter. That was a rough class and he was one of the ones who made it possible for me to make it through. Because of him being an overall hard worker and great kid, I gave him my Top Cat award, given to the top student by a teacher among all that teacher's classes.
I don't know if it was something in the water or what, but I ended up teaching a lot of twins while at Woodland. After Zach I had his twin brother, Devin, in my ninth grade English class. Teachers aren't supposed to play favorites, but there are just some kids you like more than others and you'll give them a little more slack. That's how I was with these guys. I ended up just liking them both.
One thing Zach, Devin and I would bring up around each other was Alabama football. Having a lot of class such as myself, they rooted for the Tide and we'd talk or complain about Alabama. For some reason I also kept running into these guys around town, which was cool.
I now work in Atlanta at a small newspaper. When I heard Zach was at Atlanta Medical Center, I knew I had to go. His mom, Tabitha, has been sleeping in the waiting room outside of the ICU since Sunday. When I got to see Zach, I was ready to give him a pass if he couldn't remember me. After all, the kid had come thisclose to death.
It did me good when he remembered who I was. There's a tube in the back of his head draining out fluid. His hip is broken along with his right femur. I asked him where it hurts the most and he said," My head... and neck. My leg. Chest. All over."
He doesn't remember much about the wreck and asks his mom from time to time about the others. He doesn't know that the other two girls in the back seat with him died. The doctors say it's too risky for him to know.
When tragedies like this hit, words tend to sound shallow no matter how profound they would normally be. In these, the initial stages, people want to assign blame. There will be plenty of time for that later. Right now keep these kids and their families in your prayers. Not an oh-by-the-way mention either. Don't bother if that's going to be the case. Make it real and heartfelt and earnest.
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Thursday, September 15, 2005
I knew it as soon as I saw it ...
As soon as I saw this story about a Reuters photographer taking a picture of a note President Bush slid to Condoleeza Rice during a UN meeting, I smiled. It wasn't because of the note itself asking whether it was a good time to go for presidential whiz, but because of how Bushhaters were going to attack it.
They jumped on it from the start, adding to their list of social gaffes by our president. Actually, many of these are funny. I suspect that my reaction to them is the same as our president's -- laugh about it and move on. In this case, he was checking with his secretary of state about proper protocol. That's it.
For the most part, I'm a Bush supporter. By that admission some people will make instant snap judgements on me. I must be stupid and uneducated. I'm a conservative just to the right of the Klan. I obviously care nothing about the environment or people of other races.
When I hear these people speak or read what they say, it fascinates me. At one time it made me mad. The longer I was exposed to their words, though, the sentiments started to sound familiar. I couldn't quite place it, but one day it hit me. For the most part, Bush-bashers (those who look for a fault in everything our president does. If it rains at their kid's birthday party, it's due to not signing the Kyoto agreement.) are those high school girls who hate other girls and have no clear reason why. There might have been some tangible reason at some point, but that was long ago and now new reasons are created at every move their object of loathing makes.
I can't stand President Bush/Tiffany.
Why?
Oh, I just can't. Look at him/her. He/She is just so stupid! I can't stand them!
That's all the reasoning needed.
Oh, some logic will be tossed in there. However, the truth will always be that if the same point were brought up by, say, any Democrat, it would be great. For Bushhaters, it's blame the messenger no matter what.
It's a shame, really. We need dissenting voices in America. Keeps people honest and jives with the checks-and-balances stuff we've been taught since fifth grade. But these folks have pigeonholed themselves into complaining about every little thing with our president. For many observers, it's made liberals' voices sound like the same old gong being pounded with no variation in frequency or message.
Here's where it's tossed in my face about the president's low approval ratings. Here it is: I don't trust the numbers. Also, if there is enough negative press, there will be polls to reflect it. Keep in mind that even though Churchill led England in the fight against Germany, he was still defeated in the next election. History has a weird way of viewing the maligned. I think it will ultimately turn out to be the same for President Bush.
