Jun. 2, 2008 at 17:29
by BrendaBee
There is a difference in being a Christian nation and having a state mandated religion. The United States is a Christian nation because the majority of its citizens practice the Christian faith, however there has never been a state mandated religion. All who reside within our borders are free to worship God in their own way. Ostensibly all religious beliefs and practices are honored and protected by law.
Christ demanded his followers love thy neighbor as thy love thyself and do unto others as you would have others do unto you. Our Founding Father remembered this injunction. They remembered also the countries they came from had mandated state religions and people were persecuted for believing and practicing another way of worshiping God. They remembered that this country was first populated by people leaving their homes to come to a wilderness for the freedom to practice their beliefs. They also remembered that these groups which came for religious freedom failed to extend that same freedom to others who wished to come and settle near them. This is why it was felt a specific law be written into our Constitution mandating there never be a state sponsored religion in the United States.
It wasn't until almost two centuries later our federal government felt the need to specify in no uncertain terms that an individual could not be persecuted for his religion, his race or gender. This need came about with the Civil Rights movement and the need to give Blacks a law to invoke in instances of racial discrimination. At this time the feminist movement was also beginning as women were rebelling against the male dominated attitudes which had always been the way of society making women more or less chattel of men, so Congress tried to make an all encompassing law against any sort of discrimination.
It was this "need to be non-discriminating towards all" which led our nation to mandating that God must be hidden away and only brought out on Sunday mornings when we attend the church of our choice. I have for a long time now realized the mistake that was made when we the vast majority gave in to the tiny minority of non-religious atheist and more liberal thinkers in their demands to take God out of our daily lives. A mistake that changed the character of our nation and the attitudes of it's people. Ours has become a Godless society and I have watched this come about from the time the first strictures against religious displays were enacted into law.
We removed all public displays of religion such as prayers in the schools, removing even the Pledge of Allegiance to our Flag from our schools because of the words "under God", removing such harmless things as Nativity scenes in public parks and not allowing the display of the Ten Commandments, which were laws the Old Testament tells us were given to Moses by God Himself. In fact the Ten Commandments are not only accepted by over half the world's population by Christians, Jews and Muslims, but they have been the basis for all civil laws of the nations. But because they are made known to us in The Old Testament they are to be removed from public view.
There is much to be learned from a display that signifies the belief an all knowing God is watching over us at all times. Such displays reminds the good not to be tempted by evil, and puts some restrains on the bad behavior. The greatest harm came about because when God's influence was removed from our daily lives and public areas we left the door open for any and all influences both good and bad; mainly bad came in unfortunately.
For some time there it seemed to become a witch hunt and more liberal thinking people argued that any public policy is disqualifying if it has a basis in a religious stricture thus making it an imposition of religion on others. It seemed that logic had no sway in minds at that time. This careful watch against any show of religious belief is still with us and from time to time some one person or group makes a big noise against some policy. Most laws and policies and even political movements, in fact the very law against all and any type of discrimination is based on religious teachings or interpretations. It can be logically argued that the abolition of slavery, civil rights laws, opposition to the death penalty, and many others are all an imposition of religion on others!
The cleansing of religious displays up to this a point has been lead by liberal thinking individuals demanding all policies be given the "religious sniff test". The most recent opposition however is now coming from the religious amongst us in an ironic turn around. Embryonic stem cell research is promising the discovery of cures for all sorts of terrible afflictions from Alzheimer's to nerve re-growth allowing the paralyzed to move again to cell rejuvenation enabling the replacement of organs. But due to some people's religious belief in the soul's entering the physical at conception this research and possible miracle cure is seen as violating the separation of church and state.
Saner heads seem not able to prevail in this argument from whatever source and can not convince others that imposing religion means the mandating of religious practice. It does not mean the mandating of social policy that some people may have come to support for religious reasons.
And still the debate goes on and on into every area of our lives even a half century after we first began bowing in to the demands of the minority at the expense of the vast majority. There always seems to be one more item or idea that "offends" the beliefs or sensibilities of these others who have turned from God's teachings; or insisting on an interpretation of God's teaching based on their own thoughts.
The Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have been attacked for their pledges, the YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) and the YWCA have been attacked for their name and their by-laws. And yet no child has been denied the right to join the scouts and no one has been turned away from the Y. All are welcome and if there is something that personally offends an individual that the vast majority of the members believe in and are doing then it should not be for them to change, but for individual to decide whether to tolerate peacefully or go elsewhere.
At first like most people I didn't think there would be any harm done in removing these things from the public places if it would bring peace. Anything to bring peace! It didn't change my religious views not to see these things. I miss them yes, but it had no real affect on my religious views as I had religion as a part of my up bringing. It was a part of my daily life.
What I failed to understand at the time was the millions of children and adults who did not have religion and God as a part of their daily life making these public displays the only influence and reminder of God and Godliness and Christian principles they would have. These basically good, but non-religious individuals, were now left with nothing to counter balance the effects of the evil that liberalism unleashed on the public. The movies and music and general degeneration that has now become a large influence in our everyday lives.
In fact, the more degenerate the more revered things seemed to become. The picture of a crucifix in a jar of urine being considered by liberal critics as high art! How low can we go?
And sad, so very sad that we deprived our children of the stability of knowing and having the laws of goodness made a part of their lives. We left them without guidance or standards of beliefs and behavior for their day to day activities and choices. It is perfectly acceptable for our children to listen to the vile lyrics of rap music, but an offense to let them see the rules for behavior given in the Ten Commandments! Children must be taught and shown what is acceptable. Children have to be protected from the base and immoral until they have gained the knowledge to choose for themselves. We adults in our head long search for a religiously non-intrusive society took this guidance away from our most vulnerable.
From the benefit of 20/20 hindsight I see the horrific damage that has been done. Now and perhaps too late I have been stepping forward and condemning actions or speeches or even Letters to the Editor of our local newspaper when they are showing intolerance for a morally right or religious speech, sign, movie, display or what ever. I intend to spend the rest of my life being intolerant of the "intolerant", the "offended" and the "my way only".
There should be no conflict with anyone's beliefs if we are but tolerant of each others. Many work places are offering their Muslim workers time off five times each day to say their prayers to their God as required by their religion. This is as it should be. So why is it against the law for one short time period to say the Lord's Prayer or recite the Pledge of Allegiance? A Christian Nation that will not allow a state mandated religion should, and must, extend all courtesies to all of our brothers, even our Christian brothers, as Christ admonished us to do. BB
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May. 15, 2008 at 07:35
by BrendaBee
There is an interesting Op-Ed article in the New York Times today that refers to China's stupendously advanced society that came to a sudden and terrible stop just a few centuries ago. Many looking at China of this past century are not aware of just how remarkable the ancient Chinese were. They were far ahead of any other known society in all areas of science and medicine and art. If you have never read about China's past accomplishments it is well worth your time to do so. At the very least it will bring home to you just how little we in Western Society have to brag about.
But the purpose of the article today is not extol China's past glory, but to wonder why this knowledge has been cast aside in the present and by doing so is causing the kinds of disasters in the present that the ancient Chinese knew how to avoid. It refers to the current rush to build substandard infrastructure and buildings with no regard for the future, and certainly no regard for the health and safety of the population. The article asks why this is happening.
I found this question interesting because it mirrors exactly what is taking place all over the world today. Even in our own rinfancy in comparison to China we too are disregarding our past knowledge and care in building for the future and with respect for the vagaries of nature in mind when building so as to last while protecting both the earth and the people. Bridges built in the early 1900's and even before are still standing in good condition and safely being used while bridges built within the last 50 years are crumbling. Tampa, Florida's famous Skyway Bridge across Tampa Bay built in 1969 and considered to be one of the finest until it tumbled down when in 1980 a freighter collided with one of the support columns. Even more troubling is the problems that are cropping up with the replacement bridge that was supposed to have been built to last well into the next century. There seems no end to the problems found with the structure that have to be repaired.
Buildings built even two hundred or more years ago are still being used while buildings constructed just within the last ten years are being condemned as unsafe.
What is happening to allow or cause the modern mind set of ignoring the knowledge we used in the past? Why is modern society rushing towards annihilation and what will be the total destruction of any signs in the future that our time existed?
