Come Here My Pretty................

PUYALLUP, Wash., Oct. 21, 2004 -- A Washington state school district is canceling its annual Halloween celebration, and the explanation has some parents baffled.

"Let them have their 30 minutes of dressing goofy and having candy," Silas Macon, a father of two school-age girls, said Wednesday outside Maplewood Elementary School after learning that the grade-school tradition of a party and parade in costume during the last half-hour of class before Halloween night won't happen this year in the district.

A letter sent home to parents Wednesday said there will be no observance of Halloween in any of the district's schools.

"We really want to make sure we're using all of our time in the best interest of our students," Puyallup School District spokeswoman Karen Hansen said.

The superintendent made the decision for three primary reasons, Hansen said. First, Halloween parties and parades waste valuable classroom time. Second, some families can't afford costumes and the celebrations thus can create embarrassment for children.

Both of those reasons seemed sensible to the parents who spoke to ABC News affiliate KOMO-TV in Seattle. But the district's third reason left some Puyallup parents shaking their heads.

The district said Halloween celebrations and children dressed in Halloween costumes might be offensive to real witches.

"Witches with pointy noses and things like that are not respective symbols of the Wiccan religion and so we want to be respectful of that," Hansen said.

The Wiccan, or Pagan, religion is said to be growing in the United States and there are Wiccan groups in Puyallup.

On the district's list of guidelines related to holidays and celebrations is an item that reads: "Use of derogatory stereotypes is prohibited, such as the traditional image of a witch, which is offensive to members of the Wiccan religion."

"I do lots of things that are not revolving around wearing a black outfit and stirring a cauldron," Wiccan priestess Cheryl Sulyma-Masson said in an interview with ABC News in which she explained that Wiccans, or Pagan Clergy, celebrate nature.

This is not the first time the district has expressed concern about offending followers of the Wiccan religion.

An internal e-mail from October 2000 warned that "the Wiccan religion is a bona fide religion under the law, and its followers are entitled to all the protections afforded more mainstream religions. Building administrators should not tolerate such inappropriate stereotyping (images such as Witches on flying brooms, stirring cauldrons, casting spells, or with long noses and pointed hats) and instead address them as you would hurtful stereotypes of any other minority."

This year, however, is the first time the superintendent decided to cite that concern as one of the reasons for canceling in-school Halloween activities.

"They're so worried about being politically correct anymore that we're not allowed to do much of anything," said Tonya Reynolds, whose daughter attends Maplewood Elementary.

"If you don't want costumes, call it a harvest party. We don't have to take out complete Halloween. We could still do something for our children," said parent Loni Andrews, who promised to challenge the ruling at the next school board meeting.

Some children said they will miss the usual festivities.

"Yeah, it does bother me because I would really like to go around and dress up," Maplewood sixth-grader Grace Macon said.

Macon said that while the Halloween celebration might take up a little class time, it also gives children a reason to like school.

"I think it's terrible," she said. "I think it just kind of takes away from the little stuff they get to do that's fun at school."

Hansen said questions of lost study time and disrespect for religious belief played into the decision.

"It's a little bit of both," she said. "I don't think you can balance respect with instructional time and we would always be looking to do both. We want to make sure our students are respectful of all religions and all cultures.

Hansen also said that the PTA and teachers have been notified that they can hold parties or other Halloween events after the school day is over. Classroom time, however, will not be used for Halloween celebrations. Hansen says concerns about other holidays and parties held in school will be decided on a case-by-case basis.

GIVE ME A BREAK!

Fall and My Madison

 

Fall has arrived to the Pacific Northwest and the weather has been beautiful.  I love the cooler days and have to admit that next to spring now fall is my 2nd favorite season, where it used to be summer.  I  cherish the crisp mornings when I wander out onto my patio with my coffee cup to watch the sun come up, and the evenings are just as welcomed when sleep comes so easily after a hard days work. 

The days are growing increasingly shorter as each one passes, which means that by the time I get home from work there is little daylight left for the chores that I need to do outside.  I have to depend on our good weather to hold out for the weekends when I can get outside and mow, rake leaves, edge, trim and prune. 

