90 Year-Old Veteran Of THREE Wars and Medal Of Honor Recipient Forced To Remove His Nation's Flag From His Lawn

Fox News - A Medal of Honor recipient in a dispute over his right to fly the American flag in his yard will have another week before D-Day -- when he'll be forced to take down the Stars and Stripes or face legal action.

Ninety-year-old Col. Van T. Barfoot, a veteran of three wars, initially was given a 5 p.m. Friday deadline to dismantle his flagpole or face a legal battle over violating an order from his townhouse community association in Henrico County, Va.

Barfoot, who fought in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam, was told in July that he could not put up his freestanding flagpole in his Sussex Square neighborhood — but he installed it anyway.

On Tuesday, he says, he got a letter from the homeowners' association telling him the 21-foot pole he erected in September violates the community's aesthetic guidelines.

Read Entire Story

Instead of a "thank you for faithful service in your call to duty (3 times)" a home owners association is telling the 90 year-old Medal of Honor recipient that his flag pole, in which he has proudly displayed his allegiance to the U.S., violates the association's aesthetic guidelines. Retired Army Col. Van T. Barfoot, distinguished service member did more in one battle than most soldiers do in their entire military careers. Read his Medal of Honor Citation for yourself. He is a highly decorated retired veteran of more than thirty years and three wars.

First of all, I HATE HOA's. Always have, always will. Their very existence is Socialistic in concept. HOA's do not pay a home owner's mortgage and/or their property taxes and therefore should NOT be allowed to tell a home owner what he/she can and cannot do on his/her property. No one bats an eye anymore at giving up the liberties that people like this notable American hero fought so selflessly to protect.

Right off the back, I can guarantee the argument that no one is forced to purchase a home in any community is going to come up. This is true and I can’t argue against it, but some things in this country ought to be sacred and the right to place a flag pole in your yard and proudly display your country’s flag should be one of them; especially when you take such good care to follow proper flag etiquette by raising the banner and lowering the banner at the proper times each day for more than thirty years. A flag pole with your nation’s flag on it isn't going to lower property values, the very thing HOA’s were charted to protect.

This is unpatriotic anytime, but particularly at a time when our soldiers are off fighting for our national interests. This HOA and any others with similar restrictions should be ashamed of themselves for spitting in the face of their motherland and all the fighting men and women who have answered the call to serve their countries interests. I’m pleased to see that U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va has taken up the cause of this patriot (although, I’m a bit surprised to find out that he is a Democrat, but I digress).

Even if you support the right of the HOA to disparage a person’s right to demonstrate their patriotism, exceptions can be made to any rule and if you can’t make an exception for a man who single handily destroyed two machine gun nests, stared down an enemy tank with a bazooka and destroyed it and captured 17 enemy combatants, and carried 2 fellow soldiers 1700 yards to safety all in one day, who can you make an exception for.

This HOA is a classic example of everything that is wrong with America and the decay that is eroding what makes America the greatest nation on earth. This isn’t a simple case of complying with the restrictions in the HOA guidelines. This is much much bigger and if you can’t see that, then perhaps you should go serve on the front lines for a period of time.

Pledge of Confusion?

It's a new school year, but an old fight is brewing in American classrooms. Teachers and administrators around the country are scratching their heads once again over the Pledge of Allegiance.

The courts have consistently ruled that students have the right not to recite the pledge in public schools. But now some First Amendment advocates are taking it one step further, arguing that the law compels educators to inform kids at the beginning of school that the decision is entirely up to them.

Read Complete Story

I'm torn about this. I'm a deeply patriotic person. I've served my country. I continue to serve the public. There's no avoiding the anxiety and fear, however that I have about this once great country of ours. The America that I live in today, is not the same America that I pledged allegiance to as a child. The liberal movement in America has so blurred who we once were and the things that we stood for that made us great, that I don't even really know who America is anymore.

I'm a grown man, with a fair amount of understanding about the world and how it works and if I'm this uncertain myself, do I really want my kids reciting that pledge? Doesn't that send them a mixed message about making promises you can't truthfully make? I mean, I wouldn't pledge allegiance to this country under the present leadership and direction this nation is heading. Why would I expect my kids to recite empty words?

America is a very dangerous place to be right now. Not dangerous like living in some third world country under a brutal dictatorship...but dangerous like we've lost our identity and our moral compass. If we can't keep our moral compass in our ever changing world, how do we expect the rest of the world to tow the line? I can't pledge allegiance to a nation that is promoting socialism, pushing the liberal agenda so hard that people of morality are demonized, and with leadership that is weakening our nation defensively, fiscally, and morally.

I want very much for my children to have a deep sense of patriotism and serve their fellow countrymen, but they have nothing worthy of pledging allegiance too. I don’t really know how to proceed with my kids in areas like this. I’ve lost my hope in this country and the future scares the living daylights out of me.

Recently, I was engaged in a conversation with a dear relative of mine who accused me of having the socialistic stance compared to that of our national leadership. This discussion took place during the rage that was sweeping America over Obama’s indoctrination speech to our children, in which we kept our kids out of school for.

His argument against me was that I am basically brainwashing my children, because I won’t let them decide for themselves whether or not our leadership is harming America in this present day. I explained that I couldn’t disagree with him more.

My children are 8 and 6 years old. They have no real understanding about how choices made today can dramatically affect so many others for such a long period of time. They’re developing their moral compass and as responsible parents, it’s my wife’s and my job to teach them right from wrong, lives lessons about choice and consequence, and instill in them a value system that will make them productive and responsible members of society.

In short, they’re too young to understand the complexities of how badly Obama and the liberal movement are damaging our nation with lasting bad choice after bad choice. So, we, as parents, must make choices about how best to protect them from the rhetoric of the worst President and congress in American history. We must make choices about how best to explain to them why they are not allowed to watch the speech of an irresponsible man, who has no business speaking to elementary aged school children.

It pains us to look our children in the eye and tell them that our nations President and congress are bold face liars with a seemingly endless lack of morality. How do you explain to a child who knows that killing the defenseless unborn child is a terrible wrong, yet our President sponsored the very bills that support unchecked murder of the unborn? Or how do you have a discussion with them about how our tax system is supposed to work, when the news is pouring in about our leadership cheating the tax system? How do you try to teach them fiscal responsibility when our leadership is spending us into oblivion? How do you explain to a child the need to work for the things in life you want, when our nation is making entitlements our national way of life?

No, I am not the socialist. I am the responsible parent who wants my children to stand for morality, integrity, honesty, and responsibility. It is my first job as a parent to educate my children and give them the tools they need to one day - when they reach an age of maturity and understanding - make responsible, informed, and moral choices for themselves.

