Near Mint
Near Mint
Coming to a School Near You Soon
I’m sure most of you have heard that the stars of Hollywood receive ‘gift bags’ when they attend the Oscars or the other glamour outings. The gifts contained within are quite nice and very lavish to most standards. What I am also sure of is that most of you have not heard that in a small town named Bisbee, Arizona the local school board has also decided and voted to give ‘gift bags’ not to local celebrities but rather to this year’s high school Prom attendees. What a nice idea and a truly gracious offering to help teenaged students feel a bit more special and important if just for the one night. I think every parent with high school aged children ought to contact the local Bisbee school board Superintendent Paul McDonald and tell him just how nice this gift bag idea really is.
Unfortunately I must be the one to say, ‘hold the phone’! Wait until I first give you just one more small tidbit about these high school ‘prom gift bags’. So before you forward your kudos to the Superintendent hear me out. The local Bisbee, Arizona school board voted this week to include condoms in the “prom gift bags” it plans to give away to teenagers at this year’s annual prom dance. By a 4-1 majority the local school board decided it would be a good idea and would give their official blessing. All but one member, Millicent Kasun voted to go ahead and include pictures frames, candles, mints, and two (not one but two) condoms in this year’s ‘prom gift bags’. What a wonderful display of tax dollars at work-Don’t you agree?
Problem number one, I have with the giving of condoms to teenaged children with their ‘prom gift bag’. I thought for a moment that the local school board must have had evidence that condoms work most if not all of the time or they wouldn’t have suggest such an idea to 16-, 17-, and 18-year-old students would they have? I guess not, and so we must go according to all the polls and studies available to the public. One in five teen couples who use a condom will become pregnant, and the others are at risk of contracting anything from HPV to HIV. This hardly can be a ‘cure all’ for today’s teenage problems. Could the misrepresenting of information force the school board to be responsible for any of the results that stemmed from this special night; both financial and ethically?
Problem number two, what about leaving these highly sensitive issues for parents to handle as deemed by God Almighty. Isn’t the school board usurping His authority and that of the parents, by making the decision and setting off on a plan of action, i.e. the ‘prom gift bags’? Regardless of the personal beliefs, religious and/or moral holdings of any of the parents, the school board’s wishes and wants out-weight everyone else.
Problem number three, I feel that IF the school board is going to usurp such amounts of authority and responsibility they need to go one step further to make their ‘prom gift bags’ a more ‘complete package’. If they hurry just a bit they can include the following in this year’s bags. This year’s ‘prom gift bags’ need a thirty percent 30% off coupon for the students next visit to Plan Parenthood! While we are on the subject, indirectly, it just makes logical sense to me to include such an offering. Just in-case our local school board is reading this, I am only kidding, I’m being sarcastic, okay? I don’t want to send any ‘mixed messages’ to any group that usurps such amounts of power from every parent and even God Himself! The results could be very nasty.
If you are a parent, if you are a Christian, if you are a morally upright individual, you must make your opinion known now. Unfortunately for you, you can’t hide claiming you don’t have all the details. You now have the facts, make a decision and express either your approval or your disapproval. Is it okay to inform our children that the teachings we the parents and our children’s church teach, aren’t as important as that of the local school board. Is it okay for the local school board to over-look publicly held facts and statistics and to promote an evening of sexual indulgence without any responsibility? Don’t allow anyone, especially the local school board to tell you that giving these items ‘doesn’t promote or give permission to such activities’. Just as any responsible and level-headed parent wouldn’t give their student a concealed handgun to carry on their person, for the night of the prom with the words, don’t use it, but keep it close so that you will be safe. We all learned a long time ago that we can’t give a child something and then tell them to not use it. It doesn’t work and it leads to trouble every single time. Two, most adults would agree that a student with a concealed handgun in just about any setting is trouble just waiting to happen, and not any of the ‘safety’ that was intended; so too with condom issue. The religious beliefs held sacred by most families as well as their parental authority and responsibility is offended and made mockery of when anyone usurps ultimate authority and continues dishing out wrong information that can and will lead to a lifetime of dealing with the results, one kind or the other.
