I Feel a Rant Coming On

Today is seven weeks after the election. And if these comments are what we have to look forward to for the next four years, it's going to a long one for Republicans. Why? Let me show you.

Ove on Lee Goldberg's blog, he posted a story he'd found about a teacher who is being harrassed in her community for teaching murder mysteries in an English class and having her students write a murder mystery as a school assignment. While I don't agree with what's happening to her, I was insenced by this comment from his brother:

What a stunning development this recent rash of book banning stories is...could it be connected to a certain presidential election where conservatism ruled the day and crazed thumpers of certain other books had their views validated? This stuff sickens me to no end -- especially when you consider that whack job in Alabama who wants to have all books with gay characters, ideas, or themes in them removed from public libraries. Somewhere, Karl Rove slowly pets a fluffy white cat and plans his next move....

Naturally, this got a rise out of me. Of course, as far as this guy is concerned, I'm still evil because of my views even though I agree the one parent involved and the community response is over the line.

Then, I ran across this article thanks to Oh, That Liberal Media. It starts out:

Emboldened by their Election Day successes, some Christian conservatives around
the country are trying to put more Christ into Christmas this season.

Has this reporter missed the last 20 years? This is a fight we have every single December, with the ACLU sueing anyone who dares to sing "Silent Night" at a school or put a nativity scene up next to snowmen at city hall.

I've got a news flash for these people. There is a conservative backlash happening in this country. But it has nothing to do with the recent election. It's because conservative Christians are tired of being shoved aside, out of the public square, and told our opinions don't matter. See, we live in a country were every voice matters. That means we can and should be heard. That means our holidays can be celebrated just as much as everyone else's holidays. And I, for one, find it offensive that we can't dare speak the name Christmas when it's a federal holiday.

As to the teacher, I think she's being mistreated and the parent is going too far. However, there are things that aren't appropriate to be taught in schools. Are R rated movies censorship? Why can't parents object to what their kids are being taught without being called names? We protect kids from movies they might not be ready for, letting the parents decide if a kid should go see a certain movie or not. Why can't we do the same for what they are forced to read in schools?

Do me a favor. Don't accuse every conservative who dares to speak up of being emboldened by Bush's reelection. And don't even think about writing them off. We really aren't evil people. We view the world differently from you. But maybe, if we're both willing to truly listen to each other, we can not only heal the nation, but find ways to work together on important issues.

Or is that too radical a concept in this day and age?