Freedom

On the birthday of our nation's independence, I think about the principles for which our country was founded. With that in mind, I examined the United States Supreme Court's recent ruling about school prayer. I decided to go to the source and read the actual Supreme Court decision. Before you decide whether the supreme interpretation of the law of the land should be followed, perhaps you need to read it, also. Then think about the message the court is trying to convey.

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to you all. Many of you are off work today to enjoy this national holiday that commemorates someone believed to be one of the greatest civil rights leaders ever to walk the earth. The Rev. King had his detractors of course, people who mostly hated his words of inclusion and calls for justice. They have tried to take down his legacy by pointing to his failings as a human being. But they were not successful, and we celebrate his accomplishments today.

Today is Thanksgiving. The inclusive American holiday that welcomes everyone to the table. It is not about gift giving. Rather, the bounty of the earth is given to us. We celebrate with sustenance, and some offer prayer; others appreciation for the food of life that is the cornerstone of survival. Symbolically, at least, we open our home and table to all who may come and share. Some work for the disenfranchised and serve meals on this day in public kitchens in towns large and small across our nation.

"Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost." Thomas Jefferson It always pains me to hear of a reader who cancels his or her subscription to the paper because of a story they don't agree with. It's not so much because I don't believe they have a right to spend their money as they choose, but because much like our Founding Fathers like Thomas Jefferson, I believe deeply in the 1st Amendment and the essential guarantees of the freedom of the press.

Fourth of July is not the day to curb freedom It seems strange that on the occasion of our nation's holiday supporting freedom, that being the Fourth of July, the Newport Beach Police Department is doing whatever it can to subvert those freedoms. The Newport Beach Police Department doesn't want any extra beer brought into the city and to keep the revelry more sober. Haven't we already tried prohibition in this country some 80 years ago? I am not a rowdy person.

If someone tried to wear a cross, the ACLU would be on them so quick it would make your head spin. It's about time we realize that there's an elephant in the living room. It's not that they shouldn't have their right to do or say what they think, but they should be looked at very carefully, and we should consider very carefully what's happening around the world and just monitor the situation. But it's not right. CLINT MOSES Newport Beach Of course Irvine officials were correct in allowing students to wear their shahada stoles.

The response to last week's column asking our politicians to dare to lead and dare to lose was substantial, and mostly positive. The column closed by commenting that there is nothing wrong with our country that cannot be resolved by us once again becoming Americans! But what does that really mean? The column last week also said that we became great by our own grit, and by respecting and enforcing private property rights and free trade, and that's certainly true. But fundamentally none of these things would have been effective without liberty.

CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON "The most perfect idea of God that we can form in this life is that of an independent, unique, infinite, eternal, omnipotent, immutable, intelligent and free First Cause, whose power extends over all things." -- E.B. DE CONDILLAC It was a day of mixed weather, mixed emotions and a mixture of experiences. One of the highlights was talking to a friend who had experienced victory in her life. "I can't describe the freedom that I feel, Cindy," she said excitedly.

COSTA MESA — Those who doubt the power of literacy might want to check out the display installed this week at Victoria Elementary School. The exhibit, known as the Freedom Shrine, features the documentation of 29 essential moments in American history — some in longhand, some typewritten, some with words inserted and others blotted out. Each of the documents may have started as a rough draft, but each one has had an indelible effect....