I don’t know what it is about trains that draws an association with Christmas. Maybe it’s the old notion that trains reunite families, and trains lead to adventure and exploration. The association may not even be about trains, or railroads, maybe only model trains. It’s fun to build those complex rail systems; freight and passenger trains weaving in and out of miniature trees rooted to cut pile carpet, chugging persistently past scenes of what use to be a simpler America.
Seems there are too many things wrong these days and I’m not sure what it will take for the situation to improve. I’d like to think that standing up for gun ownership is a start, but I know the goal is too small, the forward progress insignificant. There are too many double standards, divisive and disheartening, too many ways to spell out differences, too many challenges to the acceptance of basic human values. I don’t know what it will take to turn things around, I don’t know how in the world September 11, 2001 was not enough to shock us to our senses.
Our public schools have become the access to the children. When, as reasoning adults, we could not be forced to deliver the ultra liberal message to our children, the message is now routinely ingrained in their minds by people who bare no responsibility for their well being or their future conduct. Public schools teach our children guns are bad and people who use them are criminals, or sometimes suggesting their parents are unstable. Schools drive wedges between children and parents and demean the value of a family. Worse still, the public school effort is funded with tax dollars – we are paying to have our children conditioned to be anti gun. We of course need to be vigilant in opposing unfair and unneeded gun control legislation, but the greatest danger may be in the broad assault on gun ownership through misinformation and anti gun indoctrination, we need to make sure we are at the wrong end of the problem. Other than attending open local government hearings on gun control in your area, it may be a good idea to bring organized participation to open school board meetings, and find out specifically what information under the guise of education will be presented to your children.
The entertainment industry is going in directions I think nobody expected. Even the new Disney puts a friendly face on the worst role models in an effort to convey yet another set of less than desirable values. Why would they take a person known for promoting the use of illicit drugs and place them in front of children as a Fairy God Mother ? Why would they allow our children to develop an affinity for an actor who is openly and consistently anti American? Why would you put a performer who sings songs about bondage and promotes promiscuous behavior in with a collection of 7 and 8 year old girls. The worst case of corporate pedophilia promotion ? Pepsi – with its commercial of a chicken hawk looking Bob Dole drooling over a 17 half naked Brittany Spears.
This morning I woke to the morning TV news, and a father who saw nothing wrong in his son’s decision and deed to become a traitor to his country. Perhaps the failure of a father is difficult to admit. I saw live coverage of members of congress pushing petty and personal agendas, again and again at the expense of the American public. I find myself voting on election day, for men of ever diminishing stature and potential, with less of a sense of trust, and lacking optimism for the outcome. We all scramble to protest and hold on to a few crumbs of what once were great freedoms. How will it change? We are now governed by people who respond only to money in large denominations, in any form, from any country of origin. There is no bipartisan effort, there is only a President too embarrassed to admit Congress is withholding support, while waiting for his failure.
So my wife and I bought this train set. It wasn’t the Christmas special edition we were hoping to find, because Christmas has been banned and marketing focus groups have indicated this Christian holiday makes “some people uncomfortable”. But we’ll decorate the train cars with a Christmas theme, and run them around under our Christmas tree. We will spend our Christmas Holiday reminding our children of, and teaching our young grandchildren about, their faith, religion and cultural heritage. We will not let small minded politicians and ACLU attorneys rob our family of the sense of self worth they so greatly deserve. We will make sure our family is reminded that everyone has the right to believe whatever they choose, and that nobody has the right to deny them their own beliefs, and that the ten commandments still hold up as a pretty good set of rules to live by.
I always believe that as parents we need to take responsibility for our children, love them, treat them with respect, and keep them safe and close. If we don’t, they will be raised by the state and we might not like the results, ask Mr. and Mrs. Walker.
Thanks
Joe
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