Well, anyhow I think it an interesting philosophical question to explore; perhaps on those sleepless nights. BB
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May. 6, 2008 at 18:07
by BrendaBee
I read the following and felt I had to pass it on to you. Of course being me I then had to give it my own spin. Or more truthfully, try to figure it out with my keyboard. So here goes. Maybe after reading the quote we will arrive at the meaning together. Stranger things have happened you know; upon occasion there has been a wild bird out there who agreed with me! BB
May 06, 2008
Multiple Choice Moralities
—Albert Mohler
"Our vocabulary betrays us. Instead of saying "I made a mistake," politicians say "mistakes were made." Similarly, some now want to speak of moral "values," but not of morals.
The contemporary talk of "values" is what is left when society accepts the notion that there is no genuine right or wrong. Moral issues are reduced to matters of personal preference and conviction. My "values" may not match your "values," but we all must respect each other's convictions equally in matters of common concern.
The reduction of morality to values was a hallmark of the 1980s, when progressive educators pushed this agenda in the public schools. That generation of young people is now well into adulthood, and we can see the moral damage inflicted by those who instructed students to look only within themselves for a system of values, and to doubt or defy traditional morality.
A generation raised in the incubator of moral relativism is groping for enduring truth in the moral wilderness."
How did we get here? Is Albert Mohler correct in blaming the educators of the 1980's or there about? That would the first group of Baby Boomers who would have begun their careers in the mid 1960's and still teaching when Mohler says this all began. We were not the first young people to rebel against our parents. Plato speaks of the unruly youth of his day. Neither were we the first generation to lose faith in their government (VietNam). So how did we get here? And how do we get back to being a society whose people are able to determine right from wrong?
I knew right from wrong. I was taught right from wrong with my Daddy's size 13 hand that went with his size 13 shoe if my memory slipped or my built in conscience wasn't strong enough to guide me.
I taught my children right from wrong. I never ever demanded good grades from them as so many parents do, because I knew they were both intelligent enough and would find their way in life regardless of how the schools mauled them over. I never demanded a great deal of work from them as I wanted them to have a childhood. Childhoods are so very short. Their only chores were the dinner dishes, helping me with the weekend house cleaning by running the vacuum and dusting furniture before going out to play and be with friends. (Note: as well as keeping their rooms clean enough that I didn't have to have the exterminator make an extra trip between regular visits. We lived in the southeast where bugs, or more specifically, roaches are a fact of life that one never expects to win over and is happy with just keeping them at bay.). The only thing I did require/demand from my children was that they be decent human beings. By which I naturally thought it was understood that honesty/morality/integrity was paramount.
Yet I see them making these "value" judgements that are based really on what is expedient for them at the time. Not what is right, but what is the most comfortable, politically correct or whatever the moment demanded of them personally. The easy way out so that they won't be judged by the crowd as being an outsider. And Puleeeze, not like their Mom!
Not that they are bad people by a long shot. No. They are just the typical people of the Generation X (35 to 50) who are the teachers and young leaders today. And they have so much that I admire as they seem at ease with themselves and society. They don't feel the need to always be striving and pushing and pulling to get things "right". There are many things I especially envy. No one is pushing my daughter into nursing, teaching, hair dresser or wife roles. Those were my choices as a blue collar kid entering the male dominated work force. I had to work twice as hard for half as much, keep my head down, look the other way when my work was used as my superior's required magazine articles for the term, keep my mouth shut and leave good jobs when my superior wished an outside of work relationship.
The sky is the limit for Elaine. And she is well on her way! Miles is doing what he loves. My son comes alive in a kitchen. His greatest joy is standing over a hot stove and hearing the people around him laughing, talking and eating food he had prepared.
No they are not bad people. In fact, they and others in their age group consider them rather straight arrow types. But as they pointed out to me once, "Your values are not our values Mom."
My answer, "Values? Who is talking about values? I'm talking about morals! Right and wrong! Values are things you decide for yourself; things that are important to you personally. Morals are the glue of a society, the rules by which everyone plays. God's laws for mankind."