They jumped on it from the start, adding to their list of social gaffes by our president. Actually, many of these are funny. I suspect that my reaction to them is the same as our president's -- laugh about it and move on. In this case, he was checking with his secretary of state about proper protocol. That's it.
For the most part, I'm a Bush supporter. By that admission some people will make instant snap judgements on me. I must be stupid and uneducated. I'm a conservative just to the right of the Klan. I obviously care nothing about the environment or people of other races.
When I hear these people speak or read what they say, it fascinates me. At one time it made me mad. The longer I was exposed to their words, though, the sentiments started to sound familiar. I couldn't quite place it, but one day it hit me. For the most part, Bush-bashers (those who look for a fault in everything our president does. If it rains at their kid's birthday party, it's due to not signing the Kyoto agreement.) are those high school girls who hate other girls and have no clear reason why. There might have been some tangible reason at some point, but that was long ago and now new reasons are created at every move their object of loathing makes.
I can't stand President Bush/Tiffany.
Why?
Oh, I just can't. Look at him/her. He/She is just so stupid! I can't stand them!
That's all the reasoning needed.
Oh, some logic will be tossed in there. However, the truth will always be that if the same point were brought up by, say, any Democrat, it would be great. For Bushhaters, it's blame the messenger no matter what.
It's a shame, really. We need dissenting voices in America. Keeps people honest and jives with the checks-and-balances stuff we've been taught since fifth grade. But these folks have pigeonholed themselves into complaining about every little thing with our president. For many observers, it's made liberals' voices sound like the same old gong being pounded with no variation in frequency or message.
Here's where it's tossed in my face about the president's low approval ratings. Here it is: I don't trust the numbers. Also, if there is enough negative press, there will be polls to reflect it. Keep in mind that even though Churchill led England in the fight against Germany, he was still defeated in the next election. History has a weird way of viewing the maligned. I think it will ultimately turn out to be the same for President Bush.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Mixed start to football season
There are times where I want to be in a great mood concerning something, but there is just one thing holding me back. It's something that just sticks in the back of my head and keeps me from enjoying an overall picture.
That's the case with football right now. For me, Christmas might officially come on Dec. 25, but it actually kicks off the first week of college football. High school is already going on at that time, and I consider it somwhat of a pre-season. The NFL is a nice extra a week after college has started.
Although my old high school is doing well (2-1, ranked in their class. The only loss coming at the hands of a ranked school in a larger classification.), college is a different story. My Jacksonville State Gamecocks are staring 0-3 in the face after dropping a heartbreaker to Furman on the last play of the game and last week losing to UT-Chattanooga with 10 seconds left. UAB isn't the same team we beat in the mid-90's. They're a legit D-I school. I was looking forward to perhaps a home playoff game this year. That possibility is all but gone. We need to win the Ohio Valley Conference again just to make the playoffs.
It would be a shame if JSU goes in the tank this year and it could all be traced back to one play at the end of the first game of the year. If Furman's QB, Ingle Martin, is just tackled a second later, the clock runs out at the Gamecocks have the biggest win since the move to D-I, perhaps the biggest upset in school history.
On the same vein, Alabama's season may have been saved on Tyrone Prothro's good-grief-did-you-see-that catch Saturday night. On a fourth and 12 at the end of the first half, Prothro's 42-yard catch puts Bama at the one. One play later makes the score 21-17, Southern Miss. Without that catch, you wonder if Alabama wins.
As for the Falcons, I'm feeling pretty good about this team. It's the morning after we got back at Philladelphia for the NFC Championship game loss 14-10, on Monday night. (Monday Night Football makes me miss living in Wyoming and the Mountain Time Zone. There it's on from 7-10, the way it should be. I haven't seen a complete MNF or World Series game since moving to Georgia. Out there you also don't have to stay up all hours of the night to watch the college games out there with their teams and the crazy offenses.)
Although the Falcons won, it's different playing an Eagles defense without Jeremiah Trotter. He's one of those guys that when he's on the other team you want his head knocked off after he does one of those axe-chop deals following a big hit, but you'd find it absolutely delightful if he's wearing your colors.
