Keep Your Superstitions to Yourself, Please

Enough with the God stuff.

I'm including "one nation, under God" and "in God we trust." I'd like to be rid of it. It has gotten out of hand.

Keep it to yourself, Church Lady.

You (and my mother, for that matter) can revel in being outraged by people who understand (and accept) that there are many kinds of families, including some with two mommies or two daddies.

It's so easy to adopt the "they're picking on us" position when someone points out that you've overstepped the bounds by demanding pseudo-science be taught in public schools. I do pity the kids whose parents send them to schools with curricula that simply reinforces their prejudices and superstitions.

Religion does provide some value. Asking questions like, "How should we live?" and "How should we treat each other?" is a good idea. Gloating about going to heaven while all who disagree with you are eternally punished is unseemly.

FreedomWorks? For Whom?

The universe's sense of humor has revealed itself once again, and the NeoCon movement is at the forefront with its ongoing and relentless use of the word "freedom" without the slightest acknowledgement of its irony.

They've goose-stepped into Vermont with flags flying, setting up an outpost of an organization that calls itself (with a straight, very straight, face) "FreedomWorks." Declaring its intention to fight for lower taxes, less government, and more freedom, one might guess that these folks are yellow-ribbon-magnet-affixing supporters of the current administration. That's the one that has made significantly higher taxes inevitable with unprecedented deficit spending. The one that has expanded the government's size and power, especially with the ironically named PATRIOT act and Department of Homeland Security.

Freedom means permission to abuse public land and water with ATVs and PWCs, pollute with impunity, and carry any gun one wants. Not, however, to make personal health or marriage decisions if the church ladies can get riled about them. Right?

Yikes. This isn't my America.

"There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no place like home."