So I had my "think for yourself and step up and speak out when you believe society is wrong. Stand up for everyones right to speak his mind and live his life. Society (the government) must care for the less able until they can care for themselves, etc, etc." It was called liberalism in my day and today goes by the moniker "progressives". Somewhere along the line I looked at where we were, and where we were headed, and grew up. Many others of my generation are still stuck in the age of the flower children; out of touch with reality.
My children have their "values" that constitute their self determined morals that govern their actions. Always subject to change of course! Because things must remain in their comfortable politically correct close my eyes so I won't see what is happening and leave me be to live my own life. Living that life behind locked doors and security systems.
And now with all this rambling it is coming clear: it is my grandchildren from age 3 years to 22 who are the ones left to wander in the moral wilderness. Dear Lord may they discover thy truth. BB
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Apr. 21, 2008 at 17:35
by BrendaBee
Why Americans are becoming intolerant of intolerance
A Letter to the Editor of our local newspaper today made me aware that I have been seeing a lot of letters and articles and blogs of late that appear to be the beginning of a grassroots movement against intolerance. This trend in people speaking up to those who thru their intolerance of the countries culture are going about destroying the values and customs in favor of their own imported culture, or their own intolerant ideas appears to have gone too far and has gotten the attention of the common people.
The trend towards all inclusive policies and the move towards advocating a multicultural society was first seen in the universities and adopted by the bureaucrats in the governments as the people’s wishes, and policies were changed and laws enacted to reflect this change. This movement was most prevalent in Europe, Canada, Australia and the United States.
In Europe the catalyst for change began soon after WWII when the full extend of the Nazi’s brutality against the Jews was finally understood. In an effort to see that nothing like the Holocaust ever happens again national governments enacted laws with stringent penalties for any individuals or groups who spoke against other recognized groups and promoted hate. The most prominent outcome was a list of banned words. Words that were considered politically incorrect and corrosive were banned from use in newspapers, magazine and books. The effect of course was to stifle the very first freedom that all free people demand and that is the freedom of speech. Some would even say the Nazi’s and Communist won after all because their most repressive measure against their own populations in Nazi Germany, Russia and China was to repress the freedom of speech and control the public media.
Whether it was guilt for having turned a blind eye towards the rumors coming out of Nazi Germany about the slaughter of the Jews or just a weariness with war and strife, the people went along with these measures. It is only now a full half century later that many are questioning the loss of what we Americans at least consider our greatest freedom. A grassroots movement among a new generation of people in the European countries is questioning these lists of banned words and demanding the right to express their ideas and beliefs openly without fear of persecution. And oddly enough it is the young people of Germany who appear to be on the front of this movement by discussing openly the Holocaust and their city’s participation in the harassment and eventual slaughter of the Jews and other “undesirables” in the crematoriums. This movement towards the opening up of dialog has not, and is not, easy as it has been the trend since the end of the war for German cities to deny any knowledge of what was happening. They do not deny the Holocaust happened in Germany but it seems all older generations want to believe it happened somewhere else in their country and they personally did not know or understand what was happening. This attitude persists even in cities that were directly connected with the concentration camps. So there is much resistance towards the young bringing this black time in their history alive again.
In the United States political correctness came about from another source of national disgrace: the enslavement and later the repression of a whole race of people based on nothing but color.
Before going further let me remind you of just what kind of people immigrated to America first from Europe and now from all over the world. The “meek and humble” did not come to our shores, but stayed home and continued to live under the tyranny that oppressed them. No, those who found America were from the very beginning the strongest. And it was this strong breed of people that populated this land who crafted a Constitution and Bill of Rights that reflected their memories of the repressive laws of their homeland which they would not tolerate in their new homeland. These people were followed each new generation by waves of the strongest individuals who had the same dreams of freedom, where an individual could make anything he was capable of making of himself with no class barriers or bigotry. Sad to admit but each new group was met with less than perfect human beings who indeed offered closed ranks and bigotry to the new comers. Each group however dug in, worked, educated themselves and their children in the language and law of the new land and eventually prospered to in turn show intolerance for the new wave of immigrants.
This had been the pattern and it had worked very well making the United States the strongest, wealthiest, most influential and most desired destination country in the world in a short 200 years of it‘s existence. Then this pattern began to come unraveled during the second half of the 20th century. It began with the Civil Rights movement of our own home grown repressed group of people demanding to share the rights and privileges promised to all Americans.
