The recent flap in Merrimack over whether or not to positively
portray homosexuality as a normal and healthy lifestyle has brought out
every living room constitutional scholar that has access to a radio and
telephone. So I am throwing in my two cents worth.
    Those patriotic Americans whose political orientation is toward the
liberal, have for years claimed that the First Amendment to the US
Constitution provides for a complete separation between any religion and
government. Look at the former Soviet Union if you want to see what that
viewpoint carried to its fullest would lead to. If religion is the
"Opiate of the masses", then atheism and agnosticism is the pablum of
the "Intellectual Elite."
    On July 4 of this year, The Manchester Union Leader inserted into
its paper a reprint of the Bill of Rights. This I have framed and
hanging nearby my computer work space. The following is a verbatim
copy of the First Amendment.

Amendment 1

    Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,
or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of
speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to
assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress thereof.

    A few observations first. If the founding fathers had truly
believed that there was no creator or divine force, would Mr Jefferson
have referred to Him in the Declaration of Independence? Were our basic
human rights endowed by the Great Tree, Mother Earth, or by the Great
Pumpkin. No. Perhaps the most learned and accomplished man of the time,
and future president, realized and understood that there was a greater
force. We were endowed by our CREATOR. If Thomas Jefferson could express
a child like belief in God, could we, acting like spoiled grandchildren,
show disrespect for his beliefs?
    The Bible's views on homosexuality are well known. People far more
knowledgeable than I have written myriads of works on this, so I shan't
attempt it. Most cultures have had written and unwritten laws regarding
this practice. If it is an Alternative Lifestyle, then I should be
allowed to come up with any other form of perversion and teach it to
youngsters under the guise of free speech. Lets say I want to start
having sex with dead chickens and knot holes in trees. Would this be
allowed in the school system. I doubt it. Heck, since they are passing
out condoms in schools, why not give them a pack of cigarettes at the
same time. Let them have a smoke after having sex with their teenage
squeeze.
    Are liberals trying to help their fellow man, or they trying to get
others to think the way they do to ease their feelings of guilt? When I
was paying property taxes in a nearby school system, I had no children
in the system. Would I have been allowed to voice any opinions? No Way.
Shouldn't those with children in the system pick up the tab for their
child's education? I was paying the taxes and receiving's no services
for my money. But I digress, that is another subject altogether. What I
was getting at is it seems that most educators in the public school
system go through Liberal Arts colleges. Are they Conservative Arts?
NO. I know several who taught in public school systems and went to
private schools because of the spineless Boards in the district they
taught in. Their personal beliefs came in conflict with what was being
forced into the minds of the students.
    As we as a society become more "Enlightened", it seems that we
travel backwards in use of our God given mind and ability to reason.
If the average human uses less than 10 percent of his or her mental
capacity, I truly fear what this country would be like if the liberal
educators figured out how to use it and fill the "Young skulls full of
mush", as Rush Limbaugh puts it, with their nonsense. There is a saying
we as children were told. Always keep an open mind, but if you open your
mind too much, your brains will fall out. It was meant to be humorous,
but those are words to live by.
                                            William H. Ford
                                            August 17, 1995