San Diego is all over the national news, and to date, as far as the last couple of weeks are concerned, only one piece of notoriety has been favorable (and even that is depending upon which side your on, i guess).
We have had the horrific disappearance and discovery of Chelsea King.
We have had racial disturbances from our very own UCSD, in La Jolla.
We have an entire family of four missing since the first week of February, their abandoned vehicle found in San Ysidro, just south of the border.
We have had the Poway School system vs. a teacher, Bradley Johnson, over the word "God" displayed large and wide in his classroom.
Guess which one G finds happiness?
(You all get a gold star.)
Judge Roger T. Benetiz is my new best friend and the Thomas More Law Center is my new happy place.
FOR TWENTY FIVE YEARS mind you,
Mr. Bradley proudly displayed infamous American cornerstones:
“In God We Trust”
“One Nation Under God”
“God Bless America”
“God Shed His Grace on Thee”
FOR SEVENTEEN YEARS let it be known
a second banner was on display, featuring excerpts from the Declaration of Independence:
“All Men Are Created Equal,
They Are Endowed By Their Creator.”
One fear outlined in the dispute by the Poway Unified School District, mitigated the claim that perhaps a "Muslim student might be offended by the slogans." (Within the Hon. Benetiz' response, he notes "more to the point, an imaginary Islamic student is not entitled to a heckler's veto on a teacher's passive, popular or unpopular expression about God's place in the history of the United States. see link below, pg. 28)
Not worthy of a "heckler's veto" ...love that.
The District believed Mr. Johnson was in violation of offensive display, among other things, as evident in his choice of classroom banners which “over-emphasized” God.
A crucial role in the Judge’s decision -- a simple matter really, one that, oh I don't know, the reality that umpteen other classrooms within the district made other "theism's" wildly known and displayed, some more outlandish than another, and nobody said a word.
Of the items allowed -- according to the Poway Unified School District -- without reprimand:
- a 35 to 40-foot long string of Tibetan prayer flags with writings in Sanskrit and images of Buddha.
- a large poster of John Lennon and the lyrics to the song "Imagine":
"Imagine there's no Heaven, it's easy if you try"
(we all know the rest...)
- a poster of Hindu leader, Mahatma Gandhi's "7 Social Sins":
Politics without principle
Wealth without work
Wealth without work
Commerce without morality
Pleasure without conscience
Education without character
Science without humanity
Worship without sacrifice.
- a poster that says: "The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality."
- posters of Muslim minister, Malcolm X.
- a Greenpeace poster that says: "Stop Global Warming
- posters of professional athletes and sports teams.
- "Day of Silence" posters.
- Bumper stickers that say:
"Equal Rights Are Not Special Rights,"
"Dare to Think for Yourself,"
"Celebrate Diversity."
- a poster with a large peace sign and the word "peace" in several languages.
- a mock American flag with a peace sign replacing the 50 stars and appearing to be six feet wide and four feet tall.
- an anti-war poster that asks: "How many Iraqi children did we kill today?"
- and there were plenty more...
An article featured on the Thomas More website includes pieces of Judge Benitez’s MAGNIFICENT 32-page opinion, which by all standards extends an articulate and thorough criticism of the Poway school districts aversion to mentioning the word God, eloquently raking their undeniable bias over the coals:
“[The school district officials] apparently fear their students are incapable of dealing with diverse viewpoints that include God’s place in American history and culture. . . . That God places prominently in our Nation’s history does not create an Establishment Clause violation requiring curettage and disinfectant for Johnson’s public high school classroom walls. It is a matter of historical fact that our institutions and government actors have in past and present times given place to a supreme God."[Copy of the Decision link]
Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel for the Law Center, commented,
“Many school officials exhibit hostility towards our nation’s Christian heritage. Yet, these same officials see no problem in actively promoting atheism or other religions under the guise of cultural diversity and tolerance. Hopefully, Judge Benitez’s decision will help put an end to this double standard. It is the responsibility of our public schools to educate students on the crucial role Christianity played in our Nation’s founding.”"In his ruling, Judge Benitez acknowledged that public schools provide students with a healthy exposure to diverse ideas and opinions. He then went on to rule,"
“Fostering diversity, however, does not mean bleaching out historical religious expression or mainstream morality. By squelching only Johnson’s patriotic and religious classroom banners, while permitting other diverse religious and anti-religious classroom displays, the school district does a disservice to the students of Westview High School and the federal and state constitutions do not permit this one-sided censorship.”