This Civil Rights movement by Blacks for inclusion in the mainstream of American life was right and good and long overdue. And it lead to new laws being passed to penalize bigotry and intolerance and discrimination wherever it made itself known. In schools, houses, restaurants stores, rest rooms, water fountains and buses Black Americans were not to be prohibited from participation in the broader society . In fact the laws became inclusive and protected all of any race, religion or sex from discriminatory practices. Once the laws were in place it was for the people themselves to push themselves forward using the tool the laws gave them to force their way where they had formerly been denied. The Civil Rights Movement brought about great changes for Black American, women and all religions. And again it was a grassroots movement beginning with brave Black Americans like Rosa Parks and the Greensboro, NC Four which lead to a Black leader, Martin Luther King. The women’s agenda was pushed forward by NOW, National Organization of Women but better known as the “Ban the Bra Girls”. I gave me pleasure then and pride now to admit that I was one of the early members of NOW. None of it was easy in the beginning but strides were made and are being made. Opportunities are there for all people of every race, religion and sex.
However the movement did not stop there with opportunities guaranteed as much as possible to every American. Some Americans and some new comers demanded our laws be changed to “liberate” all groups of people who have made America their home. And not just liberated to take full advantage of our laws and customs, but the demands were to incorporate their beliefs and customs into our laws. And if there was a conflict between their beliefs and the laws or customs of America then the demand was to change these laws and customs. The fact that new groups of people were assimilated as they learned the laws and customs of their new land was overlooked. These newer groups of immigrants were assured they need not become Americans or learn the language and the customs of this new country, but were free to keep and follow the laws and customs of the countries they had fled from in the first place. It was of course an absurdity because it was these very repressive laws that they fled.
Americans are a fair minded, generous and tolerant people so our governments made adjustments and allowances for these new people. We changed requirements to accommodate the people. Our schools were required to teach in both English and Spanish. Telephone any company or government office and you are asked which language you prefer English or Spanish. That we haven’t made these same language adjustments for the many other groups was not an oversight, but it finally was seen as an imp-possibility to accommodate every group. Sadly the fact that the accommodation in language was made for Hispanics turned out to be a seriously damaging act against this group. They had no urgent need to learn the language and therefore did not and now even second generation Hispanics often can not fit into the mainstream and get good jobs. Because of their poor command of English. Hispanics are still the new “laboring class” with few of them able to crawl up the ladder of success and grab the American dream. They have taken the place of Black Americans before the Civil Rights movement.
America is a country build on freedom and tolerance and allowing all people to do as they want, choose how they live, how they worship the God of their choice, say what they want without fear of retaliation and do more or less what they want as long as they remain within the laws. The Civil Rights Movement made this national standard all inclusive.
The United States is also a Christian country. We are a country built originally by and for people who believe in the Christian Bible. Our laws, our culture and our lives are based on the lessons taught in the Christian Bible. We are also a democracy where the majority decides what is to be done for the over all good of the population.
Somehow the Civil Rights Movement morphed into something it was not meant to be. Since Americans were seen as willing to accommodate others the flood gates opened and there are those who are going about pressing for all sorts of changes in our customs and even our laws. In the American way our effort to be tolerant and allow all the freedom we all cherish to be extended and guaranteed to all others we allowed those who disagree and are far less tolerant to take away what we, the majority, want. We allowed God to be taken out of our schools. We allowed smut and filth to fill our air ways in music and movies, and books and the media. It has gone so far as to be on being bizarre what some groups are demanding. It is this very absurdity that is causing many Americans to rethink the laws that these groups are trying to use to gain their objectives and is leading to what is being called the Grassroots Movement of Intolerance against Intolerance.
Since the Iraqi War many prisoners have been captured and are being held as prisoners of war. There are those of us who are now demanding that prisoners of war who are sworn enemies of our country be given the same legal rights as citizens of our country in our courts. In fact, the prisoners themselves are demanding the rights to be tried in our country rather than to be sent back and tried by the laws of their own countries! A bit of irony there wouldn't you say. These terrorist are our enemies and determined to destroy our country and yet when they are caught and being brought to justice they refuse to be sent back and tried by the courts and justice of their own countries but demand the right to be tried by our laws and tried as citizens of our country. This is a very serious breach of our rights as citizens to extend our laws to cover all those who happen to be physically in American territory. No other country in the world extends the rights and privileges of citizenship in their courts of law to enemies and prisoners of war. And sadly we have foolish Americans and American organizations such as the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) who feel the aliens should have this right!
