Where Did It All Begin?
   
   Let's see, I think it started when Madeline Murray O'Hare complained she
   didn't want any prayer in our schools, and we said OK..
   
   Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school, the Bible that
   says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as
   yourself.  And we said, OK..
   
   Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they
   misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might
   damage their self-esteem.  And we said, an expert should know what he's
   talking about so we won't spank them anymore..
   
   Then someone said teachers and principals better not discipline our
   children when they misbehave.  And the school administrators said no
   faculty member in this school better touch a student when they misbehave
   because we don't want any bad publicity, and we surely don't want to be
   sued.  And we accepted their reasoning..
   
   Then someone said, let's let our daughters have abortions if they want,
   and they won't even have to tell their parents.  And we said, that's a
   grand idea..
   
   Then some wise school board member said, since boys will be boys and
   they're going to do it anyway, let's give our sons all the condoms they
   want, so they can have all the fun they desire, and we won't have to tell
   their parents they got them at school.  And we said, that's another great
   idea..
   
   Then some of our top elected officials said it doesn't matter what we do
   in private as long as we do our jobs.  And agreeing with them, we said it
   doesn't matter to me what anyone, including the President, does in private
   as long as I have a job and the economy is good..
   
   And then someone said let's print magazines with pictures of nude women
   and call it wholesome down-to-earth appreciation for the beauty of the
   female body.   And we said we have no problem with that..
   
   And someone else took that appreciation a step further and published
   pictures of nude children and then stepped further still by making them
   available on the internet.   And we said they're entitled to their free
   speech..
   
   And the entertainment industry said, let's make TV shows and movies that
   promote profanity, violence, and illicit sex.  And let's record music that
   encourages rape, drugs, murder, suicide, and satanic themes.  And we said
   it's just entertainment, it has no adverse effect, and nobody takes it
   seriously anyway, so go right ahead..
   
   Therefore, now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience,
   why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to
   kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves..
   
   Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out.