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J'�cris � votre consulat dans le respect aux intentions du gouvernement fran�ais de limiter le symbolisme religieux dans des �coles d'Etat, mais sp�cifiquement, d'interdire le hijab musulman, le yarmulke juif, et la croix chr�tienne. J'ai appris que vous voulez rendre tout �gal dans les �coles, mais vous ne pouvez pas faire ceci en limitant la libert� religieuse d'une personne ; c'est impraticable et immoral.
Il est impraticable parce qu'il y a beaucoup de gens dans le monde qui sont tr�s passionn�es au sujet de leur croyance religieuse. Car I, pour un, suis dispos� � mourir au nom de J�sus le Christ, beaucoup d'�tudiants n'auront pas du mal � risquer l'expulsion pour leur religion. En outre, le d�passement de cette loi produira non seulement les individus f�ch�s (tous les deux en France et � l'�tranger), mais il fera �galement quelqu'alli�s vous puissiez avoir le tour contre vous.
Il est immoral parce qu'une telle loi incitera non seulement une personne � compromettre la croyance que he/she base sa vie, il insultera �galement Dieu. Il le fera sembler erron� d'adorer et craindre celui qui nous donne la vie, celle qui a fait le monde, et celui qui a la puissance de nous sauver ou d�truire. Par cons�quent, je prie de vous de parler en faveur les chefs fran�ais pour ne pas trifouiller la libert� religieuse en France. S'ils n'�couteront pas, alors peut Dieu avoir la piti� sur leurs �mes.
Sinc�rement,
Devin Love-Andrews,
Citoyen des Etats-Unis d'Am�rique
Dear Sir or Madam:
I am writing to your consulate in regards to the French government's intentions to limit religious symbolism in public schools, but specifically, to ban the Muslim hijab, the Jewish yarmulke, and the Christian cross. I understand that you want to make everything equal in schools, but you cannot do this by limiting a person's religious freedom; this is both impractical and immoral.
It is impractical because there are many people in the world that are very passionate about their religious beliefs. As I, for one, am willing to die in the name of Jesus Christ, many students will not find it hard to risk expulsion for the sake of their religion. Also, passing this law will not only produce angry individuals (both in France and abroad), but it will also make whatever allies you may have turn against you.
It is immoral because such a law will not only make a person compromise the beliefs that he/she bases his/her life, it will also insult God. It will make it seem wrong to worship and fear the one who gives us life, the one who made the world, and the one who has the power to save or destroy us. Therefore, I beg of you to plead French leaders to not tamper with religious freedom in France. If they will not listen, then may God have mercy on their souls.
Sincerely,
Devin Love-Andrews,
Citizen of the United States of America
(Published by Sun-Times; ignored by the Tribune)
Why does Mayor Daley keep calling himself a Democrat? Chicago currently faces a problem with the lack of affordable housing, as older apartment buildings are torn down, and callous developers replace them with condos and luxury apartments that only the upper-middle class can afford. We now have the option of creating a law to make developers set aside one out of seven of their building space for those who need more affordable housing, but Daley refuses because such developments �pay real-estate taxes for the Board of Education and they pay real-estate taxes to keep government going.� This seems like a stunt that the usual Republican would pull. Excuse me, but according to Earth Resource System (www.ersys.com), roughly 52% of those who reside in Chicago earned less than $40,000 in the year 2000. Regardless of how big that number is, Daley is quite content with kissing the feet of greedy developers who can care less about the working class. Who is paying a great bulk of Chicago�s taxes? When was the last time the government gave them a tax break? It is only logical that building more affordable houses and condos would provide more real estate taxes. If Daley keeps allowing lower income residents to become homeless, he will face even bigger tax problems as people more elsewhere.
