Mr. Gingrich:
RE: Your use of the word "inclusion".
I am a 61 year-old, white male who, like yourself, has seen many changes in the America we live in. As a young person I was the high school news reporter (AV geek) doing the End of Day Announcements in November, 1963.
As time unfolded there was Bobby, Martin and even Malcolm. I remember Ohio State, Oct.15th on the Mall and being told the hair that merely touched the top of my ears was "too long" by the President of the business college I graduated from in 1970. When he saw my picture on the front page of a newspaper for a peace rally, he called for a school-wide assembly to tell students "war protests were none of our business".
Over the years I traveled throughout the U.S. following a 20 year career of my brother-in-law who was in the Air Force. (His last five with the Joint Chiefs of Staff in D.C.)
I relate this history to put into perspective a losing battle I had in New Hampshire with Liberalism and Feminism in the late 80's and early 90's as Bill and Jean Shaheen kidnapped the state for the Democrats. It was a time when I learned first hand the "legal" concept: "What a man says is taken as a neutral to a negative and what a woman says is taken as a neutral to a positive." Again, I have seen a lot in life.
It was at this time that I first became personally aware of the term "inclusion".
As I made my recovery from a devastating time in my life, I attended a United Church of Christ parish for six years in the 90's. The pastor was a former Irish Catholic, Vietnam chaplain and the standing joke in the community was that the church was a place for "recovering Catholics".
I saw firsthand how forces within the church slowly and methodically took over the focus of the parish's direction, changing the tone of sermons, church hymnals and a variety of sponsored events. The buzz phrase heard more often than not was "We want to be inclusionary." It would have been more honest and much more accurate to say: "We want to throw away tradition and do it our way."
That sea change was not ignored by the senior members of the church as many went elsewhere to worship. It was shameful that "their" church was appropriated by others and they felt too uncomfortable to stay. Isn't that exactly what is happening to American society as traditional mores and beliefs are being thrown under the bus? Powerful people in politics, the media and activist courts continue to kidnap the morals and conscience of our society and the label they use is "Inclusion".
The church experience brought focus to sharp feelings I have as I look back at the previous years in my life. High schools that were filled with pride and tradition in the 60's are now filled with lonely, lost young people. They are the victims of "progressive education" and the changes of the 70's.
Repeated attempts at "New Math" (an effort so that parents could no longer teach their own children), the "Open Classroom" concept (which embarrassed many teachers and destroyed classroom discipline) and the most destructive modality, "Students have the right to fail", all were opening salvos in the NEA and the Liberal Left's war on education. I know first hand because I taught high school at the time.
Hand in hand with the destruction of education was the Liberal movement to "enhance" the rights of minors so school administrators became afraid to hold young people accountable for any of their actions. It's a sad joke today that young people are less afraid to go to a police station than we were to go to the Principal's Office.
When you used the word "inclusion" in your speech Monday night I was crestfallen. It is an ugly term, historically laden with Liberalism, true insensitivity and cruelty. While it may be important to reach out to any voter in the country to support the Republican Party, there has to be a less offensive way.
Thank you for your consideration.
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