Mr. Obama...Dead is Dead No Matter How You Candy Coat It.

Thanks to my friend Sten, for turning me onto this.

Barak the Baby Killer

My wife chastised me for telling my children that Obama is a baby killer. Besides sponsoring legislation that would mandate leaving a botched abortion baby to die without any intervention, he has promised, "The first thing I'd do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act."

The Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) would eliminate every restriction on abortion nationwide.

• FOCA will do away with state laws on parental involvement, on partial birth abortion, and on all other protections.
• FOCA will compel taxpayer funding of abortions.
• FOCA will force faith-based hospitals and health care facilities to perform abortions.

Barak and the Democrats are determined to destroy this country and any sense of morality. My children will know that the Dictator-elect is IN FACT a BABY KILLER! Be informed. Inform others. Become a member of the Conservative Resistance.

My Hometown School System Under Attack by ACLU

One student's parent is about to jeopradize 55-years worth of voluntary religious education in elemenatry schools where I was raised. This is a program that generations of local families have enjoyed. For many families, this is the only exposure to issues of faith and morals they may ever experience. The seed that is planted at the elementary age is something that is often generously harvested later in life.

I'm asking all of my readers to please pray for this legal battle. Pray for all the parties involved and for the judge that will be presiding over this attack. This is a program that I participated in as a child and one I'd love for my children to be able to go through in our current city.

Below is a link to a story detailing this attack that made national news on WorldNetDaily.com.

FAITH UNDER FIRE
ACLU to churches: Not on school grounds, you don't
Mom sues district for allowing 'Back to the Book' classes on campus

The American Civil Liberties Union, on behalf of an offended parent, is suing an elementary school district for allowing its students to attend a non-taxpayer-funded religious education program that meets on campus.

For the past 55 years, the Huntington County Community School Corporation of rural Indiana has permitted students in its eight elementary schools to attend religious study groups through a "released time" program.

The program, coordinated by an area church association, enables students with parental permission to be released from classes one hour during the school day to receive religious instruction that cannot be otherwise offered by the public school.

And while a 1952 U.S. Supreme Court ruling permits "released time" religious instruction, the ACLU is alleging that since Huntington County's programs are housed in trailers on school property, they violate the First Amendment's Establishment Clause.

Rest of the Story

Sick of Racism Claims

So, my family and I are vacationing in Indiana for a long weekend with my side of the family. I woke up this morning and caught the news. I was disgusted to read that profiling or racism was discussed as a possibility in the removal of a Muslim family from an Airtran flight after passengers heard them discussing security issues at the airport.

Given the FACT that Muslims are the leading perpetrators of terrorism in the world, a Muslim family discussing airport security on a flight warrants their removal. Airline officials are being bedeviled for taking action even after the FBI cleared them. Why isn't the Muslim family being judged for being stupid enough to bring up such a topic in that setting? How moronic of them! Shame on them!

I was equally outraged at how Blago's attempted replacement of Obama is playing the race card. Burris, on a Today show interview, repeated comments made earlier in the week by Democrat Bobby Rush. Burris is quoted as saying, “It is a fact there are no African-Americans in the United States Senate. Is it racism that is taking place? That's a question that someone may raise."

HELLO!? This has nothing do with racism. This is solely an issue of a corrupt Governor, who has lost the ability to govern, appointing ANYONE to replace Obama. It is absolutely nothing to do with racism.

I'm so tired of racism always being the go to when an African American or some other perceived minority can't get their way. Even if Blago could appoint this man in spite of his present legal circumstances, after comments like this I would make every attempt to have him disqualified and/or vote against him.

African Americans are not the oppressed people they once were and are barely the minority. According to the Washington Times and other media sources, the U.S. Census Bureau reports that by 2042 caucasions will be the minority. While I'm confident that racism still exists in America (represented by every race on earth), I am not convinced that racism plays a significant role in most majority decisions.

For instance, Obama was elected despite being severely unqualified and inexperienced and despite his terribly failed efforts to be a community organizer. IF racism ruled American policy or attitudes, do you think he would have been elected? It is doubtful, despite America’s desperation to escape GW Bush’s inexcusable lack of conservative leadership.

I’m sick of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson alarmists. The American people are sick of them. We’re sick of political correctness doctrine. We're sick of organizations like the Anti-Christain Law Union (click link to see their logo) twisting our laws to strong arm our liberties away from us. Enough is enough. Crawl back into the hole you came from.

Gabriel, The Fallen vs The Arcs

Two of my favorite books of all time were written by Frank Peretti. Piercing the Darkness and In This Present Darkness thrilled me with fictional accounts of spiritual warfare based off the authors (and my) Biblical interpretations. Those brought to life for me the angelic and demonic competition that occurs for the human soul. So when I saw the movie Gabriel and read on the DVD box that it was a movie about angels and demons, I decided to watch it.

IMDBs website summarizes the movie as follows:

In the tradition of Underworld, Garbriel reveals the battle between good and evil and the fight for the human soul. Set in purgatory, there is a struggle between Arc and Fallen angels for control over the city and its population of re-born souls. At present, darkness rules and Garbriel, the last of seven Arcs sent to return light, must assume a human form for the first time. In the darkest places of the human soul, this lone arc angel's battle with his human feelings and emotions will prove as perilous as facing the Fallen.

This movie has a very Goth look and feel to it. It vividly depicts the dark and despair of a world without Christ. However, the movie never mentions Christ or God. Instead, they simply refer to the good force as “The Light.”

In the slums of some major city, a drug riddled, prostitution infested, decaying world barely exists. The scales of power have clearly tipped in favor of the Fallen and Gabriel is the last of the seven Arcs sent to wage war for human souls.

The acting in this movie was maybe a B or B-. There was one Fallen female actress that was terrible and one male Arc that wasn’t great either, but beyond that, the acting was acceptable. I was a little put off by some of the vulgarity, but I think that at least part of it was necessary to drive home the despondency of the darkened existence. The fight sequences were unimpressive to me; and the fact that angels and demons would do battle with guns really turned me off. There is one sex scene in the movie (no nudity) that I found offensive as a Christian. It wouldn't have hurt the movie without the sex scene. In addition, I hated the revelation of the main character’s true identity near the end of the movie.

What I loved about this movie, however, was the stark parallel between light and darkness, decay/despair and the absence of goodness and/or light. The battle that takes place in the spiritual world for the human to be able to choose freely how he/she will live and if he/she will accept the full grace of God or reject salvation and be doomed to an eternity in Hell. Many things in this movie are questionable or just plain off Biblically, but if you watch this movie solely from the perspective of how a life without the Light of the World decays, withers, and dies a slow and tormented death, it can have a powerful message.

