"MSNBC-Opinions 7-8-99"---"The political movement in which all this violence seems to be bred represents a disturbing trend: the “Patriot” movement and its right-wing cousins all share a fear and hatred of the government that seems to border on lunacy, launching a raft of jumbled “New World Order” conspiracy theories, sightings of black helicopters and U.N. troop movements, bizarre legal theories and a blizzard of mumbo-jumbo. It seems common-sensical enough to dismiss such rants as so much kookery, and to relegate its adherents to the fringes."

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT!! ***************************************************************

Whoa! With all the gangs, cliques and the increasing violence in our schools,what in the world is happening with our kids today? Let's see...I think it started when Madeline Murray O'Hare complained that she didn't want any prayer in our schools, and we said OK.

Then someone said you had better not read the Bible in school -- the Bible that says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said, OK.

Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem. And we said, an expert should know what he's talking about so we won't spank them anymore.

Then someone said that teachers and principals better not discipline our children when they misbehave. And the school administrators said no faculty member in this school better touch a student when they misbehave because we don't want any bad publicity, and we surely don't want to be sued. And we accepted their reasoning.

Then someone said, let's let our daughters have abortions if they want,and they won't even have to tell their parents. And we said, that's a grand idea.

Then some wise school board member said, since boys will be boys and they're going to "do it" anyway, let's give our sons all the condoms they want, so they can have all the "fun" they desire, and we won't have to tell their parents they got them at school. And we said, that's another great idea.

And then some of our top elected officials said that it doesn't matterwhat we do in private as long as we do our jobs. And agreeing with them,we said it doesn't matter to me what anyone, including the President,does in private as long as I have a job and the economy is good.

And then someone said let's print magazines with pictures of nude women and call it wholesome down-to-earth appreciation for the beauty of the female body. And we said we have no problem with that. And someone else took that appreciation a step further and published pictures of nude children and then stepped further still by making them available on the internet. And we said they're entitled to their free speech.

And the entertainment industry said, let's make TV shows and movies that promote profanity, violence, and illicit sex. And let's record music that encourages homosexuality, rape, drugs, murder, suicide, and satanic themes. And we said it's just entertainment, it has no adverse effect,and nobody takes it seriously anyway, so go right ahead.

Therefore, now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with... "we reap what we sow."

This was passed on by a man named Clarence Schultz, who wrote down some of his thoughts. He is a minister and retired Navy chaplain - lots to think about!