What has America become?

[MikeC]

A letter to the editor.

Editor,

Has America become the land of special interest and home of the double standard?

Lets see: if we lie to the Congress, it's a felony and if the Congress lies to us its just politics; if we dislike a black person, we're racist and if a black person dislikes whites, its their 1st Amendment right; the government spends millions to rehabilitate criminals and they do almost nothing for the victims; in public schools you can teach that homosexuality is OK, but you better not use the word God in the process; you can kill an unborn child, but it is wrong to execute a mass murderer; we don't burn books in America, we now rewrite them; we got rid of communist and socialist threats by renaming them progressive; we are unable to close our border with Mexico, but have no problem protecting the 38th parallel in Korea; if you protest against President Obama's policies you're a terrorist, but if you burned an American flag or George Bush in effigy it was your 1st Amendment right.

You can have pornography on TV or the internet, but you better not put a nativity scene in a public park during Christmas; we have eliminated all criminals in America, they are now called sick people; we can use a human fetus for medical research, but it is wrong to use an animal.

We take money from those who work hard for it and give it to those who don't want to work; we all support the Constitution, but only when it supports our political ideology; we still have freedom of speech, but only if we are being politically correct; parenting has been replaced with Ritalin and video games; the land of opportunity is now the land of hand outs; the similarity between Hurricane Katrina and the gulf oil spill is that neither president did anything to help.

And how do we handle a major crisis today? The government appoints a committee to determine who's at fault, then threatens them, passes a law, raises our taxes; tells us the problem is solved so they can get back to their reelection campaign.

What has happened to the land of the free and home of the brave?

- Ken Huber
Tawas City

[Shadowschmadow]

There are parts that I think are awesome, others I don't agree with, but I like the overall message.

[Fazc]

There is a lot of discontentment across the pond as well, with letters like these going around. Makes me wonder though, is it the situation that is getting so dire, or are we as people just more prone to complaining about it.

[Shadowschmadow]

Originally Posted by Fazc

Makes me wonder though, is it the situation that is getting so dire, or are we as people just more prone to complaining about it.

Little bit of both. Everything is becoming more moronic by the second...

[Fazc]

Originally Posted by Shadow

Little bit of both. Everything is becoming more moronic by the second...

Yeah, I think a little of both.

[MC]

Originally Posted by Fazc

There is a lot of discontentment across the pond as well, with letters like these going around. Makes me wonder though, is it the situation that is getting so dire, or are we as people just more prone to complaining about it.

My concern is that a lot of people speaking (including some politicians) don't understand the way our Constitution is written and supposed to work.

When Rick Santorium can say the 9th Circuit Court overreached by calling a voter-referendum law unconstitutional and that the Supreme Court is taking religion out of our laws, I just shiver. The First Amendment does that (separates church and state) and the federal courts are supposed to strike down laws that violate the Constitution. I learned this in 9th grade.

The dangers of letting the rights of any group be controlled by public opinion are enormous and this can never be a good thing. We'd still be segregated and women wouldn't be voting and working if those who came before us had let popular sentiment and votes occur on the 14th and 19th Amendments or the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Our lawmakers are supposed to see the bigger societal picture. Lots of things we once thought verboten we now look back on as silly and archaic.

No, you can't put a nativity scene in a public park because not all citizens are Christian. Again, separation of church and state. Put a nativity scene on your front lawn if you want to see one. This simple religious freedom didn't always exist for our forefathers. The fact that you can put whatever scene on your lawn (including no scene) is a big deal and lost on many.

The First Amendment protects free speech and there are limits to this protection. Few people understand where those lines are. Burning a flag as a sign of protest is clearly protected speech.

Jefferson must be rolling over in his grave to see how complacent and ignorant of the law the majority of our country is at present. True citizenship isn't blinding following any ideology or getting riled up when your "representatives" tell you something is wrong (because, hey, they might be lying to you)--no, true citizenship involves understanding how our country should work and function and striving to make sure that our government upholds those basic functions as established by the Constitution.

[70sBB]

Originally Posted by *MC*

No, you can't put a nativity scene in a public park because not all citizens are Christian.

We have them at our park. Christianity transcends being merely a religion. For many Americans the symbols and practices are cultural more than religious. I don't think it's appropriate for a community to set aside it's culture just because 10% in that community aren't a part of that culture.

We have a right to our own culture and a local community should have a right to express that culture. Placing a nativity scene at a park isn't forcing a religion upon people. There is no gun to anyone's head nor proselytizing.

As a cultural Christian I welcome all peoples to celebrate their culture at local parks. I would rather have these positive cultural interactions rather than more hate and restrictions.

I understand completely that a good portion of religious expression is cultural and not merely religious.

[MC]

I agree with the spirit of what you are saying. However, the Constitution is pretty clear and separation of church and state exists at the federal level and is not something in which local jurisdictions can either opt into or out of.

[Rich Knapp]

What I think is funny is:

The non believers think its against there rights to have religious things in a public. Its forcing them to look at something agenst there rights and belief's. BUT its ok to force believers to have to hide there belief's and do it behind closed doors.

Plus its ok for the non believers to take the Christmas bonuses and paid time off when Christmas is the celebration of a persons birth that they don't believe in. What is that???????

[Goat]

Originally Posted by *MC*

No, you can't put a nativity scene in a public park because not all citizens are Christian. Again, separation of church and state. Put a nativity scene on your front lawn if you want to see one. This simple religious freedom didn't always exist for our forefathers. The fact that you can put whatever scene on your lawn (including no scene) is a big deal and lost on many.

And what about free speech, homosexuals can throw a parade? But Christians cant display a nativity scene?


Arguing with the left is like arguing with a piece of hardwood. just as dense.