With all the news that floods our media about terrorism, moral depravity, corrupt politicians, starving nations, senseless violent acts against others, lives that have been destroyed because of sinful choices, weather related disasters, economic crisis, wars and rumors of wars, and the list goes on and on, it is easy to feel hopeless and be full of inner strife and despair. There is no clear line for what is morally acceptable and/or reprehensible anymore. I watched this movie and was easily able to channel some of my own despair, strife and hopelessness into the theme and relate that to the world around me in real life.

More and more the world seems hopeless to me, lately. I picked up a small child from a home overnight to transport for vomiting. All the people in the house with this young boy was intoxicated or stoned. My heart broke for this innocent child who will in all likelihood become a product of his environment. I see things like this every single day.

Friends, the Fallen and the darkness are gaining in strength and strategy. Christians can no longer freely exercise our beliefs and traditions. We are giving those rights away, that has emboldened the darkness and perpetuates the decay. We have to bring the Light back into this world by doing battle against the Fallen.

We have got to learn to do the right thing, because it is the right thing to do, instead of doing the politically correct thing just to appease everyone. We must introduce people to the Light of the World and restore their hope. The best way to do that is for those people to see the Light of the World in us; our witness, our walk, our encounters with people, our attitudes, our postures, our words, our care, our concern, our reaching out.

Another Major Victory in 'Right To Die' Case

HELENA, Montana — A Montana judge has ruled that doctor-assisted suicides are legal in the state, a decision likely to be appealed as the state argues that the Legislature, not the court, should decide whether terminally ill patients have the right to take their own life.

Judge Dorothy McCarter issued the ruling late Friday in the case of a Billings man with terminal cancer, who had sued the state with four physicians that treat terminally ill patients and a nonprofit patients' rights group.

"The Montana constitutional rights of individual privacy and human dignity, taken together, encompass the right of a competent terminally (ill) patient to die with dignity," McCarter said in the ruling.

It also said that those patients had the right to obtain self-administered medications to hasten death if they find their suffering to be unbearable, and that physicians can prescribe such medication without fear of prosecution.

"The patient's right to die with dignity includes protection of the patient's physician from liability under the state's homicide statutes," the judge wrote.

Read Article

I'm certainly no proponent of rogue judges making law from the bench, but if this judge is interpreting existing law correctly then this is a major victory for terminally ill patients.

As a staunch pro-life supporter, I am often taken to task on my support of end of life decision making and capital punishment. Capital punishment is a discussion for a different time. In so much as the decision to die was made by the person who will die, my pro-life stance ends there. There is no innocent person being killed, like an unborn baby. I am a Christian, having spent most of my Christian life in a Southern Baptist setting. Southern Baptists and many other denominations do not share their support of a right to die mentality. Their case is made in explaining how God will call us home when it's our time and until then our life could be ministering to someone (that's the really dumbed down version of it).

I am in and out of hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and private residences regularly. I see firsthand the degradation of the quality of life, the unbearable pain, the humiliation of not being able to care for oneself, the misery of knowing the toll one is taking on ones family, and being trapped in a body that doesn't work and never will again. As a human-being, I never want to be alive under those conditions. I would beg my family, my doctors, my nurses and anyone else who would listen to end my suffering. Am I playing the role of God? Maybe!

I'm not advocating that anyone and everyone should be allowed to run out to clinics of suicide. I am advocating right to die laws for the terminally ill, the person who will be in a vegetative state (if they've declared their intent previously in a living will or other legal document), and/or people who have tragically had their lives forever altered into a state that requires others to care for them. To deny a person the right to die under these circumstances is to enact cruel and unusual punishment, even torture, and in a civilized society such as the United Socialist States of America we're above these types of punishments.

Kudos to Montana. I hope the rest of the country will follow suit.

Mormon Temple's Being Targeted by Hate-Filled Homosexuals

In the nearly four weeks since Election Day, gay activists and thousands of their supporters have rallied outside Mormon temples around the country, protesting the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints' support for California's Proposition 8, the ballot initiative to make same-sex marriage illegal in the Golden State.

There have been calls to boycott the annual Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah; some activists have called for a boycott of the entire state of Utah. Protesters have defaced some church buildings, and in Arapaho County, Colo., the Sheriff's Office is investigating a possible hate crime — the torcSo why is the Mormon Church the only target?

It's because of the money, says Evan Wolfe, executive director of Freedom to Marry, a New York-based group that supports same-sex marriage.

"The Mormon Church hierarchy led the way on this attack on gay families and the California constitution," Wolfe said. "They provided more than half of the funding. They provided the ground troops and were a major political force in a way that no other group was.

"It's not like there's one centralized voice telling everyone whom to protest. People have their own reactions to what they see with their own eyes, and what they saw here was a $40 million deceptive campaign to take away rights, led by the Mormon Church hierarchy."hing of the Book of Mormon on a church's doorstep.

Entire Article

My reaction to this is very simple. Where were these protester's hiding out when Obama and his minions of fraudulent organizing ACORN workers were trying to and succeeding in fraudulently electing Barrack Hussein Obama? Well, that kind of organizing is Okay to the groups who want to go against the majority balance of the American people and live a lifestyle that many consider deviant and would like to protect their young families from having to experience.

I know little about the Mormon, involvement supporting the proposition. There are many many things I disagree with the Mormon faith on, but this is not one of them. They did what any good Christian, Jewish, or most any other faith should have been more active in, and that is upholding the fundamentals of God's Law against such lifestyles or perversion. The majority has ruled by the taking of a secret ballot and the vore should be upheld.

The hypocrisy by which they try to advance their cause, at the risk of the damned damning persons of opposing opinions is telling and an act of desperation. Obama and the demon spawn of leadership in the House and Senate are probably the best friends the homosexuals have ever had in a position to really advance their pathetic cause. Now, more than ever before, it is important for Evangelicals, Catholics, and any other form of religion that speaks the absolute truth of God's Word on this subject be shouted from every corner and off of every roof top.

1984

I have recently started reading the book 1984, by George Orwell. This book, apparently, was required reading for many in high school, but I had never heard of it until recently. I'm not much of a reader, so getting me to read anything is big news. However, this is one of those books you just can't put down.

I'm only about sixty pages into the book, but this man, Orwell, had extraordinary insight into socialism early in history. This book was first published in 1949, long before the present threat of socialism in the United States. We're far from the level of socialism in his book, but the first steps have been taken by our present government which really is in control with no means of checks and balance (since they run the POTUS, the House and the Senate).

