Hate speech gets us nowhere

The Fort Worth Star Telegram published a story on November 8, 2012 that disturbed me deeply.  As a matter of fact, it just takes the cake! Under the headline, "Hardin GOP official: 'Maggots' elected Obama,"  Bud Kennedy reported the amazingly hateful comments of Hardin County Republican treasurer Peter Morrison.

Here's just a snippet of Kennedy's story:

Texas Republicans are already using the s-word.

One party official from Southeast Texas calls for -- not secession -- separation.

"Why should Vermont and Texas live under the same government?" writes Hardin County Republican treasurer Peter Morrison, a Ron Paul supporter and author of a race-heavy Tea Party newsletter.

"Let each go her own way," he writes, demanding an "amicable divorce" from the U.S. and from the "maggots" who re-elected President Obama.

"Maggots who re-elected President Obama"?

Seriously?  

Let me just say this sort of conversation destroys community, offends millions and has no place in a serious discussion about how to make the nation work.  Furthermore, this language hurts so many of my friends, people I love and respect.  How dare anyone speak of a fellow American in such a course, demeaning manner.  

Mr. Morrison, who do you think you are, sir?  

Can we all lighten up a bit? Like this!

Sam Rayburn

This is well worth your time. 

What's really going on here?

A big part of what we do at Central Dallas Ministries involves children, families and educational achievement.

For the past fifteen years we've supported, developed, nurtured and promoted numerous opportunities for children to improve their educational experiences. We done everything possible to encourage children to value education, to stay in school, to work hard and to achieve. After school programs, summer learning experiences, homework labs, SAT prep courses, college tours, learning camps, technology seminars, work options rooted in education--all have played a part in our efforts to keep children and youth engaged in the pursuit of education.

At CDM we believe that a job that pays a livable wage is the key to overcoming poverty and the urban decay that destroys our neighborhoods.

Therefore, we promote educational opportunities in as many ways as are possible because we also know education is the key to landing the kind of employment that can sustain a life and a family.

We care about education.

We care about children.

Next week, President Obama plans an address to American students about the importance of education and of staying in school through graduation and beyond.

What a great idea!

We love it!

We also recognize and applaud the fact that it has become a national tradition over the past three decades.

President Reagan delivered such an address to our students.

President George H. W. Bush continued the positive practice.

Who among us will ever forget that President George W. Bush was reading to elementary school students on that fateful morning of September 11?

Now comes President Obama. . .our President.

He wants to continue to reinforce the national expectation for our children. He brings a very unique perspective to the task. As a person who had every reason not to achieve, I expect that his own experience with education, its benefits and its importance should be a big encouragement to our students here in Dallas and across the state.

But, a number of people don't agree. They are protesting to area and state school districts to ban the President's speech from our schools.

What's worse, school boards and school leaders are paying attention to the objections. In many schools, listening to the speech will be "optional" for students. In other districts the speech will not be aired to students.

Unbelievable. Simply unbelievable.

What's really going on here?