A National Holiday for Tolerance and Parenting Part

Take control of children by shutting the Xbox, Play Station, television, and music off. If you want to send them to their room, take all the toys away. "Stick to your guns," and don't back down if you are right. Your children will be better for it, and they will grow up as balanced adults because of your courage "to stand up and be counted.

" Take control of how your children dress. Parents and schools need to work together on this and many more issues. Sorry - they are still children and need to know right from wrong.

Music, containing profanity, should be cast out. Let's use a little common sense. This is an abuse of the freedom of speech. This is not what our Founding Fathers fought for or what the Southern Christian Leadership Conference worked so hard for.

It is our right not have to listen to "trash talking" inciting violence, and disrespect, at a high decibel level. Motorists who play music for the surrounding few blocks should be rewarded with fines. If you want to listen to it, please get a set of headphones, and the rest of us won't mind. We are now the largest producers of "No Content Movies" in the world. These movies contain amazingly expensive special effects, nonsensical graphic violence, profanity, and nudity. This is an insult to your intelligence, and this is all the movie producers think we can comprehend.

On top of that, it is inconsiderate to make these movies available for children. Television shows that display similar "no content programs" should be boycotted. With over 100 television stations on cable, and satellite networks, much of what is aired for prime time television has no content. Again, this is an insult to your intelligence When a child or parent doesn't want to take part in the Pledge of Allegiance, this is not a problem. Please leave the United States and find another country that will accept disrespect as part of your civil rights.

Don't be afraid to talk about God or religious holidays. Please always be considerate of others, but love of God is nothing to be ashamed of. There are groups who work to have the words "In God we Trust" removed from our currency. Do not justify their position. This is not tolerance; our country was founded by people who believed in God, and there is nothing wrong with that. We have become side tracked by what is politically correct.

The purpose of the civil rights marches, in the 1960's, were to improve civil rights for the best. Always remember that the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. was a moral man of vision and tolerance. He was also a man who had basic common sense and an extreme sense of duty that he knew could cost his life. In a different time, he could have been a great President.

© Copyright 2006 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications.

Paul Jerard is director of Yoga teacher training at Aura in RI. He's a master instructor of martial arts and Yoga. He teaches that along with fitness. He wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students who want to be a teacher. http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html