The democrats have always been about gaining as much federal control over anything they can by labeling it as aid or regulations for whatever the cause of the week is. They're about a hand out, instead of a leg up. When you dole out charity with no emphasis on getting out into the real world and making something of yourself, you eventually subjugate your base into mind numbed puppets.

Forced socialized health care, which promises to bankrupt our nation and destroy the present level of care that most American's enjoy is but the first step. Our right to bear arms are almost certainly going to be in jeopardy. We're watching key political races being stolen by corrupt failed comedians turned to politics (Al Franken). The Presidential race itself was bought and paid for with record levels of KNOWN fraud (ACORN ring any bells). Obama's tax increase to 95% of the American public, will wreak havoc on our recessioned nations political recovery. Basic economics says don't raise taxes when the people already have no money.

Yes, Change has come. Wait, has it? Where is the change? Obama has basically reinstated the entire Clinton cabinet. That's not change...that's more of the same.

But I digress, this is about 1984...

I can tell this is one of those books that are going to give me a lot to blog about. Following this book, I will be reading a book titled, The Legacy of Secrecy, which is a very long book on the JFK assassination.

Stay tuned for more...If you have never read the book 1984, please read it. It will scare you. I am literally frightened (no pun intended). But it will also hopefully stir deep with in you to begin to let your voice be heard so we can take back our Constitution and our Conservative base and restore the faith that the Moderates have robbed from all of Conservatives who feel left without a party any longer. Believe me, there are far more conservatives than moderates and even liberals for that matter. Liberals just do a better job of being heard and advancing their cause than we conservatives do. Hopefully, for you, this book will change your whole outlook on life make you want to engage yourself in holding our elected officials accountable, rather than the day coming where the "thought police" come to round us all up, because we're no longer controllable.

It's late, but you can bet, I'll be doing a whole sermon series on this book alone in future blogs as time permits.

Woman Sells Virginity to Highest Bidder

Forget the record number of foreclosures and the escalating rate of unemployment.

Here's the best example yet of the current economic climate: Natalie Dylan is selling her virginity to the highest bidder

"I don't think auctioning my virginity will solve all my problems, but it will create some financial stability," the 22-year-old Sacramento State graduate said. "I'm ready for the controversy... I'm ready to do this."

Dylan says she'll undergo a medical exam in order to prove her purity.

The virgin's goal? To earn one million dollars from the auction, which will take place in Nevada at the Moonlight Bunny Ranch.

"Through this process I'm not just looking for the highest bidder," she said. "I'm looking for someone who is a genuine, overall nice person."

http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2008/09/...inity-for-sale/

Another fine example of our moral demise in America. When a woman can sell, to the highest bidder, the most precious gift she can give to a future mate, it indicates a huge red flag in our worlds present state of moral health. I am not naive enough to miss the fact that almost no one is a virgin anymore at their wedding, but come on, selling your virtue publicly to the highest bidder!? The worst part is, that she is studying to be a marriage and family counselor. Sounds like the perfect career move for her in light of her foolish and unhealthy decision to sell herself. Just the kind of counselor I'd want my family to see.

A Sad Death

Interesting and sadly true - Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, 'Common Sense', who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:Knowing when to come in out of the rain; why the early bird gets the worm; Life isn't always fair; and maybe it was my fault.Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouth wash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an Aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault. Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement. Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust. His wife, Discretion, his daughter, Responsibility, his son, Reason. He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights; I Want It Now; Someone Else Is To Blame; I'm A Victim. Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

Author Unknown

First Graders Compromised by School Officials.

First-graders in San Francisco took a field trip to City Hall to celebrate the marriage of their lesbian teacher on Friday, but opponents of same-sex marriage in the state say the field trip was an attempt to “indoctrinate” the students, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

The field trip was suggested by a parent at the Creative Arts Charter School, and the school said the trip, where students tossed rose petals on their teacher and her wife as they left City Hall, was academically relevant.

"It really is what we call a teachable moment," said Liz Jaroslow, the school’s interim director, according to the newspaper. She said same-sex marriage had historic significance. "I think I'm well within the parameters."

California will vote on Nov. 4 on Proposition 8 which seeks to ban same-sex marriage in the state, and supporters of the measure say the field trip shows that allowing same-sex marriage will mean it’s taught to school children, the newspaper said.

"It's just utterly unreasonable that a public school field trip would be to a same-sex wedding," said Chip White, press secretary for the Yes on 8 campaign, told the Chronicle. "This is overt indoctrination of children who are too young to have an understanding of its purpose."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,436961,00.html

Whether or not you agree with the homosexual movement, this is not a good scenario. First graders are so impressionable and to expose them to something so controversial is dangerous and unconscionable. A first graders teacher should keep her love life, whether straight or gay, out of the classroom all together; especially, if it is deeply controversial. Had this been my first graders school, I would be gunning for someone's job.

The school passed this off as a teachable moment based on the civil rights aspect of this case. I agree that perhaps there is something educational to learn in civil rights, but not for an elementary school or a middle school. This is something that could be, if it could be at all, more appropriate for senior high students who can make decisions on this lifestyle for themselves.

Rosie's Career on The View

Stop Polluting Our Air

Several posts ago, I talked about how rude I thought it was to speak a foreign language in public areas of America if you’re a resident of this great land. Today, I want to write about another pet peeve of mine.

Picture it: you’re sitting in a doctor’s office waiting room, waiting to be seen. You arrive roughly thirty minutes early, only to sit and wait for two hours longer than your scheduled appointment, because the doctor is behind. I don’t mind waiting for my ortho because he is the most respected and sought after Otho in the greater Cincinnati area.

Naturally, since you have to wait, all the other people in the room are going to be seen late as well. The waiting room is quite large and from across the room you hear, among the hushed whispers of people conversing and pages of magazines being rustled, a very loud, obnoxious ring tone of the old Batman TV show theme song. The person whose phone is ringing is startled and she hurriedly rushes to answer the phone. Her conversation is loud, but it is short.

You’re only slightly annoyed, but you are gracious enough to think that maybe she just forgot to put her phone on vibrate. A couple minutes later, the same loud ring tone comes to life. The owner answers, but this time her call is not so short. She doesn't’t try to speak in the same whispered tones as everyone else in the room, choosing instead to speak to the caller at a volume that even you, who is sitting all the way across the room considers to be loud and obnoxious.

