I received a rather provocative e-mail a few days ago from a very cherished friend of mine. I shall not mention who sent it, but I did discuss my writing about the e-mail with its sender prior to this entry.

It is someone that it would kill me to offend, and given the rather sensitive nature of the subject in question, I wanted to make sure that sufficient communication had taken place.

And I reiterate, this is nothing personal. This is just my opinion.

Sometimes I am just compelled to voice them. Sometimes people send me things just to get a rise out of me. This time, it is a combination of the two.

So, without further ado:

This just reeks of right wing fundamentalist hypocritical bullshit rhetoric. You know, from the people who:

- force the impoverished to change their shitty diapers for a monthly cheque that does not even cover the rent.

- have subjugated the cultural and spiritual identities of generations of First Nations people in the name of Jesus Christ, the consequences of which have decimated their communities for generations more to come.

- pay millions to Jerry Falwell so that he can laugh all the way to the red light district.

- shoot down abortion doctors and bomb abortion clinics.

- support capitol punishment, as if legislated murder is any different.

- feel with vehemence that it it is their god given right to bear arms (livin' la vita NRA).

- feel that getting hip with Jesus-ah is the blanket solution to all the Planet's ills, ignoring the blatant social, economic, and political issues that directly contribute to social problems like violence in schools.

- seem to forget that more people have been slaughtered in the name of Christ than have ever been or ever will be in a school.

I have a great deal of respect for the man who was known as Jesus Christ. I believe that he was a noble, philosophical, brilliant soul whose uncharacteristic intelligence and wisdom propelled him to deity status by the people of the time who could neither understand or relate to his purpose and struggle. This is common throughout history; fire was a god to cave man, the United States thinks they are god to the rest of us currently sharing the planet.

Christ's words of wisdom have, for centuries, created antithetical behavior on the part of his followers, and here is a prime example. Instead of actually making himself cognizant of the diverse issues surrounding violence in schools, and proposing a realistic, possible solution, the author of this graphic instead uses a serious social problem as fodder for yet more bible thumping. Instead of recognizing that a degenerating social and political economy, the desensitizing of violence in reality based media, and lack of gun control are all contributing factors to children being murdered everywhere, not just in schools, the author decides that everyone will be healed by getting hip with god in early academia.

Violence in schools will not end by reinstating mandatory christianity in public education. What it will serve to do, however, is create another vector of marginalization, further segregate, children in a system already operating on classist, racist, and sexist lines.

I hate to burst the author's bubble, but not everyone has swallowed the capitalist rhetoric and brainwashing of contemporary christianity. To be fair to others, and entire academic day would be taken up in prayer, worshiping Allah, reading from the Koran, and smudging.

A crossover of religious worship and academics is what private/home schooling are for. Unless there is room for Allah, Buddha, The Creator, and countless others, then Christ does not belong in public schooling.

And if I may be so bold, I would suggest that this is what Christ would have to say about this little ditty:

"To hell with worshiping me at such a dark time in human history. Who do you think I am to be focusing on me while turning a blind eye to what is really going on? Reject reality television and news. Feed, clothe, house, and educate your children...

...Put down your guns.

And you shall be healed."

Be Well