The case is now gone so far as our Supreme Court to determine the status of these terrorist prisoners. Then if they are given the right to be tried in our courts under our laws and convicted they will have all the rights to appeal the verdict and again clear up to the Supreme Court of our land if necessary. Surely there is something very much amiss with this method of dealing with prisoners of war. And nowhere else on earth but in the United States would this state of affairs even be considered and never fought thru the courts as this case has been.
We are, in fact, bending over back wards to accommodate the haters and self absorbed who care nothing for the rights of all Americans and the culture that has been forged by a freedom loving and fair minded groups of citizens over the past 400 years since the first settlement of immigrants on our shores in Jamestown, Virginia. They care only about their own narrow ideas and because they are privileged to live in the United States they have the freedom to demand the rest of us comply with their views.
This twisting of our laws seems to have at last gotten the attention of the average American as I stated in the beginning of this article. More and more I am seeing and hearing protests against the demands being made by fringe groups and new comers to our country. For almost half a century now Americans have remained quiet and tried to be understanding of all peoples needs and wants. They looked at each case and said, “Well, what’s the harm? “So okay we don’t need to have a nativity in the public park.”. “So okay we don’t need to have prayers in schools or require children to recite the Pledge to our Flag.”. “We can do without (fill in the blank) it’s not really that important.”. Americans though are now apparently deciding that some things really are important; if not in and of themselves then in principle. Amnd they are taking action.
Two years ago in my city and I have read in may cities around the country stores turned to saying Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas phase. Do you remember that? Do you also remember the backlash with some stores actually being boycotted for their Happy Holiday pandering to the non-Christians in this a Christian country celebrating a Christian holiday? Well, Merry Christmas is back and being said loud and clear. No one is stopping anyone from saying what ever they wish on their particular holidays. In fact, Americans being the fun loving people they are gladly join in celebrations of others cultures and even religious holidays. Remember Christianity is an inclusive religion with belief in loving all God’s children.
There are also those among Christians who are trying to impose upon us all their beliefs in just how the universe was created. They want what they call "creationism" to be taught in our science classes along with what we have learned thru scientific discovery. A school board in Pennsylvania was thrown out of office and a new board elected when they went against the will of the majority of people and tried to rewrite the science text books. A Christian nation we may well be, but we are also an intelligent people who favor the acceptance of what is before our eyes over what many feel is mythology to illustrate God‘s creation of the world in a way understandable to the masses of ages past. At the very least we expect the Bible to be taught in the churches and science to be taught in the schools as is the law of the land. In this way the individual can choose freely what he/she wishes to believe.
We are finding more and more often Muslims who have been welcomed to America and whom most companies have respected and given their Muslim employees time off five times each day to pray as their religion requires. Their mosques and schools proliferate all over the country . And yet the schools use text books that teach hatred and death to all infidels while they are living in and infidel country. (reference: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/19/AR2006051901769.html This was reported on CNN as well as the article referenced above and in several other outlets. When asked why these text books were being used and why especially in America to American Muslims the answer was given that the changes in the text to reflect less bigoted messages could only be made slowly to change people’s beliefs. Reading these articles and what the Muslim children are being taught in the schools we Americans freely and with good will accomodate is truly upsetting and disheartening. I was able to procure several text from Muslim schools and know the articles are no exagerations.
Twice now our laws have been challenged by Muslim women who wish to cover their faces though it is not as they claim a religious requirement. One was a naturalized citizen and one was not.
In North Carolina a Muslim woman sued the state and demanded that she be allowed to cover the lower half of her face when getting her picture taken for her drivers license. This effort failed on the very good reasoning that drivers licenses were used for identification and a partially covered face would void that use. The irony is that in her homeland she would never have been allowed to drive let alone get a license to drive!
