Articles tagged as

Culture War

Where have all the Boy Scouts gone?

People that know me know that I have a wide variety of books, both new and old. I am one of those odd people that feel I must personally own and possess any book I have read. In addition, from time to time, I pick up some old book that strikes my fancy. Friends and … Read more

Oh Tree of Love! Oh tree of Love! Of all the Trees so Lovely!

Well, that time of year is once again upon us. You know- the time of year when one can still find a few people around that are brazen and uncouth enough to use the “C” word. That’s right- there is a small minority of people who still dare to refer to the “Holiday Season” as (gasp!) Christmas! Can you imagine? Don’t “those” kinds of people understand that they might offend somebody with such blatant attempts at forcing their “belief system” on others?
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The good news is that with each passing year, the list of entities that can be counted on to respect the Constitution’s recently discovered ban on all things Christian continues to grow. We all know that the public school system has been systematically erasing our Nation’s Christian religious heritage for what is now going on an entire generation. Indian “spiritual” rituals? No problem. Japanese paper origami cranes for “the gods”? No problem. Singing “Silent Night” at a “seasonal concert”? BIG PROBLEM!
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We are now at a point where it has become a societal taboo to even utter the word “Christmas”.  Consider the local hospital’s annual decorative tribute/ fundraiser, which occurs each year around this time: The “Holiday Tree of Love”. How nice. How non-sectarian. How “non-offensive”. How very “sixties”. Can you imagine the uproar if the hospital referred to its tree by the term Americans used to call this ubiquitous December decoration- a CHRISTMAS tree? Heaven forbid they do so because that would be “imposing” a religion on people!
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It’s really not all bad, however. Perhaps we can, through the simple replacement of certain words, re-introduce some traditional Christmas (oops) songs back into the various “holiday concerts” and other “winter celebrations”. How great it would be to once again hear the children singing Bing as he croons, “I’m dreamin’ of a rainbow solstice…Just like the ones we used to know.”
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Or better yet, they can sing a seasonal song AND celebrate alternative lifestyles at the same time with this beloved little ditty: “Have yourself a merry little winter, Let your heart be light. From now on, our troubles will be out of sight; Have yourself a merry little winter, Make the Yule-tide GAY…” How perfectly politically correct! In the same vein, how about this updated classic:  “I saw Daddy kissing Santa Claus underneath the tree of love last night. He didn’t see me creep down the stairs to have a peep; He thought that I was zoned in front of the TV. Then, I saw Daddy tickle Santa Claus underneath his beard so snowy white; Oh, what a laugh it would have been If Mommy had only seen Daddy kissing Santa Claus last night.”
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Such wonderfully updated songs could demonstrate once and for all that no religious intent is connected with this time of year while simultaneously celebrating tolerance and diversity!
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He’s not half the man he used to be…

Have you ever come across some little tidbit of information and just scratch your head in wonderment? Such was the case when I came upon this bit of news: Doctors and Children’s Groups Say Male Circumcision Must be Voluntary, Consensual National Institutes of Health’s endorsement of adult male circumcision leaves the question of infant circumcision … Read more

And I thought the Dems would lead this charge…

After spending the last several years paving the way for Democratic control of the state of NH, Granite State "Republicans"- and more particularly, R.I.N.O.s (Republicans In Name Only)- continue to carry their water…
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In this posting right after the election, I noted the following:
The November 9th Citizen (Laconia, NH) reported on what the newly-elected Democrat majority has in mind for its first order of business when they take hold of the reigns of power here in NH: repeal the state’s parental-notification law.
One of the first things on the Democrats’ agenda now that they hold the majority in both houses of the Legislature could be to repeal the state’s parental notification law.
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On Wednesday, hours after an electoral tidal wave swept them into power, several prominent Democrats said they would support a repeal of the controversial law. "I hope so," Sen. Lou D’Allesandro, D-Manchester, said of the potential appeal.
What really irks me about this is that there was not one peep about this issue during the entire campaign, and yet this is what’s being fingered as their first priority- allowing underage minors to have an invasive medical procedure performed without parental or guardian knowledge.
Guess what? I was wrong. It’s not a DEMOCRAT that’s started the ball rolling! It’s a REPUBLICAN!!
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Say it ain’t so!

