amazing how much talk a bit of religious right spam can generate

McGrath of Harlow et. al. let's say I just delete that aside about Jimmy's lips moving. It was a cheap shot, and I took it (but it may be true anyway). That is not the gist of my argument or at all my concern.

So many 'urban legend' type stories begin with 'little Jimmy couldn't say his blessing in the cafeteria'. (That's how Rush gets the folks riled up, that's how the Anita Hill thing got twisted by someone who now admits it was all lies.) I'm not from Missouri, but I say 'Show Me' anyway. Let's deal with hard cases, of factual insensitivity, but not made-up 'what ifs?' that generate emotional responses. That's all.

I'm against intolerance in ALL its manifestations, though I wouldn't call kids making fun of someone talking to himself 'intolerance', I'd call it 'kids making fun of someone talking to himself', & no big deal.

As to moral degeneration, everyone should read a little more history, this has never been a 'moral' nation. Statistically, per capita crime is no more rampant or sordid or horrible or unspeakable than it ever was. Old newspapers are full of much the same stuff we see today. There has been no 'backsliding' or turning away from religion. That is a smokescreen, also thought up by the right, to make people who naturally remember 'better days gone by' and naturally for the most part forget the rotten stuff that was going on back then (lynching, etc.), believe that it was a golden age when everyone was in church and right with god, and christians ruled and governed wisely.

It never happened like that.

Today is not that different, EXCEPT,

- and this cannot be controverted by facts, no matter how loudy you feel the need to claim the 2nd amendment -

there are way too many guns, available to way too many people, for no good reason, (except that people who sell guns make money, & people who are afraid stay indoors and watch more tv advertising,) and very often, innocent people get killed by gunfire.

this could spawn many other threads about parenting, rights and responsibilities, violence, mentoring, etc. and it would all be worthwhile, I think, to air our views in a largely positive, public forum like this. You religious people out there, enjoy your right to pray to whatever god you like, the rest of you out there, stand up for your right not to have someone else's beliefs shoved in your face. and everyone work for peace, there are some scary times ahead, i'm afraid.