[TO read more of the full article, go to More.]
Of course, today on Glenn Beck, it is only fitting that he will dedicate the entire hour of his daily Fox News Channel program to the "Indoctrination of our Children" -- I can hardly wait.
I have highlighted the McGuffey Readers before, but think MORE than ever -- they ring the proverbial bell of what may ail us, and show what fails us, when it comes to the great duty to educate our children.
Here's some "Good Advice" as featured in a story found in the First Reader, for the young boys and girls from the 19th Century (this is the way we used to teach our children):
Lesson XXXI
Good Advice
If you have done anything during the day
that is wrong, ask forgiveness of God
and your parents.
Remember that you should learn
some good things every day.
If you have learned nothing all day,
that day is lost.
If anyone has done you wrong,
forgive him in your heart
before you go to sleep.
Do not go to sleep with hatred
in your heart toward anyone.
Never speak to anyone
in an angry or harsh voice.
If you have spoken unkind words to
a brother or sister,
go and ask forgiveness.
If you have disobeyed your parents,
go and confess it.
Ask God to aid you always
to do good and avoid evil.
It's not like the math teacher, Mr. Johnson, was speaking the gospel, or for that matter saying anything more than what is imprinted on our money or upon the walls and portico's housing the documentation and representation of American courthouses, Capital buildings, as well as the monuments and iconic cultural architecture promenently built by our forefathers; these profound words are everywhere, self evident and steadfast, to carry us onward and upward, instilling the words of a nation to live by.
These words do have history; these words do have meaning; they are not just words. Back behind the word is the fundamental reason we became a nation -- separating us from England in order to express our religious freedoms in the first place -- and becoming the inherent foundation to everything we are today.
These are not just simple words, they are words that bind us, unite us, declare us exceptional;
"IN GOD WE TRUST" --undoubtedly these words make a lasting impression upon our hearts and minds; "ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL" -- formally setting in stone words of wisdom and prized moments in American history;
"ONE NATION UNDER GOD" -- yet, look at us now; we have become one nation under God under attack at almost every turn.
Oh but the lessons like "Good Advice" from the McGuffey readers don't stop at the end of the verse; the Readers continue to prescribe further supplemental readings for the teacher, requesting that each student turn to their Bible, to see how the lesson conforms to the word of God. Following the "Good Advice", it recommends Ephesians 4:26 and 31, Ecclesiastes 7:9 and Proverbs 15:1.
"A gentle answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger."
Proverbs 15:1
How many times have we witnessed this to be true for ourselves?
We no longer have to Imagine a world with "no heaven" -- we seem to be at pace for achieving that within days, unless of course, enough of us like the good teacher have anything to say about it.
All the ways Christianity is attacked these days only makes me want to be a better girl and persuades me to teach the importance of "Good Advice" to my own ; the horrific disrespect for another human life, as in the recent loss of a fellow San Diego girl, Chelsea King, only makes me pray harder; the destructive racial tensions and antagonism here in my neck of the woods, only makes me wish we all understood "all men are created equal" to the fullness and depth of our individual responsibility back behind the words; in the midst of searching for answers to the whereabouts of an entire family so close to home, yet so far away, all I can do IS turn it over to God, for it is out of my hands.
BUT, as for the happy ending with Bradley Johnson and the able-bodied band of patriots helping him out at The Thomas More Law Center, I commend you all for your vigilance and applaud your undeniable allegiance to the flag and to the beautiful country we live; and last but not least, I sincerely hope that Mr. Johnson's students appreciate how lucky they are for all of the above.
Make it a Good Day, G
Somewhere along the way doing the right thing and being a good person has been either lost in translation or buried with bad behavior -- whether it is our own or somebody else's. While in some cases, being good almost comes out appearing entirely unpopular!
WE must persevere and be of good nature; we must reward our children to be a good citizen -- we must grow more good than bad -- or we simply will no longer be.
If in doubt or feeling overwhelmed by the not-so-good, go to http://www.realamericanstories.com/ for more, real, feel good stories. WE are there and everywhere, just have to look for it.
WE must persevere and be of good nature; we must reward our children to be a good citizen -- we must grow more good than bad -- or we simply will no longer be.
If in doubt or feeling overwhelmed by the not-so-good, go to http://www.realamericanstories.com/ for more, real, feel good stories. WE are there and everywhere, just have to look for it.
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