I have been so busy lately with my granddaughter!  We have been spending a lot of time on the weekends together while mom and dad go to hockey games, concerts, dinner, and so forth.  I've got to tell you that I have a whole new respect for young mothers, and wonder how I did the whole single mother thing, work full time, keep a house and yard and go to school!  The energy levels are different from then to now,  but regardless of all that Madison and I have bonded - I mean really bonded!  We go shopping, out to lunch, hang out at grammy's house, go for rides, out to dinner, more shopping.....and I swear, we just can't get enough!  When I take her home she is so happy to see her parents, but on the other hand when I get ready to leave she gets hysterical and wants me to either stay or wants to go with me again.  I'm flattered, but at the same time my heart breaks to hear her cry and see her so upset.  I want to share every single moment and new hurdle that she goes through with you all, but reality tells me that the awe she inspires in me is not necessarily shared by all.  After all, everyone's kid does the same things that Madison is doing.  But one thing I can share:  God has graced me with this child and my life will never be the same! 

Friday night Madison stayed with me while mommy and daddy went to a hockey game.  The following morning I was cleaning up and decided to clean the glass top of my coffee table with Windex.  Just as I was getting ready to spray the Windex, a beam of sunlight hit it just right and I saw Madison's little fingerprints covering the edges where she had stood the night before.  I couldn't help but sit down on the couch and shed tears of joy for those little prints, along with a bit of shame for complaining about having to clean it in the first place.  Some may have thought me a bit daft, but these were MY grandaughter's finger prints!  I realized at that very moment that I was one of the luckiest women in the whole world.  How many times had I hurriedly wiped Steve's little finger prints off things when he was a child and NEVER felt anything, except perhaps some slight disdain at the CHORE.  I never looked any deeper than that.  Don't let anyone fool you!  Wisdom and insight really do come with age..........along with menopause!  ha!

Have a great fall season, everyone!

Go Figure!

 

Everyday on my way to work I pass by a middle school.  The speed limit on the road is normally 35 mph.  As one approaches the school however, the speed limit changes to 20 mph and there are large signs with flashing lights to let you know this.  Everyone, without exception, slows immeditately to 20 mph.  Everyone that is, except the parents.  Mini-vans, SUVs, pickups and cars of every caliber loaded with children barrel ass through that speed zone with little or no regard to the flashing signs.  The irony is that the speed zone is there to protect the children, and the parents are the ones breaking the law!  Go figure!   

A Serious overview of current world war, politically neutral.  This was written by a retired attorney to his sons on May 19, 2004. 

THE WORLD SITUATION - A LETTER TO MY SONS 
 

Dear Tom, Kevin, Kirby and Ted,

As your father, I believe I owe it to you to share some thoughts on the present world situation.  We have over the years discussed a lot of important things, like going to college, jobs and so forth. But this really takes precedence over any of those discussions.  I hope this might give you a longer term perspective that fewer and fewer of my generation are left to speak to.
 
To be sure you understand that this is not politically flavored, I will tell you that since Franklin D. Roosevelt, who led us through pre and WW2 (1933 - 1945) up to and including our present President, I have without exception, supported our presidents on all matters of international conflict.  This would include just naming a few in addition to:
     President Roosevelt - W.W.II:
     President Truman - Korean War 1950;
     President Kennedy - Bay of Pigs (1961);
     President Kennedy - Vietnam (1961);
     Eight presidents (5 Republican & 4 Democrat) during the cold war (1945-1991);
     President Clinton's strikes on Bosnia (1995) and on Iraq (1996) .
 
So be sure you read this as completely nonpolitical or otherwise you will miss the point.  Our country is now facing the most serious threat to its existence, as we know it, that we have faced in your lifetime and mine (which includes WW2).
 
The deadly seriousness is greatly compounded by the fact that there are very few of us who think we can possibly lose this war and even fewer who realize what losing really means.
 
First, let's examine a few basics:

  
1.  When did the threat to us start?
Many will say September 11th, 2001.  The answer as far as the United States is concerned is 1979, 22 years prior to September 2001, with the following attacks on us: Iran Embassy Hostages, 1979; Beirut, Lebanon Embassy 1983; Beirut, Lebanon Marine Barracks 1983; Lockerbie, Scotland Pan-Am flight to New York 1988;
First New York World Trade Center attack 1993; Dhahran, Saudi Arabia Kohlrabi (Kohlbar) Towers Military complex 1996; Nairobi, Kenya US Embassy 1998;
Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania US Embassy 1998; Aden, Yemen USS Cole 2000;
New York World Trade Center 2001; Pentagon 2001.
(Note that during the period from 1981 to 2001 there were 7,581 terrorist attacks world wide). 
 
2.  Why were we attacked?
Envy of our position, our success, and our freedoms.  The attacks happened during the administrations of Presidents Carter, Reagan, Bush #1, Clinton and Bush #2.
We cannot fault either the Republicans or Democrats as there were no provocation by any of the presidents or their immediate predecessors, Presidents Ford or Carter.
 