As for Mike Vick, I don't want to hear anything else about him not being a true quarterback. Yeah, okay, what's your point? Don't call him a glorified running back taking snaps. If you can't bring yourself to call him a quarterback, fine. Just admit he's the only person in the NFL that does what he does at his position. He's a new breed of athlete, and this is coming from a conventional football fan that will take an awesome running game over a great passing game. I'll every time choose big-time defense over big-play offense. What we have in Atlanta, though, is something different in a quarterback and at time defies definition, so let him be.
That's the case with football right now. For me, Christmas might officially come on Dec. 25, but it actually kicks off the first week of college football. High school is already going on at that time, and I consider it somwhat of a pre-season. The NFL is a nice extra a week after college has started.
Although my old high school is doing well (2-1, ranked in their class. The only loss coming at the hands of a ranked school in a larger classification.), college is a different story. My Jacksonville State Gamecocks are staring 0-3 in the face after dropping a heartbreaker to Furman on the last play of the game and last week losing to UT-Chattanooga with 10 seconds left. UAB isn't the same team we beat in the mid-90's. They're a legit D-I school. I was looking forward to perhaps a home playoff game this year. That possibility is all but gone. We need to win the Ohio Valley Conference again just to make the playoffs.
It would be a shame if JSU goes in the tank this year and it could all be traced back to one play at the end of the first game of the year. If Furman's QB, Ingle Martin, is just tackled a second later, the clock runs out at the Gamecocks have the biggest win since the move to D-I, perhaps the biggest upset in school history.
On the same vein, Alabama's season may have been saved on Tyrone Prothro's good-grief-did-you-see-that catch Saturday night. On a fourth and 12 at the end of the first half, Prothro's 42-yard catch puts Bama at the one. One play later makes the score 21-17, Southern Miss. Without that catch, you wonder if Alabama wins.
As for the Falcons, I'm feeling pretty good about this team. It's the morning after we got back at Philladelphia for the NFC Championship game loss 14-10, on Monday night. (Monday Night Football makes me miss living in Wyoming and the Mountain Time Zone. There it's on from 7-10, the way it should be. I haven't seen a complete MNF or World Series game since moving to Georgia. Out there you also don't have to stay up all hours of the night to watch the college games out there with their teams and the crazy offenses.)
Although the Falcons won, it's different playing an Eagles defense without Jeremiah Trotter. He's one of those guys that when he's on the other team you want his head knocked off after he does one of those axe-chop deals following a big hit, but you'd find it absolutely delightful if he's wearing your colors.
As for Mike Vick, I don't want to hear anything else about him not being a true quarterback. Yeah, okay, what's your point? Don't call him a glorified running back taking snaps. If you can't bring yourself to call him a quarterback, fine. Just admit he's the only person in the NFL that does what he does at his position. He's a new breed of athlete, and this is coming from a conventional football fan that will take an awesome running game over a great passing game. I'll every time choose big-time defense over big-play offense. What we have in Atlanta, though, is something different in a quarterback and at time defies definition, so let him be.
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Before and after New Orleans satellite images
This is unbelieveable. Whenever there is a flood in the U.S., it's almost always a small area or a drawn-out section, such as along the Mississippi River. What is going on in New Orleans is something reserved for disaster movies. Think of it: a city of nearly a half-million people now unliveable. Will these people just resettle in Houston or Jackson or Shreveport -- wherever the refugee bus dropped them off? This is a major city where nobody has gone to work in nearly a week now. At this time, I find myself among those dropping a ton of questions, with little answers.
Friday, August 26, 2005
Be careful around new roommates and the iron
If you've ever had a roommate in college you didn't know beforehand, you have a story. It's a fact of life. I would suspect the girl on the tail end of this beatdown would rather she didn't have this story, though. Don't mess with any Barkley women!
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Dean blasts Bush for endorsing intelligent design
Why does this scare some people so much? Having an open mind means allowing concepts to be discussed that might threaten your own "concrete" convictions, right? I was taught one perspective during my entire time in school. It was seen as fact. I didn't raise a fuss about it, yet I didn't buy it. It would have been interesting to have been presented another theory or origin, such as intelligent design.
