Lost virtue -inity in America

Lost virtues in the public schools and increased family violence, increased youth pregnancies, increased divorce rates, school violence, rising crime rates, increased sex and violence on TV, and so on and so on, is exactly what happened in America when the U.S. Supreme Court tried to pull God out of the schools.

Here in the CNMI the WSR PTSA had a vote in the year 2000 in which they allowed the Ten Commandments to be posted on the cafeteria wall and also to allow the Bible to be used as a teaching tool for academic purposes, namely History, Literature, Art, Math and Science.

Not to be used for the purposes of any specific religious organization. Amazingly enough, the vote by parents and teaches was 100 percent unanimous in favor of that action since it is not against the separation of church and state laws. Unfortunately, PSS leadership team, the school principal and the PSS legal counsel discouraged and stopped any further action in the matter stating that it was just too controversial and might cause too many disturbances in the classroom.

It may have helped the PSS administration, but it sure as hell didn’t help the CNMI families and youth. In fact, non-action on these matters help to create millions of dollars in other government expenditures (including text book purchases).

I am glad to see the some state government leaders, state/federal courts, and the media (Marianas Variety, Dec. 22 Opinion, Bill Orialy, etc.) bring these issues back into the limelight. With over 82 percent of Americans claiming to be Christians, why is it that the less than 18 percent seem to be legalistically controlling what happens in America? Store chains such as Target, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Kmart/Sears, Costco, and Kohl’s are having difficulties with traditional Christmas practices, namely not allowing their employees to greet customers in saying “Merry Christmas.” Legal secularists groups want the crosses taken down from publicly paid locations like the Arlington Cemetery. Unfortunately the lack of “pure education” has even penetrated into the churches causing some church leaders to run the church similar to private sector businesses and bless me clubs, partially neglecting what pure and undefiled religion is actually defined as. It may make a person wonder, what is this world coming to—closer to the end? Yes, the end of 2005—Thank God! Merry Christmas and may God bless you in the New Year!

Ray Austin,
Chalan Piao Backsliders