The call ends. You settle back into the magazine that you’re thumbing through and pretty soon you here the same person speaking. You look up only to see that, this time, she is the caller. She carries a twenty minute phone conversation with someone she knows about all the cars she’s owned and which ones were good and not so good. She has this conversation at the same loud, obnoxious volume as the previous two calls. Every one in the entire office, including the receptionist, peers at her to express their annoyance, but she remains oblivious.

Cell phone ringers usually do not bother me. Most people are considerate enough to lower the volume or even place it on vibrate. Most people are also receptive to their environment enough either to excuse themselves from the room or to speak in a hushed voice. I find it so rude, inconsiderate, and unmannered when people are loud in a quiet environment or when they hold a conversation with someone while another person is speaking.

Why can’t they make a cell phone with technology that can measure the ambient noise and adjust the ringer automatically? The louder the ambient noise, the louder the ringer. Conversely, the quieter the ambient noise, the quieter the ringer.

I am utterly amazed sometimes at how disrespectful and rude the people around me are. Maybe it just seems like a bigger problem, because consumer technology is so young. Maybe we should require a person to take cell phone parenting classes before we allow them to purchase the device…a kind of ‘rules of the road’ dummies guide to proper use and etiquette. I am totally kidding about that, but come on people; consider the people around you when you’re in a public. Stop polluting our air.

A Moral Compass For All

Over the last several days I have been reflecting on the rise and fall — and in certain sectors of society the near obliteration of the idea of a moral compass valid for all.

Today, most people agree there are certain things that are always and everywhere out of bounds — intentionally killing the innocent, lying, stealing, and rape are some of the most obvious. But, what happens when the majority of people — or more commonly, the most powerful group of people — sees things differently and creates laws contrary to one or all of these precepts?

In other words, what is the basis for morality? Is there such a thing as a universal moral compass, and, if so, who or what makes the arrow of truth point this way or that way?

These questions are not new. What is new, in my opinion, is the erosion of basic assumptions, which up until recently made a basic ethical code (like my examples above, or like the 10 Commandments) acceptable to a reasonable person.

To understand the causes of this erosion, we must keep in mind our cultural context, including the marvelous scientific advances of modern and contemporary times. In the face of jaw-dropping material solutions (medical cures, astronomical and archeological discoveries, etc.) to prior mysteries, we are tempted to think that all solutions and all truths must have a material explanation.

When we assume falsely that all truths have a biological or chemical explanation, we deny our ability to "discover" through reason the ethical message (moral compass) written in nature — human nature in particular. In fact, if someone adheres to this materialistic assumption, he or she is right to reject a universal moral compass. Experience tells us, after all, that there is no such thing as a moral gene. We know we don’t become morally "good" through biological development or manipulation, but rather through morally good decisions — free choices —influenced, but not determined, by education and environment.

Because religious faith is in crises in many parts of the world, if we are going to recover lost ground on morality, it is more urgent than ever to highlight to society and its leaders how the ethical message in nature, instilled in us by the common source of nature and reason — God — points toward what will allow us to flourish on a natural level. This very discoverable natural law tells us to avoid evil and do good, but it even goes further. It tells us what the moral life should look like in broad strokes and then how to derive other moral precepts from the rational demands of our common human nature.

On the other hand, if we can’t explain what makes some things always and everywhere out of bounds without first recurring to Sacred Books (a source many people reject), there is little left to save a secular society from giving up on prohibitions against the likes of rape, slavery, incest, or bigotry, not to mention throwing in the towel on feeding the poor, clothing the naked, and protecting the weakest members of society, especially the unborn.

If explaining the foundation for natural morality is difficult for us, it is even more challenging for policy makers and other public figures to live up to it. They are under tremendous pressure to make decisions based on selfish convenience. For example, in last week’s video blog, I suggested that politicians should not point to the Bible or Jesus’ teachings as a proof that their particular policy is best, unless they are willing to use the same standard for all of their decision-making. That’s hard to do. From my experience, these same people are often willing to change their opinion and even sacrifice votes and popularity if they are taught why personal morality is never purely subjective, that there is a law written on human nature that can serve as a basic moral compass for all people, everywhere.

God bless, Father Jonathan

Related Video: Religion in Politics

Dakota Fanning: Child Porn Actress or Child Abuse Awareness Advocate?

Hounddog premiered at the Sundance Film Festival Monday, despite controversy over its depicted rape of a character played by 12-year-old Dakota Fanning. Online petitions have demanded the arrest of Fanning's mother and agent, alleging that the film could be considered child pornography and asking federal prosecutors to investigate the matter. Is Hounddog kiddie porn?

Of course, we know that child pornography is against federal law and thankfully, nearly all of society finds it morally reprehensible. However, from what I have read of the movie, as controversial as it is, it isn’t about turning the viewer on. Dakota never appears nude in the movie and her genitals are never displayed.

Rape and sexual abuse happens. That is what this movie is about. It’s about a little girl who is raped and sexually abused and then, as all rape and sexually abused victims do, struggles to maintain her sanity and make sense of life. Rape awareness is a noble banner to wave, and if (I haven’t seen this movie) it accurately portrays the life of a rape victim before, during, and afterwards I am generally for it, as long as it is intended for mature audiences.

Some people are calling for the prosecution of Dakota’s parents and the filmmakers, citing indecency law and various child rights violations. Obviously, a movie like this is taboo. Anything that deals with abuse of a child or an animal in Hollywood is taboo and apparently, this movie has both. But I say this is real-life stuff. It is good for a society to see just what moral depravity looks like even if it makes us squirm a little.

This film is set in the 1960’s when the plight of children was much less publicized and widely ignored. A deeply dramatic movie, it shows the horrors of humanity; it’s not about the exploitation of young Hollywood flesh. It isn’t about advocating violence or child pornography; it’s about the life of a little girl who is deeply abused.

As I said, I haven’t seen the movie or any trailers for it. In fact, until a friend suggested it as a topic for my blog I hadn’t even heard of it. If this movie is as I have described it, then I applaud the efforts of the film company in their effort to educate the public in how damaging, perverse and regretful the abuse of a child is.

Friendship Contract

After serious & cautious consideration.....your contract of friendship has been renewed for the New Year 2007!

It was a very hard decision to make, so try not to screw it up!!!

My Wish for You in 2007 . . .

May peace break into your house and may thieves come to steal your debts.

May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet of $100 bills.

May love stick to your face like Vaseline and laughter assault your lips!

May happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy.

May the problems you had forget your home address!

In simple words, may 2007 be the best year of your life!!!

Troubling Headlines

Not surprisingly few things in the news surprise me anymore. When I awoke this morning and started flipping through the headlines, as I try to do everyday, two very disturbing headlines caught my attention.

