Our Special Day
Today is Ash and my anniversary. We've been married for 12 years, and together for 13. We were living together in New Hampshire at the time. I remember how beautiful Ash looked, and how nervous I was on our wedding day. I also remember how happy I was.
Ash,
I love you so much. Thank you for 13 happy years! You are my sunshine. I'm still happy.
Religion and the Public Schools
Our local school district was sued recently over elementary school students passing out candy canes with religious messages. They were stopped by the school district, and their parents sued over freedom of speech. The school changed it's policy so that students could pass them out in between classes.
I have a few thoughts on this (no, really...).
First, if you want to pass out candy canes with religious messages, more power to you. Just don't do it on the teacher's time. Not in class, only in between classes. Also, don't push it. I've noticed that Christians who start to pass out these things get pretty pushy about it. Especially kids, who demand conformity. It can reach the point that any child who doesn't want their candy cane or their message will soon be harassed or intimidated by the rest of the kids. If you think this can't happen you haven't been to the same schools I've been to.
The real problem here is one of control. Since public schools are controlled by elected officials, whoever gets elected gets to dictate what happens or what is taught in the schools (witness the recent issues about Intelligent Design vs. real science). This means that if you can win a majority on the school board, you can decide what happens. Now the question will arise (especially if you are not the winners of the election) about what happens to the losers of the election. The same thing that happens in any elections. The losers have to suck it up and take whatever they're given.
So, now your children are going to a school where you disagree with the fundamental principles of the school board. What do you do? Take control yourself and impose your views on the school board, of course! This can turn into a vicious cycle of election, re-election, lawsuits, etc.
The real solution is to get the government out of the schools. When you do this, there is no longer and incentive to take control of the school. Instead, if you disagree with a schools founding principles, you just go find another school that meets your needs. Since all schools will be private, there are no issues of freedom of speech or religion, since the government isn't involved. Also, if you don't like the schools in your area, you can just start your own school.
There are, I'm sure, a lot of questions about private only schools. How can everyone afford school if they are all private? First think about the property taxes you'll no longer need to pay. How much of your property taxes go to funding schools? Take that money and you can afford a private school. Second, consider the money that will be available in the form of scholarships and grants. That money is available now, but if tax money is freed up, consider how much more would be available.
Death of a co-worker
I've finally got some space to write about a co-worker who was brutally murdered recently. A co-worker, who sat a few cubicles down from me at work was brutally murdered during the week I was out sick. I was home sick when I got a call from work about it. Only as a side effect of letting me know something else. Sort of "Oh, I need you to take his name off this because he won't be approving it after all. His body was found this morning at his house."
I was floored. The caller didn't have many details, just that he and his wife were dead and that they had been murdered. I saw this guy every day. He was a nice person, one of the nicest I've met at work. We didn't know who did it for a week or so, but later, the police arrested his son for the crime based on evidence at the house.
Even now, when I think about it, I get sad and depressed. I've had people close to me die. My grandmother died years ago, but I'm still sad and I still miss her. My grandfather died when I was a little boy. I remember how nice he was, how he did little tricks for me, and his funeral with all the flowers and the huge number of people who showed up. Maybe I was a little kid and it just looked like a lot of people, but I like to think it was a lot.
This is the first person I've known who has been murdered, though. I'm not a violent man, but I don't have a problem with the death penalty (when applied fairly), and I wouldn't have a problem tripping the switch on my co-worker's son.
Anyway, Doug, I'm so sorry that this happened to you and I miss seeing you at work and when you said "Hey, Dr. Shaffer!" when we passed each other, even though I'm not a doctor. I know you meant it was because I'm so good at what I do. I didn't cry when I heard, but don't feel bad because I hardly ever cry. It's nothing personal. I'm sorry you didn't get a chance to enjoy your new house away from the kids, where you could raise your horses and just have fun.
You were a very nice person and you didn't deserve this.