How is bullying defined? One person attacking or berating another. If one person finds it offensive to listen to a Christian song and thus has it banned, isn't that a form of bullying? If a few people are insulted by a song, isn't it a form of bullying to deny the rest of the people in attendance a song they wish to hear? I am insulted frequently by the language and actions seen on TV, so I don't watch those shows, and as a teacher I sometimes heard things I found distasteful so I ignored them, if they were not completely out of line. There are many things that large groups of people find offensive but we don't form groups and demand that others can't perform them. I like opera but I don't demand that all other forms of music are banned or that all movies stop using other forms as background. Why are the courts defending those who don't like something most of us have enjoyed as part of living in a free society? You will never please everyone, it's just not possible, unless the government decides what we are to hear, see and think, are we heading in that direction?

Will the same standards apply to Islam? Can they pray 5 times a day, even in battle? What about our prisons which seem to be great recruiting grounds for Islam. Will the chaplains in there have to quit trying to change behavior by teaching and acting as Christians? It is becoming very apparent that Islam is far more protected by our government and courts than is Christianity. why? is Islam more charitable and caring than Christianity, is it more loving and uplifting? Does it protect women and children more? Why are some so ready to malign Christianity and protect Islam? Do the people favoring same sex marriage like Islam more? What does Islam have that Christianity doesn't that makes it so necessary to protect? Interesting thoughts.

Following the sentence that 'Congress shall make NO laws respecting an establishment of religion', is the statement, 'or prohibiting the free exercise thereof'. If one goes to D.C. there are religious symbols everywhere. The Supreme Courthouse contains many religious figures and symbols, are they to be eliminated too? Why can a small minority take over the traditions and standards that have been part of civilizations since time began. While many other religions aren't called Christianity, they also worship a supreme being of some sort, so why can those who don't worship anything take away the right of the vast majority of the population? This attitude also extends to many other fields where a minority with ideas that differ from what has been accepted for eons of time, make everyone change their lives to suit the small group? I don't care for many activities that are popular now, but instead of trying to change them, I ignore them and live my life according to me, and let the rest do the same.

Having 'standards' is admirable on the surface, but it fails to take into effect that all students aren't the same in ability, interest and attitude. The 'No Child Left Behind" had great sounding goals but didn't take individual students into account. Many schools dropped shop, business, art, and other non academic classes in order to put students into enough algebra classes to pass most of them. College is deemed the goal of all students. which is ridiculous because there aren't enough colleges to handle them, and we need as many, or more, people in jobs that don't require college, especially classes like English Literature, Gender Studies and other such studies. The higher academics have forgotten that students differ greatly and can't all be put into one mold.

Hopefully the most powerful argument for keeping the Boy Scouts as they are is that the Churches, which sponsor most of the troops, will pull out of Scouts and that will mean the support of a great many troops and money will leave. Reality will set in and the loss of major support and membership will make a difference. It has happened before and probably will again.

It is hard for us to understand why people will work for $1.50 in substandard conditions, but I wonder what is the alternative for them? If there were better places to work, why would they stay there? Why do they do it? Maybe because it beats anything else available. How did they live before those jobs were available? How many mothers watched their children die of starvation, or just barely make it on whatever scraps they could find. It isn't right, but maybe it' the only thing. Hopefully for them, there will be enough demand for their products that the wages and conditions will rise and their lives will be better. Life is not nearly as safe in those countries as it is here. Sometimes, maybe a child went to bed after a good...

The point that is being overlooked is that now, due to a lack of standards in our society, any person wanting sex may have it with any one else in the same mood, and if a pregnancy occurs it is just an annoyance, not a baby. Sex is no longer feeling and showing love in a marriage and which will produce children to be loved and cared for, it is just fulfilling an urge with anyone in the same mood. Love is no longer part of it for too many young people who have grown up in a society that has discarded standards and morals, and they are missing one of the greatest parts of life, loving and being loved in a family of parents and children. They are trading a full life for a few moments of pleasure. I feel sorry for them.

The national leaders of the Churches, which support most of the troops, will have to stand strong against the winds of change. There are those who desire to tear down any standards which have been a part of our society for hundreds of years and go down to no standards at all, just do whatever you want. We need to be training young men to be adults of integrity and honor, not just men doing whatever they want to, no matter what it is. My husband worked with Scouts 17 years and has seen many of his Scouts become honorable and positive men with high morals and actions. They don't need to change!!!

One place the skilled, or would have liked to be skilled, workers have gone is into algebra classes in high schools. In order to get all students passing algebra, many had to take it several times and so the shop classes were among the first to go. This is done in cookie cutter style to insure that all students are treated the same, with no concern for their individual talents or goals. We need more plumbers, electricians, carpenters and tradesmen than English or political science majors. Just because they don't complete college doesn't mean they aren't intelligent or important in our society.

My husband was raised in rural Wyoming when there were still many neighbors around and the mail came to a small ranch post office and the people came there to get mail, stamps, send packages etc. Mail was delivered only twice a week. They closed the post office several yeas ago and there is no way to get those services there now, but mail still only comes twice a week. They have to put a mail bag out on the road and it is taken for outgoing mail and another one left for incoming mail. There are still places where progress hasn't come.