I am thankful for health and freedom. I am thankful for family and for a pond full of fish.

I am willing to venture into an area that may stir strong disagreement. But I have found this group to be very civil and able to discuss differences without personal attack - as seen in the passionate posts about hunting.

I take exception to the sentiments expressed in Deb's Paul Harvey quote. I think the opinions expressed are widely held. But I take exception to some of them.

I feel there is a difference in religous activity as part of a government sponsored activity as opposed to private religous activity. This has been the basis of much controversy over these topics - state sponsored vs. private.

Paul Harvey says "Yes, and this is the United States of America, a country founded on Christian principles. According to our very own phone book, Christian churches outnumber all others better than 200-to-1." So I guess I am to take it that the majority may engage in bringing their religous beliefs into a state-sponsored activity, simply because they are a majority.

I consider myself a patriot. I worship the founding fathers and this grand experiment that we are living today. I feel they wisely excluded allowing any specific religion from government. I think they disagreed with religous majorities having intolerance for those that did not agree with them.

I think religous activity of all sorts is each citizen's right to worship however they please. I feel anyone has a right to pray to their god anywhere anytime. I do not feel it is appropriate to involve others in the worshiping activities as part of a state sponsored activity whether it be a football game, nativity at the courthouse lawn, graduation from a public school or religous placques on the walls of public buildings.

What amazes me is the concept that it is ok only for Christians to do these things. I am not a Christian but am descended from a long line of Christians - my ancestry can be traced directly back to the 1600's - my ancestors were British citizens in America for over 100 years before the revolution.

Consider this. How would it be if during state sponsored activities we have Muslim prayers over the PA? How about a display of Jewish religous icons on the courthouse lawn during Jewish holidays? If your answer is that there is some special priveledge granted to Christians, well I respectfully disagree.

One of this country's greatest strengths is the diversity we have in our population. We have cultural diversity and we have a constitution that provides protection for all minorities. We are all equal under the law, and that equality extends in my mind to the right not to be subjected to religous acivity coupled with state sponsored activities. And no, I don't want to listen to Muslim prayers at a high school football game and see a Menorah lighted on the courthouse lawn. I prefer all those activities be done in private, not public setting.

I am thankful for a the political freedom that allows me to express my views, knowing they are not in the majority, without fear of being arrested or worse.

I don't think Paul Harvey or anyone else means to make a non-Christian fell like a second class American, but that is how I took the sentiments expressed.

May the spirit of Christmas be with you all at this very special time of year.

2/3 acre pond 12 miles from that big pond we call Lake Erie.