It was only a minute . . .

The recent brouhaha over our school kids reciting President Obama's
campaign slogans has had more legs than most would have anticipated. Liberal
apologists, culture vultures, and their enablers are joining forces to
minimize the impact of the event and those challenging it. With all due
respect, I would rather not.

Indoctrination and learning

I am a little surprised that trained and experienced educators would
pooh-pooh the idea that rehearsing, performing, grouping, and repeating would
not be common tools used to teach and/or program kids. It is nonsense to
pretend otherwise. Was this a conscious and intentional effort to brainwash
the kids to be Obama fans - I hope not. I never consciously and
intentionally run over squirrels - but when it happens they nonetheless absorb the
impact.

The Program Had Good Intentions - Honoring Our Presidents

Fair enough. But there is a big difference in quoting the past wisdom of
a bunch of 'dead white guys' and singing songs filled with the current
campaign slogans of a live black guy. What is the difference - only one -
those dead guys cannot benefit from the attention. The live guy can and
does.

Political Correctness

I have gotten a bigger kick out of the people saying we should "be nice"
than the people denying the orchestrated impact. Where did all this "we
just need to get along" bologna get started? I am all for embracing the
challenges of civility and truth, but when did that become a license for
rolling over and pretending everything is OK when it is not? I am not
interested in "being nice" to people who are corrupting my country and the future
of my grandchildren. Political correctness is one of two things - always -
an act of manipulation or an act of surrender - neither is good.

People of the Lie

Some twenty-five years ago, Christian psychiatrist Scott Peck, wrote a
book titled, People of the Lie. With crystal clarity he shared his belief
that our country was busy mass producing a generation of liars, deceivers,
and manipulators in government, religion, and business that were one day
going to take the heart out of America. His words were prophetic. In
today's America, image, political correctness, and safety more often than not t
rip reality, truth, and courage. Our culture is increasingly devoted to
avoiding accountability and embracing politicians who say what makes us
happy. That brings me to my next point.

Nazis

Yes, it is true, the one minute tape at Sand Hill-Venable elementary
school near Asheville, North Carolina, demonstrated the same indoctrination
techniques used by those guiding the Hitler Youth in Germany in the thirties.
If you need a more current model, check out the methods used by Communist
China, Castro, Chavez, Al-Qaeda, and Hezbollah.

Creating a Personality Cult around Our President

The current President has illuminated his mission of creating the greatest
change in America's social and political structure in history. His
success will be largely predicated on his popularity. There are a number of
'right wing fanatics', 'religious zealots', and other members of the mumbling
majority who disagree with his mission and do not wish to support the
creation of a cult status for the gentleman. That resistance extends to
publicly funded schools and our children.

Good guys and bad guys

People wanting to avoid accountability like to play 'good guys and bad
guys'. If one can vilify the opposition, then one doesn't have to think and
one can minimize the other person's impact. It's a lazy approach to
dealing with a complex world, but it is simple and satisfying. Higher authority
encourages us to "reject the sin - not the sinner". Higher authority
also encourages us to uphold our sense of truth.

It is Not Christian to Challenge Our Teachers and Administrators

More nonsense - the Bible prizes accountability in matching enthusiasm to
love and Jesus always upheld truth regardless of the expense. It would be
my suggestion that many of us as Christians are licensing cowardliness,
laziness, and enabling when our society is sorely in need of courage,
discernment, and tough love. There is absolutely nothing passive in the model
of Jesus or the demands of Christianity.

The Guy Who Released the Video Violated the Law

I find this exercise in political terrorism most telling. Roaches run
when you turn on the lights. Roaches do not like light. Roaches seek to
turn off the light. People, including school teachers, principles,
politicians, and media representatives should not behave like roaches.

One minute

The argument has been made that this one minute video was taken out of
context. My use of the word 'Nazi' has been taken out of context too, but I
don't care. I used in on purpose to illustrate a point - brevity does not
necessarily minimize impact. Use one curse word in your next prayer
meeting and then come talk to me about "it was only a minute".

I would like to offer my personal thanks to the gentleman who had the
original courage to post this video. Thanks are also due to those who have
kept the issue and the concern alive. You can see the video on this site-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMkEJ0qi1yM