Keep It Pithy Part 4

All kinds of child abuse and neglect would be confronted by the community immediately and reported to the proper authorities. There would be zero tolerance for adults who hurt or endanger kids.

Police would be a.s.signed to provide protection at all public schools and would be stationed on campus to deal with disruptive and destructive students, as well as disruptive and destructive outsiders. [As in Newtown, Connecticut.]

Curfews on teenagers would be enacted and enforced by local communities.

Zoning laws would be toughened and standards of care imposed on properties both public and private. Run-down buildings would be more easily condemned and then sold at auction to responsible builders.

Public nuisance laws would be pa.s.sed so that individuals who disrespect neighborhoods and properties by actions such as graffiti, public lewdness and intoxication, incivility in words or deeds, littering, or the general creation of mayhem could be arrested and prosecuted by local authorities.

If that kind of creed was encouraged in all poor neighborhoods, and a cooperative discipline imposed by responsible citizens (who are the majority in every neighborhood), you would see the ghettos of the country gradually transformed into solid working-cla.s.s enclaves.

The cla.s.s system as related to race plays a role: Single-income white households have a median income of $39,000, while single-income black households have a median income of $25,000. And the earnings gap between rich and poor is widening.

And ever widening still.

This is not a minority problem. This is a national problem.

All people who work deserve a fair chance and the respect of the community.

That is the American ideal, and I don't want us to forget it.

The suggestions listed above might make even more sense in light of the following observations from my Culture Warrior:

Although 89 percent of blacks voted Democratic in 2004 [it rose to 95 percent in 2012], when it comes to social issues African Americans are largely in the traditional camp. A Pew Research Center poll taken in July 2005 found that 75 percent of black Americans believe secular-progressives push too far in keeping religion out of schools and government. Only 17 percent of African American voters want to legalize gay marriage-an overwhelming statement of traditionalist conviction....

Because the African American political establishment is largely locked into one issue-advancement of blacks through government largesse-African Americans remain largely on the sidelines in the culture war. Generally speaking, taking up the battle is simply not relevant to them, because traditionalists have not defined the culture war to coincide with their interests. I believe that is a huge mistake.

In many black communities, Christian churches are prominent centerpieces. Faith is an important tradition in black America. That's why the gay marriage issue is overwhelmingly rejected by blacks. Their religion says h.o.m.os.e.xuality is not acceptable, and many African Americans bitterly resent the argument that marriage for h.o.m.os.e.xuals is a civil right. If you want a lively discussion, walk into a black church and put that on the table....

Take another issue: drugs. Many African Americans have seen firsthand what narcotics can do; they don't want hard drugs legalized. Lawlessness and the breakdown of the traditional family in poor black neighborhoods (the out-of-wedlock birthrate for blacks is 70 percent) have deepened the cycle of poverty and deprivation. Any sane person can see that.

(photo credit 3.3)

And older African Americans generally deplore the rise of gangsta rap and the disintegration of civility among some young black people. This is a big [Bill] Cosby theme, and he pounds it home in his lectures again and again, despite attacks on him by the S-P community, which often views the hate-filled rap lyrics as "genuine expression." ...

The upshot of all this is that it's safe to say few, if any, citizens are enlisting in the S-P corps in East St. Louis or South Central Los Angeles. But, again, not many blacks are waving the traditional flag, either. It would take a strong black leader who understands that the Judeo-Christian tradition, as well as a return to discipline and personal accountability, would greatly aid the advancement of African Americans. Until such a leader arrives, most black Americans will remain disengaged from the culture war that is raging around them. And that's a shame.

CHAPTER FOUR

RELIGION UNDER ATTACK

Who Cares? You Can Hear a Pin Drop

Your religious freedom means that I can't tell you what to believe.

My religious freedom means that you can't stop me from talking about what I believe. Just don't listen, if you don't want to.

I have often written about my faith; it's a large part of who I am.

As far as your personal religious conviction, that is completely up to you. But I will say this: Used in the correct way, religion can be a force that makes your life more worthwhile. It can make the bad times bearable and the good times more satisfying. Spirituality looks out for you because it brings you out of yourself and into a realm where the welfare of other people becomes as important as your own.... That kind of worldview will allow you to build relations.h.i.+ps with people who will indeed look out for you even as you are looking out for them.

And now for the completely ridiculous ...

Why did the word "Christmas" suddenly become controversial? Why did I have to spend quality TV time on this issue? ... The answer is the semi-successful perversion of the U.S. Const.i.tution. The ACLU and other secular-progressive groups constantly say they are challenging public displays of Christmas and other spiritual expositions to protect Americans from the emergence of a "theocratic" government-that is, a governmental system driven by religious thought and judgments. The tired "separation of church and state" argument is used again and again to justify attacks on spirituality in the public square.

But the "separation" argument is one big lie, a bogus piece of propaganda cooked up by an intentional misreading of the intent of the Const.i.tution.

This "wall of separation" falsehood has, however, been lovingly embraced by the secular media and foisted upon the American public with a ferocious intensity.

(photo credit 4.1)

Please trust me when I tell you that, just a few years ago, I never envisioned being a culture warrior on behalf of Christmas. To me, Christmas has always been the most magical time of the year. I remember as a small child sitting on the stairs early Christmas morning before anyone else was up, staring down at the scene before me. Santa Claus had come! All the presents were neatly wrapped and perfectly placed under the tree (a real one). I was mesmerized. What treasures would my sister and I be getting? I just sat there and soaked it all in. I remember the moments vividly. Why would anyone want to mess with Christmas?

But in recent years, the traditions of Christmas began to be portrayed in some quarters as somehow "controversial," which really teed me off. So, in the fall of '05, I set out to alert the nation that Christmas traditions were under siege and behind the action was a well-thought-out S-P campaign to marginalize the national holiday (which was almost unanimously approved by Congress and signed into law by President U. S. Grant on June 28, 1870).

Night after night on my TV program, I presented the evidence: Giant retailers like Sears (and others) had banned the mention of the word "Christmas" in seasonal advertising. The Lowe's Company told its store managers to sell "holiday" trees, not Christmas trees. The city of Boston changed the name of its Christmas tree on the Common to "Holiday Tree." (It was changed back after Mayor Thomas Menino intervened.) There were scores of other examples....

[Simply put, the ACLU began targeting Christmas. They lost in court on several occasions but won in the long run because small communities were intimidated by the expense of fighting the group's lawsuits against various Christmas displays, including a visit from Saint Nick....] Eight out of ten of us in America are Christian and celebrate Christmas as a "religious occasion." But in the interest of inclusion I suggest that we allow the S-P movement to celebrate their version of Christmas. Let's call it "Feel Good Day." And a Happy Feel Good Day to you!

While the religious aspect-Christianity-is certainly in the forefront of the Christmas controversy, the political agenda in the war on Christmas has remained largely hidden. It is a decidedly covert operation, in other words. In fact, many people were surprised when I said on TV and radio that politics, not religion, was the driving force behind the attempt to keep Christmas behind closed doors.

Here's my explanation in a nutsh.e.l.l: Almost every social change the secular-progressive movement wants to achieve is opposed by religious Americans. Therefore, the more the S-Ps can diminish religious influence in America, the faster their agenda can become a reality. For example, the S-Ps are furious that gay marriage initiatives keep getting voted down, even in the most liberal states, and believe that the primary opposition comes from organized religion rallying their flocks to oppose h.o.m.os.e.xual nuptials with sin-based arguments....