JT
- Um, the US has always been a decadent nation, it didnt just start in the 50's like some sort of magic downfall ... the US has been a bloody whore house since its creation ... this is nothing new. But now we have tv, the internet and telephones so we can all hear and talk about what happened in the little town on the other side of the country ... it is information that makes us think there is more crime.
Al Capone was not alive in the 60's. His criminal organization existed long before the 60's ... did you know that people were saying the same things about America that you are saying but they were saying it about the 20's and they were saying it in the 30's?
The roaring 20's when women dressed in little clothing, had multiple sex partners out of marriage and spent nights partying at the local speak easy. Organized crime due to prohabition skyrocketed under Capone (though not only under him) it was even an international crime syndicate.
No my freind, US morals have not taken some drastic downturn, US morals have always been low it is just that more people in the 50's were sheltered in their middle class neighborhoods.
Indeed opium use nearly destroyed the US well before cocaine and Mary Jane got into it and way before PCP and Acid got onto the scene and way way way before Hendrix did his rendition of the National Anthem.
It is propaganda that makes us believe that the US is so much worse then it ever was, it is also improved record keeping and more crimes being reported that allows us to statistically show that there is more crime in modern society then say in the 50's ... but is this true? Statistics only show a part of the story ... not the whole story.
I would like to address some of the specific things you mentiond JT ...
Ou used to be outcasted when you had an illigitamate child
By who? It is true that in middle class America this description would apply ... but the concept that marriage has always been so important to all Americans is false. It has been important to some groups of Americans but not all ... Furthermore I would like to ask you if you honestly think that outcasting single mothers is a good thing ... it is my opinion that people make mistakes and if they are too weak to keep themselves from getting knocked up then it is the responsibilty of that persons family to aid that person espeically now that she will have a child to care for. No, outcasting women for making a mistake imo is not a good thing.
when you dressed like a whore
People called you a tramp, yes yes ... like Marylin Monroe ... come now ... women were dressing scanitly back in the 20's ... this is nothing new. The only difference is that it was a dress that showed your breasts and buttocks as opposed to pants and a shirt.
when women kissed women on awards shows.
I enjoy watching women kiss each other. Why do not? Homophobia is not a quality in a person nor a society.
50 years ago, children were birthed to a mother and a father
Yes yes and alcoholism and spousal abuse was high yet went greatly unreported.
As for the topic at hand ... my views on religion should greatly known around here, I detest all forms of it.
BUT ...
This is not something that works ... it will suppress the religious which will give them power it will also imo take away the flavor of society ...
- State workers represent the state through their work, not what they wear. If a state worker wants to wear a head scarf or a cross then that is up to them. So long as their work is impecable I dont care ... hell if a man wants to wear a dress then thats fine by me.
- Children in schools should not be hindered because they wear religious items or cultural items. Instead they should be asked to enlighten the class as to why they wear these items and what they mean to them. To take away a cross from a Christian or a headscarf from a Muslim is like taking away logic to an atheist.
You cannot fear religion, once you fear it you give it power. You cannot take religion from the people, they must give it up freely. You cannot force the people to give up their Gods ... they must come to that on their own. You cannot punish the people for not embracing logic ... you must allow the people to be who they are.
If they are Christian then that is who they are, if they are Muslim then that is who they are, they must not be chastised for these beliefs ... faulty as they may be. Their beliefs do not cause harm.
State holidays, tricky here in the US ... X-mas has been a state holiday for years now ... but perhaps that can be changed ... though not in my lifetime I am sure. The US has many holidays though few are state holidays ... but workers are free to take off whatever day they need ...
I think that is the best way to handle it ... stay open everyday and those who wish to have off can have off those who wish to work can work. This obviously will not work in places that cannot operate with a skeleton crew ... but no system is perfect. It would also require a rather diverse population ... which here in NY we have. There is no problem with staying open on X-mas as there are plenty of Muslims, Jews, Agnostics, Athiests and the like who will work the same goes for all teh other religious holidays.
Sorry for the long post.
The story ends, it just ends.