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Hilton Head was pretty nice
Spent the last week in Hilton Head, SC. It was my first time there and I must say, very enjoyable. Before the trip, the only time it seemed I had heard of the place was whenever a hurricane was going to hit it. Getting there had some problems. It's about a five-hour drive from where we live. We got a late start due to attending a funeral. This resulted in us getting on the road at 8:00, with a five-hour trip ahead of us. I drove the whole way. At one point, it rained so hard that we slowed down to a crawl.
We got to HH around one in the morning. It was still raining and extremely dark. Basically, there is one main road on the island with all the side streets nearby. Our resort was on this main road, we thought.
I say that because we didn't get our package in the mail before leaving. I had booked the cond online, and evidently, our info packet got a little hung up. My wife got in touch with the guy who owned the condo and he passed the code to the key box for us to get in.
Back to my story. We're driving along and never see the place. I start wondering in my mind if we'd been scammed, going over the name of our contact and the resort, now convinced they were both fictitious.
A guy at a store tells us that he thinks the place we're looking for is back in the direction we came from. I'm not encouraged by this, knowing I had looked carefully along the road.
We go back and there it is the Hilton Head Resort, lit up in bright lights. How did I miss it? The lights on the side of the sign facing the direction we came in were out. Nice marketing.
Oh, yeah. The key broke off in the lock. Luckily there was a spare inside. We got to bed around two in the morning.
The rest of the trip was great. We had to get used to the half-mile walk to the beach over the boardwalk, but got used to it. The walk to the beach, private beach houses being on our left and right, and hotels/public access areas being a mile or two down the beach on either side resulted in us having a semi-private beach. One day we went into Savannah and toured the city on a trolley. That night we ate at The Lady and Sons. We had heard that this place was a little overhyped, but we loved it. I made only one trip to the buffet. I couldn't believe it. That had never happened to me before. Maybe there's some kind of Viagra-like pill for my stomach so I can perform again.
All in all, it was a good trip. The water was warm and very calm. The beaches were pretty clean. HH is known for its golfing, but I didn't feel like shelling out a hundred bucks or so just to get mad at myself. I can deflate my ego for 11 dollars at the hacker's course down the road.
Friday, July 29, 2005
The political left gets religion
November's elections revealed the voting power of evangelicals. Seeing that, the logical step for liberals was to start to try and appeal a little more to this section of the population.
What those on the left don't seem to realize is the way they vote, the issues they support, and the groups that back them reveal to the rest of us their true intent. Don't get a photo op of a group prayer and then try to keep partial-birth abortion available.
Incidentally, don't think that Republicans are above this same tactic. Politicians are wired for one goal: get elected. They generally don't care about the means.
What those on the left don't seem to realize is the way they vote, the issues they support, and the groups that back them reveal to the rest of us their true intent. Don't get a photo op of a group prayer and then try to keep partial-birth abortion available.
Incidentally, don't think that Republicans are above this same tactic. Politicians are wired for one goal: get elected. They generally don't care about the means.
Pro-family groups push for a la carte cable
This is something I've been pushing for for a long time, though I must say not necessarily for the same reasons. It's getting to the point that I may need to take out a second mortgage for my cable bill. The frustration on this is compounded that there are basically just a couple of channels I could have, rather than the 100 or so, and be happy.
Give me ESPN, ESPN2, FoxNews and Turner South. Have the basic channels tossed in as well, and I'm fine. My wife is addicted to the Home and Garden channel, so that would need to be included as well. Oh yeah, Nickelodeon for the little one so she can have her Dora fix. That's it. The rest of it is unwatchable crap. I've had Starz and Showtime as part of the introductory package for the past six or seven months. The only thing it's made me realize is just how many really bad movies there are out there.
By the way, the reasons given in the article have some merit. I say "some" because there are things like the V-chip to use in weeding out unwanted programming. I've got to be honest in that I'd be for it mostly for financial reasons.