Another case of a Muslim woman suing Judge Paul Paruk who in a Detroit District 31 Small Claims Court dismissed her case because she insisted on testifying while wearing what she called a "veil", but which was in fact a full body covering called a niqub that covers the entire body but the eyes. A niqab is just one step away from the infamous burqa which obscures the eyes as well. Her suit claims that her religious rights were violated. While the Koran does not specifically require that women wear a covering over their face, many do as a sign of piety and modesty. This is fine and a respected mode of dress as far as I know. However it was not at all a violation of her religion as the Koran does not make this requirement . It is a show of modesty for Muslim women only. It is however a violation of our civil laws which demands that the defendant be able to confront his accuser. This would hardly be possible if only the eyes of the person claiming to be the accuser were visible.
These and other acts against our laws are finally making the American people rethinking their responsibility towards immigrants to our country. Our leaders are still caught up in the “tolerate all behavior” mode, but at the grassroots a movement is underway to simply say Stop! Stop the nonsense of trying to import other cultures into our country. If the immigrants want what they had then certainly they have the right to return to their homeland. If they want to be Americans then they will have to accept the ways of Americans and be tolerant of others behaviors if they are not breaking the laws of our land just as Americans are taught b y our religion and our laws to be tolerant of all others as long as they are no breaking the law of the land.
Most of all immigrants must accept and obey our laws. The protests may be over rather trivial things like Merry Christmas rather than Happy Holidays and other rather mundane issues at present, but the momentum is growing to become intolerant of intolerance, and this I believe can only be good in a freedom loving country. Freedom and intolerance are mutually exclusive ideas.
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Apr. 11, 2008 at 11:20
by BrendaBee
David Wray and his top commanders still have not been exonerated in Greensboro as the City Council and City Hall have not gotten the go ahead from the Black leaders who control much that passes as government in Greensboro. Despite all the evidence that David Wray was shanghaied by hateful and corrupt people who used two inept and petty people to do their dirty work for them, the City Council continues to stick by City Manager Mitch Johnson and his proven beyond a doubt malice in this case. And this “stand by our manager” attitude is going to cost the tax payers as much as $24 + million in bogus claims of racism by Black Police Officers. Charges of racism by Wray and his command staff that the FBI and SBI cleared them of.
David Wray has however been vindicated by the Federal Government and given a position that makes Police Chief of Greensboro, NC look like a kitty car compared to a ten speed bike. To obtain this position David Wray had to pass the most stringent security scrutiny. (The joke in the military when my husband went thru this process was that getting security clearance meant the government knew when you lost your first baby tooth.) This should tell you something about this man and his character if nothing else has. He would never have been hired for this level position demanding the highest security clearance if there were the slightest mar on his record from birth to the present.
David Wray is an honorable man, and to my mind no higher accolade can be given.
I posted a commentary last Fall that I felt proved David Wray’s character and I think now is an appropriate time to post it again just to remind any who need reminding just how great a man Greensboro and North Carolina has lost.
An Honorable Man is a Rare and Beautiful Thing
Posted in Greensboro City Council
Sep. 21, 2007 at 11:25
by BrendaBee
Below you will find one of the two statements that David Wray was handed by City Attorney Linda Miles and asked to sign. Why if one was submitted wasn’t the other? David Wray and his attorney indicated that there were two documents offered and when Wray emphatically refused to sign the first one then after Linda Miles entered City Manager Mitch Johnson’s office she came back with a second one. Thus far there has been no word that I have found to indicate where this was the first or second document. I would guess that it is the second and least incriminating and humiliating.
If David Wray had signed these Documents he was told that he could take the 70 sick days leave that he had coming and be permitted to then resign on his fiftieth Birthday with full retirement benefits, bonus for years served and city health care for retirees. An amount that could mean a million dollars over his remaining lifetime. He refused to lie, he refused to sign this lying document and he walked away an honest and honorable man with absolutely nothing that he had worked for and earn in service to the City of Greensboro.