I’m sure that most ‘Grok readers join me in lamenting the sudden demise of the Pamela Andersen/ Kid Rock marriage. The New York Post provides an intersting tidbit of the cause: Pam’s recent cameo appearance in the Borat movie. "Ron Meyer held a screening of ‘Borat’ at his house for a bunch of people, including Pam … Read more

Scarlet “A” [bortion]

The headline from The Telegraph (UK) sums it all up: More women have abortions as it loses stigma And why not? First came "casual sex". Then the occasional "casual baby" without the "old fashioned" marriage, and, as heralded by pop culture’s Murphy Brown, sans full-time father/ "man about the house"- excepting the usually short-lived "stray-cat" … Read more

Yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want…

The Mayflower Compact has always been one of my personal favorite American documents. I always like to read it around Thanksgiving. It is a short and simple statement that life should be ordered by mutually-agreed to laws. Written by rational, thinking, and consummately civilized persons, The Mayflower Compact is universally considered to be the first basis in the New World for written law: 
“In the name of God, Amen. We, whose names are underwritten, the Loyal Subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord, King James, by the Grace of God, of England, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, e&. Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia; do by these presents, solemnly and mutually in the Presence of God and one of another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our better Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid; And by Virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions and Offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the General good of the Colony; unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In Witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names at Cape Cod the eleventh of November, in the Reign of our Sovereign Lord, King James of England, France and Ireland, the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth. Anno Domini, 1620.”
It was signed by 41 of the Mayflower’s 102 passengers. Contrast the words of the Pilgrim settlers, half of whom died in the first New England winter, with those being spouted by partisans of the current movement to erase the mere mention of God from any area of public and government life. I am sure that many such persons and groups, led by the ACLU, cannot have much stomach for the fact that our forebears came to this land “for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith.” It really flies in the face of their arguments in favor of removing “under God” in our Pledge and “In God We Trust” from our money.

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I guess I missed this one…

The November 9th Citizen (Laconia, NH) reported on what the newly-elected Democrat majority has in mind for its first order of business when they take hold of the reigns of power here in NH: repeal the state’s parental-notification law. One of the first things on the Democrats’ agenda now that they hold the majority in … Read more

Two quick thoughts…

A couple of quick thoughts for a Columbus Day here in Central NH so beautiful that only God could have made it… . First, the anti- Columbus Day movement in the country mostly comes from the liberal-run public school system. The people in charge of those institutions these days despise Columbus. On the other hand, most … Read more

Diversity Week at URI. “Celebrating the values of diversity & multiculturalism.” Values?

With the oldest offspring in her senior year of high school, the spectre of choosing a college and sending her away from the nest looms large. While I did not attend, I have a number of friends who went to the University of Rhode Island (URI). That, combined with the fact that I am originally from RI, has caused me to maintain an e-scription to the student paper- The Good 5-cent Cigar. Through the years, by reading the paper and watching the events at the school, one can get the sense of which way the pendulum has swung on that campus- back and forth from standard liberal to moonbat leftie. As with most state universities these days, conservative thought and viewpoints need not apply.
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What caught my eye most recently was an article on that university’s Diversity Week 2006, which led me to the URI Multicultural Center website, noting the event’s ten-year anniversary:
Diversity Week is a full week (September 25-29) with over 60 workshops, presentations, music performances and festivities celebrating the values of diversity and multiculturalism. It offers students and the community at large the opportunity to step outside their familiar zones and into other worlds (without leaving Kingston, RI!!!) . It is supported by over 30 University departments and campus organizations. Each individual event is a treasure but taken together as a whole, the week is truly an amazing tapestry. The fact that Diversity Week is now celebrating its 10th anniversary at URI is a testament to resonance and importance on campus.
Sounds like the standard liberal pap one would find on most college campuses. As usual, the devil is in the details…

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Lawyers!

Soon, "personal responsibility" will be considered a quaint phrase, like "Sunday best" or "two-parent family."  How goes the old joke?  "What do you call 500 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean?"  Answer:  "A good start."
From Fox News:
Professor: BlackBerry Addiction Lawsuits Likely in Future
Friday , August 25, 2006
TORONTO — Keeping employees on electronic leashes such as laptops, BlackBerries and other devices that keep them constantly connected to the office could soon lead to lawsuits by those who grow addicted to the technology, a U.S. academic warns. In a follow-up to an earlier paper on employees’ tech addictions, Gayle Porter, associate professor of management at the Rutgers University School of Business in Camden, N.J., has written a paper that states workers whose personal lives suffer as a result of tech addictions could turn their sights on their employers. "These people that can’t keep it within any reasonable parameters and have these problems in their lives at some point may say: ‘My life is not all that great. How did this happen? Who can I blame for this?’," Porter, who co-authored the study with two other academics, said in an interview on Thursday. "And they’re going to say, ‘The company’."