I don't see this happening anyway. Cable companies have too much to lose and it's all about the profit margin. Speaking of which, I need to go sell another pint so my wife can get to watch the "Design on a Dime" marathon.
Give me ESPN, ESPN2, FoxNews and Turner South. Have the basic channels tossed in as well, and I'm fine. My wife is addicted to the Home and Garden channel, so that would need to be included as well. Oh yeah, Nickelodeon for the little one so she can have her Dora fix. That's it. The rest of it is unwatchable crap. I've had Starz and Showtime as part of the introductory package for the past six or seven months. The only thing it's made me realize is just how many really bad movies there are out there.
By the way, the reasons given in the article have some merit. I say "some" because there are things like the V-chip to use in weeding out unwanted programming. I've got to be honest in that I'd be for it mostly for financial reasons.
I don't see this happening anyway. Cable companies have too much to lose and it's all about the profit margin. Speaking of which, I need to go sell another pint so my wife can get to watch the "Design on a Dime" marathon.
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Rap is now for geeks
It appears that the world of hip hop is now stretching into parents' basements and computer labs.
Monday, July 25, 2005
First Woodstock to host singles event
First Baptist Church in Woodstock is going to be hosting a one-day worship event for singles Saturday, August 13. Click on the link or here for more information. There's a video that accompanies it some give it some time to load if you have dialup.
400 scientists sign "Dissent from Darwinism"
This is an issue that is gaining steam but those opposed to being open-minded about the beginnings of man just don't want it to build. I'm speaking of those who want Darwinism and evolution to be the end-all argument for the origin of every species on the planet. Like many of you, I was taught this in school: A loooooooooong time ago there was nothing. Billions of years later, I was sitting in a desk. Even at the time it didn't seem right.
Now, scientists from around the world have signed an agreement stating there are obvious problems with the evolutionary theory. These scientists are from all over the world. You'll be surprised to know that many are from universities such as UC Berkley and Cornell -- not exactly bastions of conservatism.
I just finished reading a book about this topic. Sure it was fiction, but the author used scientific fact to make his point. For those of you familiar with Frank Perretti, you know that his thing is spiritual warfare and that kind of gig.
His new book, Monster, grabbed me because it centers around something that has fascinated me since I was a kid: Bigfoot. Call it the possibility that there could be a real-life monster out there, perhaps it was from the cheesy 70's TV show about Bigfoot, but it has stayed with me. I'm not about to go out in the woods with a bucket of plaster to make casts of possible prints, but there's still an interest.
In the book, a young couple is camping in the Pacific Northwest when they are chased by a large animal. The last thing the husband sees is his young wife being carried off into the woods by some huge thing. From there, Peretti uses the story to ultimately explore the issue of evolution versus creationism and pointedly the tripping points of mutations leading to positive outcomes. The story is over 400 pages long and it held me enough to finish it in a week.
Now, scientists from around the world have signed an agreement stating there are obvious problems with the evolutionary theory. These scientists are from all over the world. You'll be surprised to know that many are from universities such as UC Berkley and Cornell -- not exactly bastions of conservatism.
I just finished reading a book about this topic. Sure it was fiction, but the author used scientific fact to make his point. For those of you familiar with Frank Perretti, you know that his thing is spiritual warfare and that kind of gig.
His new book, Monster, grabbed me because it centers around something that has fascinated me since I was a kid: Bigfoot. Call it the possibility that there could be a real-life monster out there, perhaps it was from the cheesy 70's TV show about Bigfoot, but it has stayed with me. I'm not about to go out in the woods with a bucket of plaster to make casts of possible prints, but there's still an interest.
In the book, a young couple is camping in the Pacific Northwest when they are chased by a large animal. The last thing the husband sees is his young wife being carried off into the woods by some huge thing. From there, Peretti uses the story to ultimately explore the issue of evolution versus creationism and pointedly the tripping points of mutations leading to positive outcomes. The story is over 400 pages long and it held me enough to finish it in a week.