If proof were needed of David Wray’s innocence in all the allegation made by our City Council, City Manager Mitch Johnson and City Attorney Linda Miles I feel the fact that David Wray refused to sign the document below and walked away with his honor and integrity in tact should be more than adequate. However, we have much more evidence exonerating him of committing the crimes for which he has been vilified. I do not know David Wray and have never even met him, but I envy those of you who can call him friend. I would be so grateful to have that privilege. He is a gem among humans and extremely rare. Brenda Bowers
Proposed public Statement for Chief
In order for the Chief Executive of any organization to function effectively, he must have full confidence in the information of his staff. In recent months, I made the error of giving the City Manager information that was incomplete and therefore misleading. Based on that information, the Manager made inaccurate assurances to the City Council and to the public.
Given my actions, I understand that the City Manager and the people of this City cannot move forward with confidence in me as Police Chief. I am therefore submitting my resignation, effective immediately, so that our outstanding Police Department and our City can begin a quick and full healing process.
I’ve been honored to serve as Police Chief of this exceptional department. I am proud of many of my achievements but I’m not proud of the mistakes made in this situation. I take full responsibility for these errors in judgment and a failure to keep more fully informed of the actions within my department. I apologize to citizens, members of the Police Departments and other City employees for damage my actions have caused the morale and community trust in our City government.
*This was one document among several released from the City of Greensboro concerning the GPD September 21, 2007
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Apr. 6, 2008 at 06:07
by BrendaBee
I have been trying to find the words to tell you how I felt about Martin Luther King. He was not to me or my friends who worked for his cause what he is being portrayed as today. The Blacks of today, even those who lived when he did and heard him speak, do his memory a dishonor in the way they hold him up as the ultimate racist. Martin Luther King had no color! Martin Luther King refused to see color as a disadvantage or a crutch or a reason for anger as is common today among black leaders. Most of all, Martin Luther King refused to allow the color black to be an excuse for the irresponsible, hateful, degenerate and self-destructive behavior used by Black leaders today to explain how and why so many Blacks have gone from poor in material goods to poverty stricken in moral values.
The above is as far as I got and then I stopped because I was telling what he was not and not as I wanted to tell. I wanted to tell what he was. It took a Black man to do that for me. Juan Williams (The Wall Street Journal o4/06/08) wrote the right words. I as a white woman and older civil rights worker could not because I somehow could not work thru my disillusion and heart break that somehow what he started had gone so wrong. So wrong that the first Black man to actually come within sight of the presidency of the United States would have spent 20 years worshiping the God of us all in the church of a virulent racist like Jeremiah Wright.
The words of Juan Williams:
"While speaking to black people, King never condescended to offer Rev. Wright-style diatribes or conspiracy theories. He did not paint black people as victims. To the contrary, he spoke about black people as American patriots who believed in the democratic ideals of the country, in nonviolence and the Judeo-Christian ethic, even as they overcame slavery, discrimination and disadvantage. King challenged white America to do the same, to live up to their ideals and create racial unity. He challenged white Christians, asking them how they could treat their fellow black Christians as anything but brothers in Christ.
When King spoke about the racist past, he gloried in black people beating the odds to win equal rights by arming "ourselves with dignity and self-respect." He expressed regret that some black leaders reveled in grievance, malice and self-indulgent anger in place of a focus on strong families, education and love of God. Even in the days before Congress passed civil rights laws, King spoke to black Americans about the pride that comes from "assuming primary responsibility" for achieving "first class citizenship."
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Feb. 16, 2008 at 07:49
by BrendaBee
I found this article interesting and reminecent of "Star Trek the Next Generation" Borgs .
We human beings just may outsmart ourselves yet. I have often commented that I am happy to have grown up in the 1940's and 1950's when children played outside and all over the neighborhood with no fear of pedophiles. Not that there weren't any pedophiles then, it was merely that we didn't know about them and all adults watched out for children even in the neighborhoods of larger cities. Our movies were shoot 'em up cowboy and Indians and musicals with no scenes that would embarrass anyone or provide more information to children than they needed. We didn't have a childhood obesity problem because we played outside running, swimming and riding our bikes in stead of locked indoors watching MTV.
Indeed I was one of the fortunate ones. Now I am considering myself doubly fortunate to be in my so called "declining" years because I will not have to witness the total degradation and destruction of mankind. Because no matter how wonderful the nano technology sounds and the wonderful things it will allow us to do there is sure to be a more sinister use of the science long before any good comes of it. BB
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