RALEIGH, N.C. - A mother found her 4-year-old daughter decapitated in her home, and police issued an arrest warrant for the girl's father.

BLENDON TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A woman dying of cancer began making videotapes of her family's time together so her 5-year-old son would remember her. Now, almost all of the tapes are gone. A few weeks after Melanie Worthington's death, robbers walked into her parents' home and stole two video recorders and most of the videotapes.

What has happened to us? Parents killing their children and thieves stealing something that could only be of value to the family of a dying woman. I worry about the America that we're leaving for our children.

My prayers are with both of these families.

Perform the Action, the Feeling Will Follow

While driving home from St. Louis a couple of days ago, I tuned into a talk show. I’ve turned into an old person. Do you remember being a child and driving with some adult who refused to listen to anything but AM talk radio? Much to my family’s chagrin, that’s pretty much me. But I digress…

A guest called the program to tell the host how much he loved his now pregnant wife and how happy their marriage of three years has been. His problem? It seems he is afraid to make love to his wife now that she is pregnant. He had trouble articulating his reasoning, but short answer is, it stemmed from the fact that she has a baby inside her and he doesn’t want to hurt the infant and that fear has quelled his desire.

It took the host several minutes to get to the root of the problem and it seems that this young mans fear is not that uncommon a problem. She reassured him that unless his wife’s physician has indicated a medical reason not to have sex that doing so would not jeopardize the welfare of the unborn baby.

Among other advice, she made the following decree…perform the action and the feeling will follow. I’ve been brooding over that one statement since I heard it.

I have a kind of fixation with the moral decline of America and the world in general, if you haven’t noticed already. For the purposes of this post, we’ll take the subject of marriage again. I have stated many times in the past that marriage has become more a matter of convenience then of commitment. By and large, it has become for as long as our love shall last and not for as long as we both shall live.

It is my estimation that too much in this world happens based on a particular feeling at a particular moment in time. A person’s feelings tend to vacillate over time. This notion of performing the action and the feeling will follow seems, to me, to apply very much in the subject of marriage on many levels.

The Advaitin philosopher Chandrashekhara Bharati Swaminah put it this way, “by exercising your free-will in the past, you brought on the resultant fate.” Or the Pubbekatahetuvada teaches, the belief that all happiness and suffering arise from previous action. Ever not been in the mood until you became engaged in the act???

Don’t misunderstand me, I am not advocating an if it feels good, do it society. That would be the reverse of the point of this. If one performs a particular action then a particular feeling will eventually occur. The same could also be true of immoral acts and negative effects, I would postulate.

My hope for my epiphany concerning this statement is to encourage you the next time you become apathetic. Make yourself perform the action, even if you don’t want to, and the feeling will eventually come. This is an area of my marriage that I need to concentrate on at times.

A Young Sailor Inspires Change

The year was 1996, and I was relatively new to the submarine way of life. Still in Sonar School, and not yet assigned to a boat, a discussion among the different classes arose concerning possible changes to the submarine working uniforms. Like the Navy SEALs, the submarine fleet is an elite group. It comprises the top 1% of the top 10% of the navy. Submariners have silently done their jobs for years and the discussion at the time was based around distinguishing submariners, like other elitist groups, with different uniforms; specifically, blue camouflage BDUs.

It didn’t take much convincing for me. No one thinks the navy bell bottom pants, the light blue button up shirts (made from the same material as prison issued uniforms), and the goofy white sailor hat was more outdated and demoralizing then I did. They've been around and unchanged since the 1940's. I quickly became an advocate for change, specifically for the BDUs and for a beret type hat.

In my haste and outspokenness, I decided to pen a letter addressed to the Chief of Naval Operations. I would write it and mail it directly to him lobbying for such a uniform change. In the military there is a chain of command, however, if you direct something above your superior’s head, by regulation, it must reach its intended destination. The CNO is the highest-ranking officer of the Navy and so it stood to reason that I would address my letter to him.

Admittedly, I never presumed that it would ever be read by the CNO. After all, who was I? I was just a Seaman Recruit; a lowly E-1. Several weeks later, I received two replies. The first, a very pleasant response from the CNO stating how much he enjoyed receiving my letter and understood my position. The second, a very matter of fact letter from the Chief Petty Officer of the Navy educating me on the proper use of the chain of command.

Not to my surprise, nothing ever became of my petition; that is, until now. Given the vast amount of influence I convey, the Navy initiated a Navy wide survey concerning the contentment of present uniforms and the types of uniforms they would like to have. The survey results, also not to my surprise, communicated what I had so articulately expressed to the CNO years earlier.

The Navy Times announced December 14, 2006 that Navy officials have announced the Navy’s new working and service uniforms will start to be available in some Navy exchanges by June 2008 at the earliest.

Though this change does not accomplish the mission of distinguishing the submariner as an elitist division, it will prove to be a great boost to Navy morale. It’s a change that is long overdue.

Urban Legends

Almost nothing irritates me more then receiving forwarded emails about stories that are untrue. To me, it’s comparable to irresponsible journalism. Today I received an email about the heroics of Lee Marvin, Captain Kangaroo, and Mr. Rogers. It’s the stuff of Hollywood masterpieces. The only problem is, it is all complete fiction.

In an effort to quell the urban legends, I have decided to address the characters of this email here, on my blog. It begins like this:

THE MYTH:

YOU NEVER KNOW WITH THE QUIET ONES.

In a time when many Hollywood stars served their country in the armed forces often in rear echelon posts where they were carefully protected, only to be trotted out to perform for the cameras in war bond promotions, Lee Marvin was a genuine hero. He won the Navy Cross at Iwo Jima. There is only one higher naval award... the Medal of Honor.

If that is a surprising comment on the true character of the man, he credits his sergeant with an even greater show of bravery.

Dialogue from The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson: His guest was Lee Marvin.

Johnny said, "Lee, I'll bet a lot of people are unaware that you were a Marine in the initial landing at Iwo Jima...and that during the course of that action you earned the Navy Cross and were severely wounded."

"Yeah, yeah... I got shot square in the bottom and they gave me the cross for securing a hot spot about halfway up Suribachi. Bad thing about getting shot up on a mountain, is guys getting shot hauling you down. But, Johnny, at Iwo, I served under the bravest man I ever knew... We both got the cross the same day, but what he did for his Cross made mine look cheap in comparison. That dumb guy actually stood up on Red Beach and directed his troops to move forward and get the hell off the beach. Bullets flying by, with mortar rounds landing everywhere and he stood there as the main target of gunfire so that he could get his men to safety. He did this on more than one occasion because his men's safety was more important than his own life,” Marvin recalled.

