Letters from North America
by Peary Perry
You
can take me to court,
you can charge me, you
can try and convict
me…..but I still won’t
change.
This coming Sunday is
Easter.
Not “Spring Holiday”
…not “Spring Break” or
something else…it’s
Easter.
You can call it whatever
you like…it doesn’t
bother me if you do so.
I want to call it by the
name I have lived with
all of my life. This
coming holiday to me is
Easter.
It’s almost at the point
in my life where I think
I’d like to start a
movement to change the
term ‘politically
correct’ to be called
‘politically incorrect.’
The last time I looked
we were living in the
United States of
America. I was under the
impression, although I
might be mistaken, that
I could say and do
things as I choose to do
so, as long as they did
not hurt others. I think
this is called our
freedom of speech. I am
tired of other people
telling me what is
politically correct or
incorrect. I think that
is up to each of us to
choose for themselves.
I realize there are some
limitations to this
freedom. For example,
you cannot shout ‘fire’
in theaters or incite
people to riots…stuff
like that. However, if I
choose to call a holiday
Easter, then isn’t that
my choice, not yours?
You can call it what you
wish and it doesn’t
bother me, but let’s not
criticize one or the
other.
OK?
On the news this
morning, there was a
loud and divisive
discussion over some
student who had invited
some classmates to an
Easter party. The school
administration became
upset over her use of
the word…Easter. They
advised that she had
erred in placing a
religious emphasis on a
social function on
school property. Now, I
find this amusing since
many of the schools
around the nation
certainly allow for the
celebration of Halloween
(All Hallows Eve or All
Saints Day) which
certainly started off
having religious roots.
While I respect the
rights of any person to
believe as they wish,
and to worship how they
wish, I do not nor would
I become offended if
someone asked me to
attend a Passover
celebration or any other
celebration the person
happened to believe in.
I have the right to say
no, if I did not want to
attend. They can call
their holidays whatever
they want, just let me
do the same. As Founding
Father James Madison
wrote in Federalist 10,
“As long as the reason
of man continues
fallible, and he is at
liberty to exercise it,
different opinions will
be formed.”
Amen to that.
I hope the word “Amen’
didn’t offend anyone,
but then again I really
don’t care.
If the schools are so
hung up on terminology
regarding the diversity
of religious beliefs of
their student body, then
how about this…
Let’s eliminate school
holidays altogether. Get
rid of all of them,
throw them out the door.
Why argue over them in
the first place?
Stop closing up those
weeks in December and
Spring…keep those kids
in classes where they
can learn…bring up those
test scores….Make them
go to class on the last
Thursday in November.
Why be thankful?
Thankful for what?
Thankful to who?
Our kids are far behind
the curve on education
as compared to students
in other parts of the
world. Now is an ideal
time to play catch up
and get back on track so
we can emerge as a
productive world power.
The school districts
shouldn’t mind losing
these days off. After
all why take days off
for something you don’t
believe in?
I mean, it just doesn’t
make any sense to set
down and try to reason
with the various
religious groups and
come up with a plan to
give everyone a break
from school or work at
the same time, does it?
No, that’s make too much
sense. That’s called
logic and logic seldom
fits into governmental
agencies, does it?
If we eliminate
holidays… then the
students can graduate
earlier and enter the
workplace that much
sooner. Then they can
marry and have children
of their own and then be
able to express their
opinions for themselves.
Instead of some
governmental hack who is
devoid of common sense
or purpose.
They can also vote on
school board members and
our legislators. Wow,
that’s a scary thought
isn’t it?
