The state of the culture

Ah, Christmas in the Big Apple:

Anyone want to tell me why this isn't a good idea?

HARROLD, Texas (AP) - In this tiny Texas town, children and their parents don't give much thought to safety at the community's lone school - mostly because some of the teachers are carrying concealed weapons.

In remote Harrold, the nearest sheriff's office is 30 minutes away, and people tend to know - and trust - one another. So the school board voted to let teachers bring guns to school.

When the president speaks people listen -- two graduation speakers at Indiana State University catch the "You didn't build that" fever:

A federal judge and a newly minted nurse reminded Indiana State University graduates Saturday they didn't get where they are - and won't get where they're going - entirely on their own.

An interesting switch:

INDIANAPOLIS — A powerful Republican state senator says he now opposes amending a ban on same-sex marriage into Indiana's constitution.

If this is accurate, it's almost as much of a sign of evolving attitutes as the recent voter approval of gay marriage in three states:

A new poll shows Hoosiers are split on legalizing same-sex marriage, but also oppose amending Indiana's state constitution to ban it.

Good grief:

Chivalry is pretty much dead, and we got to watch it die, starting in the 60s when some women decided it was sexist in that it promoted the idea of strong men and weak women, an idea that had to be ditched if there was ever to be true equality. We have not leveled the field so much as we have removed one of the biggest connstraints on male aggression. So maybe we should give chivalry another chance:

Here's an education-reform idea actually worth supporting -- Abolish Social Studies:

I guess I'm a little surprised it's coming this soon, but we've been talking about this here for a few years -- the obvious need of the Surpeme Court to tackle the gay marriage question. It has decided to review  the federal Defense of Marriage Act and California's Proposition 8, both of which make "one man, one woman" the standard.