“Johnny, I'm not lying, Sergeant Keeshan was the bravest man I ever knew. The Sergeant's name is Bob Keeshan. You and the world know him as Captain Kangaroo."

THE TRUTH:

This story almost complete fabrication.

Lee Marvin and Bob Keeshan did both serve in the Marines.

Before his death in January, 2004, we checked with Bob Keeshan, who was living in Vermont, and he said he never served at Iwo Jima, was not presented with the Navy Cross and, in fact, never saw combat.

There is no record of Lee Marvin at Iwo Jima or winning the Navy Cross. According to a biography that we have on file at TruthOrFiction.com, Marvin did see a lot of action in the Pacific participating in the invasions at Kwajalein and Eniwetok and was wounded in Saipan, for which he was awarded the Purple Heart. Marvin is buried in Arlington Cemetery.

THE MYTH:

On another note, there was this wimpy little man (who recently passed away) on PBS, gentle and quiet. Mr. Rogers is another of those you would least suspect of being anything but what he now portrays to our youth. Nevertheless, Mr. Rogers was a U.S. Navy Seal; combat-proven in Vietnam with over twenty-five confirmed kills to his name. He wore a long-sleeved sweater on TV, to cover the many tattoos on his forearm and biceps. He was a master in small arms and hand-to-hand combat, able to disarm or kill in a heartbeat.

After the war, Mr. Rogers became an ordained Presbyterian minister and therefore a pacifist. Vowing never to harm another human, he dedicated the rest of his life to trying to help lead children on the right path in life. He hid away the tattoos and his past life and won our hearts with his quiet wit and charm.

America's real heroes don't flaunt what they did; they quietly go about their day-to-day lives, doing what they do best. They earned our respect and the freedoms that we all enjoy.

THE TRUTH:

This same rumor has often been applied to boyish country singer-songwriter John Denver (among others), and it's just as false when told of Fred Rogers. Not only did Fred Rogers never serve in the military, there are no gaps in his career when he could conceivably have served in the military — he went straight into college after high school, he moved directly into TV work after graduating college, and his breaks from television work were devoted to attending the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (he was ordained as a Presbyterian minister in 1963) and the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Child Development. Moreover, Fred Rogers was born in 1928 and was therefore too old to have enlisted in the armed services by the time of America's military involvement in Vietnam.

He wore long-sleeved shirts and sweaters on his show to maintain an air of formality — although he was friendly with the children in his viewing audience and talked to them on their own level, he was most definitely an authority figure on a par with parents and teachers (he was Mister Rogers to them, after all, not Fred), and his choice of dress was intended to establish and foster that relationship.

The Measure of A Country

In January 2003, during his address to British ambassadors in London, British Prime Minister Tony Blair observed, "First, we should remain the closest ally of the US, and as allies influence them to continue broadening their agenda. We are the ally of the US not because they are powerful, but because we share their values. I am not surprised by anti-Americanism; but it is a foolish indulgence. For all their faults, and all nations have them, the US are a force for good; they have liberal and democratic traditions of which any nation can be proud. I sometimes think it is a good rule of thumb to ask of a country: are people trying to get into it or out of it? It's not a bad guide to what sort of country it is."

Later someone anonymously noted, "Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you: Jesus Christ and the American G. I. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom."

Then and Now!

Scenario: Jack pulls into school parking lot with rifle in gun rack.

1973: Vice Principal comes over, takes a look at Jack's rifle, goes to his car and gets his to show Jack.

2006: School goes into lockdown, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.

Scenario: Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.

1973: Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up best friends. Nobody goes to jail, nobody arrested, nobody expelled.

2006: Police called, SWAT team arrives, arrests Johnny and Mark. Charge them with assault, both expelled even though Johnny started it.

Scenario: Jeffrey won't be still in class, disrupts other students.

1973: Jeffrey sent to office and given a good paddling by Principal. Sits still in class.

2006: Jeffrey given huge doses of Ritalin. Becomes a zombie. School gets extra money from state because Jeffrey has a disability.

Scenario: Billy breaks a window in his father's car and his Dad gives him a spanking.

1973: Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.

2006: Billy's Dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy removed to foster care and joins a gang. Billy's sister is told by state psychologist that she remembers being abused herself and their Dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has affair with psychologist.

Scenario: Mark gets a headache and takes some headache medicine to school.

1973: Mark shares headache medicine with Principal out on the smoking dock.

2006: Police called, Mark expelled from school for drug violations. Car searched for drugs and weapons.

Scenario: Mary turns up pregnant.

1973: 5 High School Boys leave town. Mary does her senior year at a special school for expectant mothers.

2006: Middle School Counselor calls Planned Parenthood, who notifies the ACLU. Mary is driven to the next state over and gets an abortion without her parent's consent or knowledge. Mary given condoms and told to be more careful next time.

Scenario: Pedro fails high school English.

1973: Pedro goes to summer school, passes English, goes to college.

2006: Pedro's cause is taken up by state democratic party. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English banned from core curriculum. Pedro given diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he can't speak English.

Scenario: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the 4th of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle, blows up a red ant bed.

1973: Ants die.

2006: BATF, Homeland Security, FBI called. Johnny charged with domestic terrorism, FBI investigates parents, siblings removed from home, computers confiscated, Johnny's Dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.

Who Started Christmas?

Author Unknown

A woman was Christmas shopping with her two children. After many hours of walking down row after row of toys and after hours of hearing both her children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the store elevator with her two children in hand.

She was feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season time of the year, getting that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list, overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the holiday food and treats, making sure we don't forget anyone on our card list, and the pressure of making sure we respond to everyone who sent us a card.

Finally the elevator doors opened revealing a crowd in the elevator cab. She pushed her way in and dragged her two kids and all her bags of stuff in with her .

As the doors closed she couldn't take it anymore and blurted out, "Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up, and shot."

From the back of the car, a quiet calm voice responded, "Don't worry, we've already crucified Him." The rest of the trip down was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

Don't forget this year to keep the One who started this whole Christmas thing in your every thought, deed, purchase, and word. If we all would, just think how much better this world would be.

Jesus is the reason for the season. Wise people still seek Him.

Santa May Appeal To Children...BANNED!

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) -- A beer distributor says Maine is being a Scrooge by barring it from selling a beer with a label depicting Santa Claus enjoying a pint of brew.

In a complaint filed in federal court, Shelton Brothers accuses the Maine Bureau of Liquor Enforcement of censorship for denying applications for labels for Santa's Butt Winter Porter and two other beers it wants to sell in Maine...

...The lawsuit, filed Thursday, contends the state's action violates the First Amendment by censoring artistic expression...