3. Who were the attackers?
In each case, the attacks on the US were carried out by Muslims.
 
4.  What is the Muslim population of the World? 
25% 
6.  Isn't the Muslim Religion peaceful? 
Hopefully, but that is really not material.  There is no doubt that the predominately Christian population of Germany was peaceful, but under the dictatorial leadership of Hitler (who was also Christian), that made no difference.  You either went along with the administration or you were eliminated.  There were 5 to 6 million Christians killed by the Nazis for political reasons (including 7,000 Polish priests).

(http://www.nazis.testimony.co.uk/7-a.htm).  ((This is one hell of a site.))

Thus, almost the same number of Christians were killed by the Nazis, as the 6 million holocaust Jews who were killed by them, and we seldom heard of anything other than the Jewish atrocities.  Although Hitler kept the world focused on the Jews, he had no hesitancy about killing anyone who got in his way of exterminating the Jews or of taking over the world - German, Christian or any others.  Same with the Muslim terrorists.
They focus the world on the US, but kill all in the way - their own people or the Spanish, French or anyone else. The point here is that just like the peaceful Germans were of no protection to anyone from the Nazis, no matter how many peaceful Muslims there may
be, they are no protection for us from the terrorist Muslim leaders and what they are fanatically bent on doing - by their own pronouncements - killing all of us infidels.
I don't blame the peaceful Muslims.  What would you do if the choice was shut up or die?
 
6.  So who are we at war with?
There is no way we can honestly respond that it is anyone other than the Muslim terrorists.
Trying to be politically correct and avoid verbalizing this conclusion can well be fatal.
There is no way to win if you don't clearly recognize and articulate who you are fighting.
 
So with that background, now to the two major questions
1.  Can we lose this war?
2.  What does losing really mean?
 
If we are to win, we must clearly answer these two pivotal questions. We can definitely lose this war, and as anomalous as it may sound, the major reason we can lose is that so many of us simply do not fathom the answer to the second question - What does losing mean?  It would appear that a great many of us think that losing the war means hanging
our heads, bringing the troops home and going on about our business, like post Vietnam.
This is as far from the truth as one can get.   
What losing really means is:
We would no longer be the premier country in the world.  The attacks will not subside, but rather will steadily increase.  Remember, they want us dead, not just quiet.  If they had just wanted us quiet, they would not have produced an increasing series of attacks against us over the past 18 years.
 
The plan was clearly to terrorist attack us until we were neutered and submissive to them. 
We would of course have no future support from other nations for fear of reprisals and for the reason that they would see we are impotent and cannot help them. They will pick off the other non-Muslim nations, one at a time.  It will be increasingly easier for them.  They already hold Spain hostage.  It doesn't matter whether it was right or wrong for Spain to withdraw its troops from Iraq.  Spain did it because the Muslim terrorists bombed their train and told them to withdraw the troops.  Anything else they want Spain to do, will be
done.  Spain is finished. The next will probably be France.  Our one hope on France is that they might see the light and realize that if we don't win, they are finished too, in that they can't resist the Muslim terrorists without us.  However, it may already be too latefor France.
France is already 20% Muslim and fading fast. 
 
See the attached article on the French condition by Tom Segel. If we lose the war, our production, income, exports and way of life will all vanish as we know it. After losing, who would trade or deal with us if they were threatened by the Muslims.  If we can't stop the Muslims, how could anyone else?  The Muslims fully know what is riding on this war and therefore are completely committed to winning at any cost.  We better know it too and be likewise committed to winning at any cost. Why do I go on at such lengths about the results of losing? Simple. Until we recognize the costs of losing, we cannot unite and
really put 100% of our thoughts and efforts into winning.  And it is going to take that 100% effort to win.
 
So, how can we lose the war?  Again, the answer is simple.  We can lose the  war by imploding. That is, defeating ourselves by refusing to recognize the enemy and their purpose and really digging in and lending full support to the war effort.  If we are united, there is no way that we can lose.  If we continue to be divided, there is no
way that we can win. 
 
Let me give you a few examples of how we simply don't comprehend the life and death seriousness of this situation.
 
President Bush selects Norman Mineta as Secretary of Transportation. Although all of the terrorist attacks were committed by Muslim men between 17 and 40 years of age, Secretary Mineta refuses to allow profiling. Does that sound like we are taking this thing seriously?  This is war.  For the duration we are going to have to give up some of the
civil rights we have become accustomed to.  We had better be prepared to lose some of our civil rights temporarily or we will most certainly lose all of them permanently.
 
