I apologize for the lack of articles as of late. Work has taken up much of my free time over the past few weeks. Hopefully that will pass soon. In the mean time, I had a few thoughts on three similar topics that I wanted to share with you.

What does the term “hallowed ground” truly mean? Essentially, it is an area that is deemed to be sacred and set apart. Churches, for example, are said to be built on hallowed ground. The same is true for cemeteries and areas that have seen a great loss of life. So it was interesting that I’ve heard the term hallowed ground mentioned in three separate news stories over the past week.

During the debate over the proposed mosque near the World Trade Center site, President Obama stated that “Ground Zero is, indeed, hallowed ground.” But just how far does that hallowed ground stretch? Is it just the area around the footprints of the fallen buildings? The distance where debris fell into the surrounding blocks? Or is it arbitrary depending on what is being developed around it?

In a similar story, Mindy Crawford from the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote, “It is altogether fitting and proper that gambling be kept away from Gettysburg’s hallowed ground.” But where does the hallowed ground end? Just in the area where the main fighting took place? Within the National Park boundary? How about the greater area outside of the Park?

The last story I heard was a renewed debate over the Westboro Baptist Church and their protests at funerals for fallen soldiers. Chief US District Judge Fernando Gaitan struck down a Missouri law that barred inflammatory protests outside the funerals, stating that it violated the First Amendment by placing restrictions of free speech. In the law was a requirement to bar protests within 300 feet of the funeral.

So how should we define hallowed ground, and who should make the determination of where it begins and ends? These three examples about are difficult to resolve because it is emotion-based and subjective. Is it disrespectful to build a Mosque two blocks away from the World Trade Center? Or a casino a half-mile away from the Gettysburg National Park? How about protests outside the gates of a cemetery?

For me, the I think the last is the easiest to answer. I doubt a loving God would want his followers to protest the funerals of troops who died during war. There should be some limit on “where” such protests can be held. Such limitations have held up in court, since it is a common practice within Washington, DC to bar protests from certain areas around the Capitol building and White House.

The question over the casino would be the next easiest answer. The National Park engulfs a large area of the battle field as well as the neighboring cemeteries. Building a casino a half-mile away should not be an issue, especially since archaeologists will be brought in before any major ground-breaking and construction begins. Additionally, the casino could result in increased awareness of major Civil War battle site, and the revenue from the casino could increase the educational resources for visitors to the Park.

The hardest question is that for the Mosque. While it is true that it was Islamic terrorists that attacked the World Trade Center on September 11th, it wasn’t an act by Muslims as a whole (if so, then we would have to worry about 7 Million Muslims in the United States). So building a Mosque near the WTC site just for that narrow reason alone should not be an issue.

The issue comes to the politics behind building the Mosque. Reports show that there is a low population of Muslims in Lower Manhattan, so there isn’t a “demand” for the center in that area. Is the Mosque being built as a poke in the eye to Americans, or is it being built as a bridge to a better understanding of Islam? If it is for any reason other than a slight towards the United States, then I don’t see why it can’t be relocated. After all, if you are going to invest that much money, you would want it to be easily accessible for your congregation. However, if it is for the other reason, which it sounds like it is, then I’m sure the developer will find many more obstacles for development, making it financially prohibitive in the long run.

In short, I think you should take away from all of this one simple note. No matter what you do in life, stop and think about how others might view your actions and how it will impact their lives. In this faster pace life of ours, we tend to act first and think second. If we just slow that process down a little, we can take others into consideration, and make wiser decisions that not only benefit ourselves but also those around us. That, I think, would be a great way to remember all of those who went before us to give us this great nation we have today.

NOTE:  I will try to get the Political Blog Weekly published tomorrow.  If not, I will incorporate it into next weekends edition.

I was reading some of the articles through SeededBuzz this weekend and I came across one from the Northwood Clinic.  In their article, they asked:

So here’s my BIG thought for the day. If you had a month to do anything you like, how would you spend it. On the beach, with your family, reading book after book, learning a language. The list is endless and I would like to read about how you would spend the perfect month away from the normal daily routines.

My “perfect month.” That is so open ended, it is difficult to answer. I could spend a month watching movies and playing games, or visiting old friends that live out of state, or even start up a new pet project.  Our friends over at This, That, and The Other has stated that traveling to Colorado and Pennsylvania would be on their list if they had a free month.  Then the thought came to mind – how about something for our country?

One of the things I might do is donate a week on the Gulf Coast. With the 5th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina just around the corner, I could easily spend a week volunteering my time in the communities that are still recovering from the historic storm. Be it building new homes, restoring the natural environment, or helping with charity drives, donating my time to them would be very self-gratifying as well as beneficial to those in need.

For my second week, I think I would give back to our troops. During the day, I could volunteer my time visiting the troops who are recovering from their injuries after returning from the Middle East. This will be very emotionally trying, so in the evenings I would greet our troops who are flying home as a positive emotional balance.

Next, I think a week spending time with the local schools and libraries would be great to influence the next generation. Reading storybooks and helping with their math studies would be activities I could easily assist with, and it would be a positive boost for both the kids and myself.

Lastly, a week visiting our nations historical landmarks would be a nice way to wrap up the month. I could take many pictures of the sites and write up articles about them to share my experiences. How knows, maybe we would discover something new about out pasts.

