Let them both be, says an op-ed in the WSJ

So, where’s the middle ground? Where do we go and how to we get there?

We can’t take the decisions from the people and leave it in the hands of a few judges, moralists, atheists and the pious ultraconservative religious. We can’t let Mel Gibson (and his father) alone define the pain of faith (without the love). It must fall into the murky morass of free choice, allowing parents and children to battle it out from generation to generation.

We have so many cultural outlets that if you want opera, rock music or bare-breasted, gun-toting women, you can seek it out–or switch channels. As for our children, their guidance remains the domain of vigilant and caring parents.

As we try to change the geo-political landscape to bring freedom to people suffering under dictatorships, let’s remember that a land of freedom means just that. So leave the “under God” phrase be (it didn’t hurt me to refuse to recite it, in fact it made me feel special), let Howard Stern be himself, and relish in the fact that with lots of love, forbearance, guidance and a little luck, our society–and our children–will be fine.