As for shame, I stand by what I said and feel none fo doing so.

MICHELLE L RYAN ryans@merr.com

MICHELLE L RYAN

Making kids parrot these platitudes (incomprehensible to many of them, actually) represents the slippery slope downhill toward the establishment of a state-recognized faith. History teaches us that the United States has been a "constitutional republic" (recently transformed into a constitutional monarchy of sorts, at least since Nixon) with dangerous religious overtones foisted on us by various branches of government in subtle and not-so-subtle ways.

Like the ten commandments on the classroom walls in Kansas. Like the silly "in god we trust" on the money. "So help me god..." in the courtroom. Devoting taxpayer dollars for private school vouchers. Need more examples?

Heynow, you made me laugh so hard I will never forgive you, lol. Anyway, "thanks" for realizing that not all us cheeseheads are cheeseheadtaliban. Man, as if you don't have a bunch of extremely severe bible-thumpers and reactionaries out there in Sacramento, where Rush Limbaugh got his start. Not to mention Orange County! I dare say many of those posting so vociferously for god and flag are your fellow West Coast residents. This is a web-site, after all.

My dad, who is an otherwise perfectly reasonable man in his mid-60s, forwarded that self-same "post" of yours to me via email, about a month ago. It's SPAM.

I guess you've been taking your time reading the whole thing, eh? Is that why it took so long to get it online here?

You should at least tell all the people who are congratulating you for your eloquence know that you didn't write it.

bordew, are you OK? We have "majority rule, with minority rights," which means, in TodaySpeak, "consensus."

Consensus is generally understood to mean, "something everyone can live with." It doesn't mean we all agree completely, but it also means both sides respect each other's "deal breakers."

To me, and to people like me, a state-sponsored mix of the sacred and secular is a clear deal breaker... just as the brainless agenda of the self-proclaimed "ProLife" movement is a deal breaker.

Now, are you advocating consensus, oppression or revolution within society? Because that's what I hear from people such as yourself, who either get what they want or they roll out the "love it or leave it, commie" rhetoric.

How about if, one day, we are no longer in the minority (if we even are today)? What will you do then? Will your answer then be to love it or leave it?

If so, here's a roadmap and a ham sandwich... don't let the door hit you in the butt on the way out.

Or, let me ask that same question in a way you may have less trouble understanding: Are you now in the 8th grade?

Also, do you really think the ACLU have an agenda to DISMANTLE, rather than PRESERVE, the US Constitution (actually, it's the Bill of Rights, but why should I expect you to know that)? Do they have a role in fighting terrorism, or mending society after a terrorist attack? I don't think they do... so why even mention them, other than as a result of some knee-jerk reaction?

LFlowers, we don't want you here. So thanks in advance for not coming back.

And to all the right-wing fanatics who believe "politically correct" means "liberal," rather than "carefully crafted not to offend the people who support the cause," I can only shake my head in quiet disgust.

Is it bad? Yes. Does it cause incremental and almost imperceptible erosion of our Fundamental Freedoms? Yes.

And to all you religious fanatics who invoke the trump card of a higher power or who resort to specious rhetoric about god the blood of patriots? Pray for yourselves.

I love my country, but I fear many of my countrymen.

A life lived in fear is a life half-lived.

Seems to me that if you don't vote, you have no right to fly the flag at all . . . and you certainly don't have the right to challenge the patriotism of those of us who do vote and think saying the pledge is ridiculous.

Muschelewicz

If this war wouldn't be going on no one would have ever said anything.

My kids are even feeling the shock of this whole thing in Madision and we live 50 miles from there. All the student are concened I don't think its stressful to the little kids but I know they keep asking what in the world is going on. It's so hard to explain it to them.

What the school board needs to do is admit that they went overboard and that they will take care of all the costs because the madision people shouldn't have to pay for their stupid mistake.

Green Reaper