UPDATE: to the Oak Lawn religious holiday kerfuffle about which we've been entangled...
(CBS) OAK LAWN, Ill. Following a school board meeting where parent complained about what the saw as an assault on traditional American celebrations, an Oak Lawn school district has decided to keep observing Halloween and Christmas, but only on the condition that Muslim holiday Ramadan is celebrated as well.
Given that there are 30% Muslim children in the school, I think this is probably the best compromise the school board could come up with. One important point was that the Muslim parents did not ask for Christmas and Halloween to be banished in favor of Ramadan, they just wanted their holiday to be recognized in addition. The stupid school board overreacted as usual with hysterical political correctness and banned all official religious expression. Actually, I wouldn't have a problem with that either, but for entirely different reasons that I've gone over already.
The simple and most logical solution is for the Muslims to establish a private school where they can practice whatever kooky rituals they like. The problem with Muslim-only private schools however, is that many of them are funded entirely by Saudi Arabia who send hostile Imams to teach, and the children get radicalized...in effect the school becomes a training ground for America-hatred and distrust. That presents a larger problem down the road.
Honestly, I don't know the best solution which is patriotically satisfactory as well as Constitutional in that it embraces the openness of our society and allows for all religious practices.
4 comments:
This solution is a short term good fix. It allows for freedom of expression (that seems to be lost in some parts of Texas), freedom to worship, and continues to extoll American virtues and beliefs. The question remains about the aetheists and other belifs and their soon to be tormented youths. Until people practice benevolence and kindness towards one another, none of this will be solved in this country. Since benevolence and kindness don't exist anywhere else, it is a forgone conclusion that this will be a continual problem elsewhere.
Sadly, right you are Reid.
Ideally, everybody does his own thing and doesn't care what others do, as long as it doesn't impede what he's doing.
The adage that goes: "Your right to extend your fist stops where my nose begins", is the cliche' by which all Americans should live.
Live and let live...but that's impossible in a society where everybody walks around looking for reasons to be offended and expects their personal desires to be placated regardless of everybody elses desires.
What I think Americans need is some good Buddhism moral teachings. One of the main points Buddhists try to practice is the absence of wanting. Buddhists believe that to end suffering one must end desire. Well I don't think any American is about to end desire but if we just cut down on it a little bit, Americans would be a lot happier. If we as Americans could just not ever have this bother them so much, then we wouldn't be at each others throats so much. Its probably kind of odd that I am using a religious belief as a solution to problems with religions in schools, but what the heck, I'll give it a shot.
To be more specific K, it's really the traditional liberterians who adhere to the idea of live and let live...as we all should.
The modern republican party is wandering in the desert and the democrats are a lost cost entirely.
It's up to individual Americans to live by those tenents and not depend on our dreadful government leaders to set the tone for our lives.
Post a Comment