Perhaps those of you who continue to harbor a blind faith in the U.S. public education system can explain how public schools can teach about Thanksgiving without mentioning God at all.
That's worse than teaching about NASCAR without mentioning car racing, or talking about Hollywood without mentioning the entertainment industry. When they teach about ancient Rome or American Indians, do they omit any references to polytheism? When they teach about the Middle East, do they omit any reference to Islam? What about their halloween parties--do they leave out everything demonic? No, they don't.
Even a rational atheist would have to admit that Thanksgiving, from a purely historical perspective, is all about giving thanks to the Christian God for provision, protection, and blessings. It really doesn't have anything to do with teaching religion, but simply teaching historical fact. But the one and only thing the tolerance-mongers won't tolerate is the God of the Bible, and they have no qualms about rewriting history in their quest to remove him from their curriculum. In the process, they are de-educating America about its heritage.
The NEA is using your tax dollars to create a generation of godless idiots, opposed to everything for which the Founding Fathers stood. To be sure, I know some solid, God-fearing individuals working in the public schools; however, if they are effective at all, it is because they are fighting the system. It is an ugly battle, and it is no place for children. I'll say it yet again: it's time to pull your kids out of public school, and invest the time and effort to homeschool. If you have any spare time beyond that, send letters and faxes to your elected representatives demanding that you be given educational choice instead of being forced to fund the dumbing-down of America through the public school system.
Some guy from Minnesota named Chai Vang, ostensibly out hunting with an SKS (a cheap Chinese-made 7.65mm semiautomatic rifle), trespassed on someone's lease in Wisconsin and climbed into a tree stand. When the hunters who belonged on the lease tried to get him to leave, he shot them. Killed five, wounded three.
(Frankly, I am amazed that even CNN called the SKS a "common hunting weapon" instead of an "assault rifle." I suspect that they'll start mentioning that later on, so they can establish a link between hunters and assault rifles.)
Will justice be served on Chai Vang? Wisconsin abolished their death penalty in 1858, so the answer is probably no.
Speaking of the death penalty, did anyone else notice that Sri Lanka just lifted a 28-year moratorium on their death penalty? Seems that a high court justice was murdered.
Yep, that death penalty is no good for folks who murder commoners, but let the ruling elites feel the heat, and all of a sudden capital punishment is a great idea. I'd lay odds that, if some important political figure were to be assassinated in Wisconsin, we would see their death penalty come back to life, pronto.
If all roads lead to Rome, I'm hiking cross-country. Having spent a week in "the eternal city," I can say with some degree of certainty that the only thing Rome has going for it is the food and the ruins, which are truly incredible. Most everything else is dirty, crooked, and downright unpleasant.
The moment you walk into the airport, fake taxi drivers attempt to steer you away from the legitimate taxis into their double-priced cars. On the Metro, you must always be on your guard against pickpockets--we ran into them on two separate occasions. Men, women, and even kids, working in groups. On the streets, beggars and shady salespeople try to talk you out of your euros. An ATM debited my account without actually shelling out any cash. In hotels and restaurants, many of the staff are openly disdainful of foreigners, especially Americans. Ticket windows give discounts to kids from the EU, but not to American kids. Graffiti and pornography are everywhere. There is simply no rest for the traveller in Rome.
I highly recommend reading about the wonderful history of Rome, watching high-quality documentaries, and talking to others who have been there. I cannot recommend actually visiting Rome yourself, unless you are well-prepared to deal with a constant onslaught of the dark side of society.
We saw some wonderful sights in Rome, and met some very warm and helpful individuals. Even so, by the end of the week, I found myself feeling angry, exploited, even violated by the "other side" of the city. The rest of Italy might be wonderful (Ostia Antica, in fact, was particularly refreshing), but after our time in Rome, I was ready to get the heck out of there and never look back.