Video of American soldier surviving sniper attack
Every now and then we need a reminder of what our servicemen and women are going through in Iraq and around the world in the War on Terror. The link to the video is at the bottom. Thank God for body armor.
Join with others in changing the path of our planet
Want to join in with a few dozen other people who apparently have no job and therefore too much time on their hands? Click on the link to sign up.
Thursday, July 21, 2005
When is a sport a sport or an athlete an athlete?
I was talking with a co-worker of mine today and sports was brought up. She is a former cheerleader -- did it basically from third grade on through college. She says it's a sport and the athletes involved don't get the credit they deserve.
Here's the problem I have with that: Anything that requires judges isn't a sport. It's a competition. Don't give me the referees-are-basically-judges argument. Sports where there is a point system (not given out by judges, a la ice skating) are the only ones that are just that ... sports.
Are horses athletes? There was some flap when Secretariat was named one of the top athletes of the century, but I'll go along with this. Out of a field of 15, one horse runs the fastest. He/she is an athlete. It's simply a footrace, or hoofrace, only they happen to have a 115 pound Venzualean clinging to their back.
How about competitive diving? Sorry. They are athletes, sure. I contort my body into two positions at the pool: can opener and cannonball. However, it's a competition. There's a difference. Swimming, sport. First one to the wall wins.
This is one reason I have more trouble than I should staying with the Olympics when they're on. Anything with judges just loses me. How do I know Bulgaria doesn't have it in for anyone from Moldova? How can I sleep at night worrying that Nadia Koroshivakamic's gold medal in baton twirling might not be legit due to some fued between countries?
Enough about all of this. I have to go see if Kobayachi can stuff 50 hot dogs in his mouth on ESPN2. Now that's a sport!
Here's the problem I have with that: Anything that requires judges isn't a sport. It's a competition. Don't give me the referees-are-basically-judges argument. Sports where there is a point system (not given out by judges, a la ice skating) are the only ones that are just that ... sports.
Are horses athletes? There was some flap when Secretariat was named one of the top athletes of the century, but I'll go along with this. Out of a field of 15, one horse runs the fastest. He/she is an athlete. It's simply a footrace, or hoofrace, only they happen to have a 115 pound Venzualean clinging to their back.
How about competitive diving? Sorry. They are athletes, sure. I contort my body into two positions at the pool: can opener and cannonball. However, it's a competition. There's a difference. Swimming, sport. First one to the wall wins.
This is one reason I have more trouble than I should staying with the Olympics when they're on. Anything with judges just loses me. How do I know Bulgaria doesn't have it in for anyone from Moldova? How can I sleep at night worrying that Nadia Koroshivakamic's gold medal in baton twirling might not be legit due to some fued between countries?
Enough about all of this. I have to go see if Kobayachi can stuff 50 hot dogs in his mouth on ESPN2. Now that's a sport!
Monday, July 18, 2005
Adulterers now have a place in the greeting card section
It's great that crazy (married) kids in love can now voice their love to one another via greeting cards. Reading this gave me one of those "hell in a handbasket" moments for society in general and our country in particular. Kelly Boggs has a good column on Baptist Press going a little more into this.
Come to think of it, maybe I'm being a little too harsh. Actually, there are other star-crossed lovers who might need their own place in the Hallmark store coming soon.
Pedofiles -- Why should age be such a hinderance?
Beastiality -- Species, shmeshies. It's all good.
Cars, boats, etc. -- Guys already give them female names. You're basically only one step away from a visit to a Massachusetts altar to make it legit.
Here's something to consider. Take the effort you put into covering up your infidelity and use it to fix up your marriage. Your kids will appreciate it.
Come to think of it, maybe I'm being a little too harsh. Actually, there are other star-crossed lovers who might need their own place in the Hallmark store coming soon.
Pedofiles -- Why should age be such a hinderance?
Beastiality -- Species, shmeshies. It's all good.
Cars, boats, etc. -- Guys already give them female names. You're basically only one step away from a visit to a Massachusetts altar to make it legit.
Here's something to consider. Take the effort you put into covering up your infidelity and use it to fix up your marriage. Your kids will appreciate it.