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The French – way to reinforce that stereotype!

This story from Fox News:  Countries Pledge 3,500 Troops to U.N. for Lebanon Peacekeeping Force Friday, August 18, 2006 UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations got pledges Thursday of 3,500 troops for an expanded U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon, but it was unclear whether the soldiers represented the right mix of countries and units and could deploy … Read more

More signs of moral decline…

Ever since the sixties, there can be little doubt that America has been heading further away from the cultural and moral foundations that made us a strong people. Every day we read about the latest tragic and disgusting action perpetrated by one person against another. People in positions of responsibility abusing their power with nary … Read more

Family matters

I’ve been kinda busy lately with our other blog (GilfordGrok) in our blog family and getting ready for budget season for our town.  However, I did have a moment to do a little surfing and found this new NH based blog, NH State of Mind,  with a good Post on the more important part of … Read more

Excusing a child abuser

This could take place in a lot of places – it has now happened in our small village of Gilford, NH. 

Doug has addressed the case of Matt McGonagle here – now convicted, he plead guilty to abusing a 14 year old female student at his school when he was 30 years old – almost old enough to be her father. He has received, in my opinion, a relatively light sentence for someone who has abused his power of authority and standing as a teacher – but I will leave that in Doug’s hands to follow up on that aspect.

My problem?  What has drawn my ire is yet another circumstance when a bleeding heart liberal is upset ("troubled" is the word he used) with the way that the abuser was treated by the court system.  In one of the local papers (The Citizen) came this Letter to the Editor (8/5/06) from (Dr. William Zechhausen, a United Church of Christ Pastor and frequent writer in psychological and counseling journals.

On Friday, July 28, I attended the sentencing hearing of Matt McGonagle.

I found instances of insensitivity and even humiliation troubling. An official within the county legal system said what I perceived is what happens daily in court, and nothing can be done about it. A lawyer told me that what I observed is why he’s leaving the profession. He added, someone should write about this. I wish he were doing so. Though perhaps it takes someone outside the system, to speak up about what happened. I believe most insensitivity, mine and others, is through lack of awareness, and conversation about it can produce change in people of good will.

Taken in total, Dr. Zechhausen is setting the stage that we should be showing as much concern and compassion for Matt McGonagle as we should for the actual victim.  After all, Mr. Zeckhausen is troubled by the insensitivity and humiliation undergone by Mr. McGonagle – “troubling” is the word he used.

I, on the other hand, have a real hard time with this sentiment, and it is a lot harsher than "troubling". He continues on…

 

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You do not have the right to….

THIS HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A WHILE.  JUST IN CASE YOU HAVEN’T SEEN IT.   The famed "Bill of No Rights" was written in 1993 by Lewis Napper, a self-described amateur philosopher and from Mississippi who ran for a U.S. Senate seat in 2000 as a Libertarian. =============== "We the sensible people of the United … Read more

Making a tiny plea for socialism

From the Minneapolis Star Tribune:

The dwindling of the American middle class has been much documented over the past three decades. Now comes a sobering reminder from the Brookings Institution that middle-class neighborhoods are disappearing even faster than middle-class people. Or, to put it another way, Americans are increasingly sorting themselves geographically into income-based enclaves where the haves and have-nots seldom mingle.

From 1970 to 2000, the proportion of middle-income neighborhoods in the nation’s 100 largest metropolitan areas declined from 58 percent to 41 percent, according to a new Brookings report. That was a faster drop than the metrowide share of middle-income families. Their proportion fell from 28 percent in 1970 to 22 percent in 2000. Given more recent trends in household incomes, it’s likely that the rich-poor gap has continued to widen.

I know that the middle class has been written about a lot.  However, I’ve never seen any stats that the middle class overall is actually shrinking.  That said, I’m not sure why this author is so confused?

Let’s see if I get this right – I have some money but my neighborhood is going down the toilet as crime goes up, the schools are poor, there’s no where to park, my kids have no place to play, I’d like to have my own single family home with grass and a couple of trees, and I want to get away from the noise and the smells.  And the bite of city taxes are rising faster than my income.  But this guy is upset that I want out and don’t want to stick around?  Umm, no.

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