Nilknarf News

Natterings, Notions
and
Notes

Thursday, 04 July, 2002 20:22

Happy Fourth!

I decided not to wait up for Tyler last night... damned good thing, he didn't get in until 04:30 this morning.

Unfortunately, I was awake about every hour all night long anyway. I have no idea why... well, yes I do, my damned wrist kept hurting and waking me up. I slept with the splint on it but that didn't keep it from hurting. I've been keeping up with the tylenol all day, hopefully I'll have my titers up enough to sleep tonight.

I got up around 09:30 and Karen had just got up and made coffee... or maybe it was 10:30, I can't remember. Anyway, JD called around noon or so, he was having trouble with his networking, we talked for almost an hour, it's always nice to talk to him.

After that, I got Tyler up, it was around 3:30, I think. He wanted Taco Tico for breakfast, and I sadly informed him that there was none to be had... the one on 17th street that I've gone to for years had a fire a coupla weeks ago and they're not open again, and the one at the Marketplace closed up almost a year ago. We went out and got him breakfast at Taco Bell... I really dislike Taco Bell, every experience I've had there has been bad.

Later, he took off for Lawrence, going to meet his friends down there and party a bit, but he'll be back tomorrow.

Karen went over to Kim's to help her fix the holiday chow, and she called me before they got ready to eat. I was over there about an hour and ate and left, I really didn't feel like being around a crowd today... sometimes I'm pretty hermit-like. I'm sure that Karen is pissed at me, but I really can't help it, I've pretty much always been that way. Besides, there were five kids there between six and twelve shooting fireworks indiscriminately and totally unsupervised. And no, I didn't feel like supervising them, their parents were fully aware of what was going on.

So, back to religion, just for a brief moment. I've heard some things and seen some things and read some things lately said about atheists and atheism that if they were said about xians and religion... wait, I'm saying that wrong. If you substituted xian or xianity for atheist or atheism, you would be cited for discrimination and bigotry... but when speaking of an atheist or atheism, you are applauded.

We are the last group that it is societally acceptable to discriminate against, and (some) xians just love it. Well, no, there are the smokers and fat people, I shouldn't forget that. Heh, more than a year ago I was a three-time loser, now it's just two.... waaaah! Maybe in a year, most people will only have one reason to hate me. Yes, I *will* be trim and slim again some day.

WHEREAS: The unique feature of this nation at its founding was its establishment of a secular Constitution that separated government from religion - something never done before; and

WHEREAS: Our secular Constitution has enabled people of all worldviews to coexist in harmony, undivided by sectarian strife; and

WHEREAS: President James Madison made clear the importance of maintaining this harmony when he said, "The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the endless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe in blood for centuries"; and

WHEREAS: The diversity of our people requires mutual respect and equal protection for all our citizens, including minority groups, if we are to remain "One nation, indivisible"; and

WHEREAS: It is the unfettered diversity of ideas and worldviews that have made our nation the strongest and most productive in the world; and

WHEREAS: Eternal vigilance must be maintained to guard against those who seek to stifle ideas, establish a narrow orthodoxy, and divide our nation along arbitrary lines of race, ethnicity, and religious belief or nonbelief.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JESSE VENTURA, Governor of Minnesota, do hereby proclaim that Thursday, July 4, 2002 shall be observed as:

INDIVISIBLE DAY

In the State Of Minnesota.


Thanx for being here!

All Material © 2002 by Douglas C. Franklin

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