Author: Sal
Students Free to Thank Anybody, Except God
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland public school students are free to thank anyone they want while learning about the 17th century celebration of Thanksgiving — as long as it’s not God.
And that is how it should be, administrators say.
Young students across the state read stories about the Pilgrims and Native Americans, simulate Mayflower voyages, hold mock feasts and learn about the famous meal that temporarily allied two very different groups.
But what teachers don’t mention when they describe the feast is that the Pilgrims not only thanked the Native Americans for their peaceful three-day indulgence, but repeatedly thanked God.
“We teach about Thanksgiving from a purely historical perspective, not from a religious perspective,” said Charles Ridgell, St. Mary’s County Public Schools curriculum and instruction director.
But Gov. Ehrlich says that is inaccurate:
The article also quoted school administrators from several counties who said they do not include religious matter in their curriculums. None of the persons quoted said the state had directed the schools to exclude the teaching of religion.
However, Mr. Ehrlich criticized the article, saying it reported that the state has set the local school districts’ curriculums.
“I have checked with my education folks [and] that is not accurate at all,” the Republican governor said. “Obviously, curric- ulum issues are local in nature. Local school boards have a lot of input in curriculum issues.”
Jim Geraghty visits Rome
Under fire
On NRO, Jack Dunphy gives his take on the marine accused of killing a wounded Iraqi insurgent in Fallujah. Trust me, it’s worth reading the whole thing for last couple of paragraphs.
Senate hearings on impact of pornography
Addiction to porn destroying lives, Senate told – link via Drudge
Mary Anne Layden, co-director of a sexual trauma program at the University of Pennsylvania, said pornography’s effect on the brain mirrors addiction to heroin or crack cocaine. She told of one patient, a business executive, who arrived at his office at 9 a.m. each day, logged onto Internet porn sites, and didn’t log off until 5 p.m.
A friend of mine is a divorced mother of a 17 year old. She tells me she keeps track of what her son is doing on the internet with the computer in his room. “I don’t mind him looking at porn as long as it’s not too sick,” she said.
That’s a real problem. I explained to her what the probable effects of a habit of pornography begun during such formative years. How is he going to view women if he looks at porn all day? As sexual objects for his own gratification. Do you think he’s going to be able to be chaste when he’s dating if he spends a good chunk of time watching porn every day? Do you think he’ll have a long-term, loving marriage with a woman if all he’s focused on is sexual gratification. Do you think he’ll want to get married at all or just shack up while it’s convenient and expedient?
She wasn’t willing to consider any of the potential effects of his budding porn habit. I think she was afraid to confront him about it, perhaps she didn’t even see anything wrong with it. But that’s just one kind of victim of pornography. The “performers” themselves are also victims, probably the worst victims. I know the Old Oligarch has posted on this in the past but I can’t find any links on his site. O-O, if you’re reading, post a link if you will.