...But the state says it's within its rights. The label with Santa might appeal to children, said Maine State Police Lt. Patrick Fleming. The other two labels are considered inappropriate because they show bare-breasted women....

...The lawsuit was brought by the Maine Civil Liberties Union, which says the beer labels are entitled to First Amendment protection...

Read the entire article

The state maintains this is like the Joe Camel thing. It may appeal to children. I am not sure exactly how I feel about the violation of First Amendment rights in this case and whether they have actually occurred; you have to draw a line somewhere.

What really bothers me, is that a company, any company, would take such an important religious holiday and make such a mockery of it. True, Christmas, though Christian in origin, has become a secular holiday for many, for many still it has a religious sacredness.

Then there is St. Nicholas, aka Santa Claus. He’s been widely forgotten as the Catholic saint and has become almost exclusively a childhood fairytale character. I don’t know of any marketing strategy elsewhere that portrays St. Nick as a boozing exhibitionist.

It seems that marketing of this nature against this religious holiday could damage children and disrespect the season we celebrate the birth of Christ. It is for this reason I lean with the side of the state in this matter despite the fact that both sides could do compelling arguments for their civil rights. This free speech thing can just go too far, as in this case.

Hazing...How Far Is Too Far?

When mentioning to a friend that I was going to place an opinion on my blog about hazing, her first declaration was, “I think it's stupid and usually male-initiated!” But I think the evidence shows women can be as hazeing as men can. Consider the following headline, Sorority accused of hazing in $100 million suit. Alas, my thoughts on this matter are not directed at which species is more capable or contributing, but more about the point of too-farness.

While in the US Navy, I served aboard the USS Boston, SSN-703, a Los Angeles class fast attack submarine. Hazing is a way of life in communities like these. When a person became submarine qualified, an exhaustive process that usually takes about one year to complete, it is considered a big deal. By obtaining this qualification, the person had earned the right to wear the coveted Dolphins insignia that declared them a fully qualified submariner.

After the formal ceremony, the hazing portion begins. The crew ‘tacks on’ your dolphins. This consists of removing the pin backings from the pin, passing the pin through your clothing, and still without the backings, the crew takes turns hitting your pin as hard as they can, causing bruising and the pins to penetrate your flesh. This barbaric display of testosterone is no longer endorsed by the Navy and in fact, is now a violation of protocol even though it still happens.

So, the big question naturally is, why? According to Inside Hazing.com, The psychology of hazing involves several elements, which collide within a specific framework and cause "the perfect storm" increasing the likelihood of hazardous hazing events. The conditions of the theory are made up of the following attributes.

1. Human Nature
2. Developmental Needs
   a. Separation from family
   b. Identity and mood
   c. Acceptance in a group
   d. Aggression and sexuality
3. Traditions
4. Environmental Circumstances
5. Personalities and Emotional States
   a. The perpetrators
   b. The bystanders
   c. The victims
6. Dynamics of the Group
7. Personality and Style of the Adult Leader
8. The Sado-Masochistic Paradigm
9. Attitudes Towards Authority
10. Unconscious Psychological Forces
    a. Identification with the aggressor
    b. Repetition compulsion
    

This theory basically states that hazing can occur with any one or all of these attributes present. Obviously, the more of these attributes that are present the more escalated the event becomes. Also, any one of these attributes can be taken to an extreme and become hazardous.

WARNING SIGNS: Hazing may skid into the hazardous zone when:

• The leaders of the group are very aggressive, and intimidating.
• You have heard rumors from your peers about activities that are hazardous.
• Your gut is churning and you sense danger.
• You have been warned by authorities that the group has a reputation for being extreme.
• You don't want to acknowledge it, but you have witnessed some events which are dangerous or are inconsistent with your own morals and values.
• You feel stuck. You are already involved and do not know how to get out of the group or process.
  

In closing, it seems that a little hazing can go a long way. Being in EMS and working closely with the fire and police services, I have seen hazing on multiple levels; it’s commonplace. Most of the time it is in good fun. It can only be in good fun though, IF both parties are willing participants and as long as it does not cross any moral, sexual, racial, and/or ethical boundaries and is of non-violence origins. Crossing any or all of these boundaries is dangerous.

Adultery! Who's To Blame?

Newsweek Dec. 4, 2006 issue - When George Berg's wife, Sandra, began spending three nights a week studying for an MBA, he didn't mind. But when the manager of the family's Myrtle Beach time share called two years ago to say someone left behind a Blockbuster video card—during a weekend when Sandra was supposed to be away at a company event with their son—George got suspicious. Asking his 5-year-old about the trip, he made a heartbreaking discovery. "I asked him. 'You went with Mommy's [female] boss?' He said 'No, I went with Mommy's gay friend from work'."

Using an arcane North Carolina law on "alienation of affection," Berg filed suit not against his ex-wife (they divorced earlier this year) but against the other adulterer. In August, they settled for more than $150,000, and in January Berg will begin receiving monthly checks.

I have always maintained that, as a society, we make marriage more a matter of convenience then a matter of commitment. It's become more, "as long our love shall last," then "as long as we both shall live."

Marriage is more of a contract then it is anything else. It's a contract between a husband and a wife; it's a contract between the couple and their family and friends; and it’s a contract between the couple and their God. Contracts of any other nature are subject to enforcement of their terms by civil litigation and possibly criminal prosecution resulting in some form of compensation. Isn't it fair, then, to insist that the marriage contract be held to the same standard?

When someone who is legally united into the establishment of marriage goes outside the marriage without the consent of his or her spouse then a violation of the contract has occurred. When a third party outside the marriage pursues and engages someone they know is bound by the marriage covenant then that person has also violated a legal contract; albeit not a contract they themselves have entered into necessarily, but one that exists nonetheless.

There are a myriad of angles and reasons someone might be inclined to violate the contract. The question, in my mind, isn’t who drove whom to what? It’s more, who committed the act and violated the contract? Unhappiness, indeed emotions of any kind, in general, does not give you free license to act without the reprisal of consequences.

While, as in the case of this article, the law invoked may be based on an archaic notion that “a wife is her husband's property,” I maintain that there should be a more appropriate law that declares that the husband and wife are bound, by contract, to certain standards (unless specifically stated otherwise) and therefore subject to penalty.

My final synopsis…good for the guy who sued and won. Generally, I think we, as a society, sue far too often and without proper justification. We must make marriage a serious, sacred occasion again and not something to be dismissed when the emotion carries us briefly in a different direction. It’s bad for families, it’s bad for the kids, and it’s bad for our society.