Glen Contrarian
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Second reply on this subject. And basically a rant.
The US has successful destroyed any sense of community over my lifetime.
Is it really America or the American government? Or are we victims of our own success? When kids leave home nowadays, they don't stay in the same town - they move to other states, often on the other side of the country. How many older couples do you know whose kids all live in the same town or even the same county? That, and how many of us spend time watching TV or on the computer or watching movies or going other places instead of spending time with our neighbors?
We can't say "Merry Christmas" without offended someone.
That's not true at all. I don't celebrate Christmas (our faith doesn't accept Christmas), but I'm not at all offended - I just say "Happy holidays" in return. Same goes with everyone else of our faith.
We can't say the Pledge of Allegiance.
Again, that's not true at all. The difference is, we can't force people to say it.
We can't say a "prayer" even though a prayer is nothing more than an expression of hope or affirmation. We probably can't even have a moment of silence.
Depends. I remember going to a school where the morning prayer was broadcast over the class speakers. How would most people react if a group of Muslim kids wanted to have theirs broadcast over the class speakers?
Of course that's not the way it is now. The key is "separation of church and state". There are many, many religions who don't accept Christmas or Easter or the alleged divinity of Jesus (all of which are examples of what we in our faith face). We are taxpayers like anyone else - we don't cause trouble (we see breaking the law itself as a sin)...and we serve as an example of why there is such a thing as separation of church and state: nobody's taxes should be used in any way to support one particular religion over others...which means that places that are supported solely by our taxes - like schools and courthouses and such - should not be places where anyone is pressured to take part in the religious practices of others.
And with the end of the draft nothing forces us to mingle with people not like us.
Huh? You must not live in any truly sizable city. In less than 15 years more than half of all Americans will be a minority of some sort.
And btw - don't look wistfully back to the days of segregation - it's not good, and only serves to increase the racism and other prejudices. Been there, done that, lived it first-hand. It's a long story.
We can burn the flag.
I am retired Navy - do not doubt my patriotism. And while I get angry at someone burning the flag, I also know that it's a piece of cloth, that their act does not in any way threaten America or her sovereignty. I know their act doesn't hurt me or anyone else...but only says a great deal about the ones who are doing it. I also know that what goes around, comes around.
We can protest when two mangled I-beams are put together in some "t" shape.
Yet in WWI, people were jailed outright for saying we shouldn't get involved in that war. Our right - our RIGHT - to peacefully protest whatever it is we want to protest is FAR more important than almost anything we might protest against.
Don't want to offend anyone.
Which is more important - the freedom to discriminate, or freedom from discrimination?