Okay, now is the time to place that call or to write that e-mail to the Superintendent, Paul McDonald of the Bisbee, Arizona school board at pmcdonald@busd.k12.az.us or by calling (520) 432-5381 (ext. 4204). Make your opinion known and heard! Why? Because if it could happen in a small town like Bisbee, it’s just a matter of time before it comes to your town. Therefore, this is also a prefect time to sit down and talk with your children about this and get an idea of what they would do when put into the same situation. I know I have said this many times before, but… This seriously is just one more example supporting my belief that Christian families are under attack not only by Satan and all the evil things that exist today; but also by those ‘authorities’ that are suppose to work with us parents to raise healthy, happy well-adjusted and educated Christian/Moral children. Is it any wonder why more and more Christian families are choosing to home school their children instead of subjecting them to this garbage over and over again? I hope all this, will help you to be a bit more understanding the next time you bump into a Christian home schooled family or a Bisbee, Arizona family for that much.
About the Author
Theresa Twogood is Executive Director of OLIN e-Publishing Company Denver Colorado- http://olin.tk . Visit OLIN’S e-BookStore at http://olinepublishing.com/ebookstore_index.html .
Oregano Spice – Friend On The Mint Family!
As many herb experts know that oregano is truly a member of the mint family one can not help to wonder why it tastes nothing like “mint”. Oregano is traditionally used in hundreds of recipes especially Italian cuisine as well as a great spice for soups and sauces. You can buy the freshest dried oregano right at our “Florida Herb House” in Port Orange, FL or online at www.FloridaHerbHouse.com or www.SharpWebLabs.com! We would love to see you!
Oregano which comes from about 35 plants is widely cultivated in Europe as a culinary herb. Oregano is an upright perennial herb, growing to about 30 inches but can reach heights of six feet. It has square, red stems, elliptical leaves, and clusters of deep pink flowers. It thrives in chalky soils near the sea, and is gathered when in flower during the summer.
Marjoram is a woody perennial herb native to countries bordering the Mediterranean, but now widely cultivated, especially in Germany. Depending on the area of cultivation, there may be two crops per year. It grows to about twenty inches, having aromatic, light green, oval leaves and pinkish white flowers emerging from the upper leaf axils. The leaves have a mild sage-like flavour.
The oregano plants are well known food seasonings, as well as having a long history as medicinal plants. In China, they have long been used to treat fever, diarrhea, and vomiting.
Oregano was much used by the ancient Greeks, and had a more significant role in medicine than did marjoram.
The 18th century herbalist, K’Eogh described it as having a “hot, dry nature” considered good for stomach pains and the heart as well as for coughs, pleurisy, and “obstructions of the lungs and womb”, and thought to be a “comfort” to the head and nerves.
In 1597, the herbalist John Gerard made an assessment of marjoram, saying that it was a remedy “against cold diseases of the brain and head” including that of toothaches. It was also thought to lower the sex drive.
Make your own famous pizza sauce with our organic oregano and be a star!
Ingredients:
1 can tomato puree (14 or 16 ounce)
1/2 teaspoon organic oregano
1/2 teaspoon organic basil
1/2 teaspoon organic parsley
2 cloves organic garlic
dash ground black peppercorns
dash red pepper – (Go easy)
Directions:
Mix ingredients in a bowl. Spread evenly and thinly over your favorite pizza crust – too much sauce can make your pizza nasty. (I like to bake my crust – if made from dough – for about 10 minutes before putting on sauce.) Add your favorite toppings and cheese and cook for an additional 10 minutes at 400° Fahrenheitt (204° Celsiuss). Pizza is done when cheese begins to brown. Extra sauce will stay fresh for about 10 days in fridge.
Sincerely,
Stephen C. Sharp
Florida Herb House
About the Author
Born and raised in the outskirts of Boston, Ma. With a deep backround in herbal nutriton I offer advice and tips on many natural remedies using only natural herbs and spices. See our discounted organic herbs and spices at www.SharpWeblabs.com and www.FloridaHerbHouse.com or visit our retail store in Port Orange, Florida!
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