This would be a very rewarding month; something I could look back on with a sense of pride. Of course, I could do a lot of this right now. Unfortunately, my “excuse” of work and other life activities gets in the way. So maybe it’s not a “free month” that I should be looking for, but rather a change of mindset and priorities. With that, I could actually spend more than a month giving back to the country that has given me so much.

So what would you do for your country if you could spend a month away of life’s responsibilities?

NOTE: In all my reading on this topic prior to posting, I was not aware of the fact that there was a difference between Liberty Tree and the Liberty Tree Initiative. As such, I have corrected the text below and extend an apology to 1 for All for associating their campaign with that of Liberty Tree. As noted in the original article, I view “the First Amendment Center and the Newseum … as reputable organizations.”

I was reading some articles on the Yahoo! News website when I came across a link advertising a campaign to “educate youths about [the] First Amendment.” Wondering what this was all about, I went ahead and clicked on the link. What I found both intrigued me as well as questioned possible motives behind the campaign.

The article was about a campaign called “1 for All” – a program to educate children and teenagers about the First Amendment. Curious to learn more about this campaign, I went to the 1 for All website to learn more about the organization. The first thing you see on their website is the following summary about the group and their goal:

1 for All is a national nonpartisan program designed to build understanding and support for First Amendment freedoms. 1 for All provides teaching materials to the nation’s schools, supports educational events on America’s campuses and reminds the public that the First Amendment serves everyone, regardless of faith, race, gender or political leanings. It is truly one amendment for all.

The group is founded by a handful of organizations, including the American Society of News Editors (ASNE), the First Amendment Center, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the McCormick Foundation, and the Newseum. I am not familiar with ASNE or the two Foundations, but I have heard of the First Amendment Center and the Newseum (located near Washington, DC) – both of which I view as reputable organizations.

I eventually found the section where they provide materials to teachers so they can educate their students on the First Amendment. Most of the lesson plans they provide are centered on discussion groups over various topics, including free speech through blogging, journalism and ethics, religion in schools, and more. I didn’t find any issues with these materials, so I decided to click on a link labeled “Past Programs.” In this section, they have a listing of programs that were performed in 2009 and 2010 at various colleges around the country, most of which discussing free speech. But something else caught my eye: how could they have past programs when the site was only registered in January 2010 and the site was launched in June?

The answer was provided by a member of 1 for All this morning. The major founders of 1 for All are also the founders of the Liberty Tree Initiative. As described on the grant proposal:

The Liberty Tree Initiative is an informal coalition of educators, journalists, librarians, artists and authors with a shared interest in building awareness of the First Amendment through education and information. It was founded in partnership with the American Society of Newspaper Editors, with help and support from the Knight Foundation, the McCormick Foundation and the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University. The McCormick Foundation hosted a summit of these educators and leaders in October 2007 to develop concepts that would help build understanding of the First Amendment, particularly among younger Americans.

The result: a nonpartisan and nonprofit organization that brings enlightening and thought provoking programs to college campuses, tapping the talents of local and national experts and educators to illuminate pivotal First Amendment issues.

I’m all for outside organizations becoming more involved with our youth as a means to improve their education and our society. The 1 for All site states that most people cannot name the five protections under the First Amendment, so there is obviously a problem somewhere in the educational system. The US Constitution and the Amendments should be covered at least twice in two separate subjects: Civics and American History. In Civics, students learn about the structure of our government and the laws the citizens are suppose to obey. In American History, students learn about how our nation came to be, why we chose the Republican-style government model, and why we replaced the Articles of Confederation with the US Constitution.

Are we wasting our money on public education because students (and later, adults) cannot recite the details of the First Amendment? That’s subjective in my opinion. Students learn so many stats and topics while in school that they are bound to forget details once their class is completed. However, we should change the way materials are taught to the students, so they can apply them to their lives rather than just memorize the details to pass a test. If the 1 for All campaign can help with that, then I support them with their effort.

I received the following animated cartoon this week and thought it was worth sharing with you.  Harding College (now Harding University) is a Christian university located in Searcy, Arkansas.  Fearing the reach of Communism at the start of the cold war, College President George S. Benson sought out to produce a series of cartoons that highlighted American values in contrast with those of Communism.  The mission of the series is stated at the very beginning of the cartoon:

This is one of a series of films produced by the Extension Department of Harding College to create a deeper understanding of what has made America the finest place in the world to live.

The propaganda series was successful for the college, as the school branched away from your typical Christian school by incorporating political and civic studies with their American Studies Institute.  Harding has brought in political leaders from around the world through their lecture series, including former US Presidents, foreign leaders, heads of large businesses and other influential individuals.  Together, Harding has developed a conservative message balanced between morality and the historical founding values of our nation.

The following link will take you to a geography quiz of the Middle East and North Africa.  Since this has been the primary focus of the international war on terrorism for the past decade, this quiz should help you in placing the countries in correct context with their neighbors.  The quiz is not timednor does it keep score, so you should not feel rushed to complete it.  Take your time and try to place all 35 nations in their correct location without any errors.  The best I have done so far is erring only 3 times (all in Africa).

Click here to take the quiz.