And don't worry that it is a slippery slope.  We gave up plenty of civil rights during WW2 and immediately restored them after the victory and, in fact, added many more since then.  Do I blame President Bush or President Clinton before him?  No, I blame us for blithely assuming we can maintain all of our Political Correctness and all of our civil
rights during this conflict and have a clean, lawful, honorable war.  None of those words apply to war.  Get them out of your head. Some have gone so far in their criticism of the war and/or the Administration that it almost seems they would literally like to see us lose.
 I hasten to add that this isn't because they are disloyal.  It is because they just don't recognize what losing means. Nevertheless, that conduct gives the impression to the enemy that we are divided and weakening, it concerns our friends, and it does great damage to our cause.
 
Of more recent vintage, the uproar fueled by the politicians and media regarding the treatment of some prisoners of war perhaps exemplifies best what I am saying.  We have recently had an issue involving the treatment of a few Muslim prisoners of war by a small group of our military police.  These are the type prisoners who just a few months ago were throwing their own people off buildings, cutting off their hands, cutting out their tongues and otherwise murdering their own people just for disagreeing with Saddam Hussein.  And just a few years ago these same type prisoners chemically killed 400,000 of their own people for the same reason.  They are also the same type enemy fighters who recently were burning Americans and dragging their charred corpses through the streets of Iraq.  And still more recently
the same type enemy that was and is providing videos to all news sources internationally, of the beheading of an American prisoner they held.
 
Compare this with some of our press and politicians who for several days have thought and talked about nothing else but the "humiliating" of some Muslim prisoners - not burning them, not dragging their charred corpses through the streets, not beheading them, but "humiliating" them. Can this be for real?
 
The politicians and pundits have even talked of impeachment of the Secretary of Defense. If this doesn't show the complete lack of comprehension and understanding of the seriousness of the enemy we are fighting, the life and death struggle we are in and the disastrous results of losing this war, nothing can.  To bring our country to
a virtual political standstill over this prisoner issue makes us look like Nero playing his fiddle as Rome burned - totally oblivious to what is going on in the real world.
 
Neither we, nor any other country, can survive this internal strife. Again I say, this does not mean that some of our politicians or mediapeople are disloyal.  It simply means that they are absolutely oblivious to the magnitude of the situation we are in and into which the Muslim terrorists have been pushing us for many years. Remember, the Muslim terrorists stated goal is to kill all infidels.  That translates into all non-Muslims -- not just in the United States, but throughout the world.  We are the last bastion of defense.
 
We have been criticized for many years as being 'arrogant'. That charge is valid in at least one respect.  We are arrogant in that we believe that we are so good, powerful and smart, that we can win the hearts and minds of all those who attack us, and that with both hands
tied behind our back, we can defeat anything bad in the world.  We can't.  If we don't recognize this, our nation as we know it will not survive, and no other free country in the World will survive if we are defeated.

And finally, name any Muslim countries throughout the world that allow freedom of speech, freedom of thought, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, equal rights for anyone - let alone everyone, equal status or any status for women, or that have been productive in one single way that contributes to the good of the World.
 
This has been a long way of saying that we must be united on this war or we will be equated in the history books to the self-inflicted fall of the Roman Empire. If, that is, the Muslim leaders will allow history books to be written or read. If we don't win this war right now, keep a close eye on how the Muslims take over France in the next 5 years or less.  They will continue to increase the Muslim population of France and continue to encroach little by little on the established French traditions.  The French will be fighting among themselves over what
should or should not be done, which will continue to weaken them and keep them from any united resolve.  Doesn't that sound eerily familiar?
 
Democracies don't have their freedoms taken away from them by some external military force. Instead, they give their freedoms away, politically correct piece by politically correct piece.  And they are giving those freedoms away to those who have shown, worldwide,
that they abhor freedom and will not apply it to you or even to themselves, once they are in power.  They have universally shown that when theyhave taken over, they then start brutally killing each other over who will be the few who control the masses. Will
we ever stop hearing from the politically correct, about the "peaceful Muslims"?
 
I close on a hopeful note, by repeating what I said above.  If we are united, there is no way that we can lose.  I believe that after the election, the factions in our country will begin to focus on the critical situation we are in and will unite to save our country.  It is
your future we are talking about. Do whatever you can to preserve it. 
 
Love,
 
Dad