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Apparently never too soon to start thinking of your kid's college
Oh dear Lord, what have we become? These kids have no shot! It's indoctrinization! It's brainwashing! It's ... wait, there's one for Bama?
Maybe it's not such a bad idea to put kids on the right path ...
Maybe it's not such a bad idea to put kids on the right path ...
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Okay, let's have an open conversation ...
It's interesting how in the world of academia it's okay to have an open mind as long as certain viewpoints are not given a seat at the table. The National Education Association, by far the most powerful of teacher unions, has long held a liberal platform in its policies, bowing to pressure from leftist groups.
Here's the biggest problem I have with this. Teachers and principals are overall antsy about the promotion of Christan clubs or anything to do with Christianity today. The reason being is that groups such as the NEA and ACLU will come attacking with the banner of separation of church and state. Education funds are stretched to the max. Therefore, the safe thing to do is to not allow those clubs to meet, or at least make it a big enough headache so that they meet at the nearby church.
Case in point. This month, a parent in Cobb County observed a bench bearing the words "Jesus Loves You" in front of Marietta High School. He said there was no intention of filing a lawsuit, but that his stance on it "will depend on the legal ruling by the school system." He went on to say that it was "best at this point to give [the school board] the opportunity to figure out where they stand."
What a swell guy.
To think how many kids over these years the bench supplied by private donors may have damaged. Absolutely, psychologists all over the area have certainly been working overtime to help the hoards of fragile adolescents no doubt permanently scarred by such a hideous message.
Johnny, why did you shoot up your classmates and attempt to overdose on pills before driving home and filleting your parents?
What can't your read? That bench says Jesus loves me! I can't deal with that kind of pressure!
Whew. At least the free speech of gangsta rap and the National Man Boy Love Association is protected.
One more thing: The parent who raised the question on the bench doesn't even have children at the school.
If you're going to allow free speech, then do it. Get to the root. Is it causing damage? Is it actually provided by private individuals? Allow viewpoints that challenge your own to be heard. Don't trumpet yourself as an accepting intellectual when your just as scared of a dissenting view point as those you attack. Stop hiding behind the hypocrisy of a determined agenda designed to look open-minded. We can all see through the charade.
Here's the biggest problem I have with this. Teachers and principals are overall antsy about the promotion of Christan clubs or anything to do with Christianity today. The reason being is that groups such as the NEA and ACLU will come attacking with the banner of separation of church and state. Education funds are stretched to the max. Therefore, the safe thing to do is to not allow those clubs to meet, or at least make it a big enough headache so that they meet at the nearby church.
Case in point. This month, a parent in Cobb County observed a bench bearing the words "Jesus Loves You" in front of Marietta High School. He said there was no intention of filing a lawsuit, but that his stance on it "will depend on the legal ruling by the school system." He went on to say that it was "best at this point to give [the school board] the opportunity to figure out where they stand."
What a swell guy.
To think how many kids over these years the bench supplied by private donors may have damaged. Absolutely, psychologists all over the area have certainly been working overtime to help the hoards of fragile adolescents no doubt permanently scarred by such a hideous message.
Johnny, why did you shoot up your classmates and attempt to overdose on pills before driving home and filleting your parents?
What can't your read? That bench says Jesus loves me! I can't deal with that kind of pressure!
Whew. At least the free speech of gangsta rap and the National Man Boy Love Association is protected.
One more thing: The parent who raised the question on the bench doesn't even have children at the school.
If you're going to allow free speech, then do it. Get to the root. Is it causing damage? Is it actually provided by private individuals? Allow viewpoints that challenge your own to be heard. Don't trumpet yourself as an accepting intellectual when your just as scared of a dissenting view point as those you attack. Stop hiding behind the hypocrisy of a determined agenda designed to look open-minded. We can all see through the charade.
Monday, July 11, 2005
We have clearance ...
This was actually riskier than it looks. Every toss in the air meant water falling down in my eyes. I kinda had to do a no-look catch a couple of times.
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