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"Does 'one divide into two' or 'two fuse into one'? This question is a subject of great debate. This debate is a struggle between two conceptions of the world. One believes in struggle, the other in unity. The two sides have drawn a clear line between them and their arguments are diametrically opposed."


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Good Friday was still a legal holiday in Louisiana

You mean it's not a day off in other parts of the US? I never thought Canada was such an oddball. It's one of the few mandatory store closing days here in Newfoundland, and also in Manitoba. (There are only about five days in the year here when stores MUST close, and Good Friday is one of them. The rest of the holidays depend on the individual employer or union.) It also should be remembered that Catholics traditionally did not have a lot of power in Canadian politics, since the "usual" political split in the "olden days" would be French-Catholic vs. English-Protestant, with the English-Protestants having the upper hand.


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Re:...would be French-Catholic vs. English-Protestant, with the English-Protestants having the upper hand.

Yeah, butŠ, it's not as if the English-Protestants don't observe Good Friday.. so really, there is no conflict... both groups would agree to having the day as holiday.

Tennessee, now, because of various factors (new car factories being build there, and other new technological industristies relocating there, etc) had found its self with immigration of the type east coast cities used to have...very multi ethic!

there are now large populations from the indian sub-continent (pakistani, and indian), and from south east asia. so the white bread, WASP population of Jackie's childhood, has become much more international!

an indian writer, living in a large neighborhood in NY--were it is easy to keep ones native accent, wrote an article about visiting a cousin in Kentucky. when he phoned and spoke to his neice, he first thought he had the wrong number... instead of the common 'sing song' rhythm of speech, (Apu of the simpsons is a perfect example of the sterotype) he heard a southern drawl, You' all, know what i mean?--his neices and nephews had taken on the rythm and speach habits the area!

he also gave a guide to approximating the indian population.. look in the telephone book, and find the name 'Patel' - (it doesn't mean smith, but it is as common a name as smith)- multiply the number of 'Patel's' by 100-- you have the number of households..
and he further refined it to note that you need at least 3 patels to find a good indian restaurant!


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One believes in struggle, the other in unity.

The word "believes" in there *deserves all our attention.

-------------

The two sides have drawn a clear line between them and their arguments are diametrically opposed.

One believes that competition between individuals will collectively increase the value of the whole as all the individuals better themselves... the other believes that when the best parts of each individual are brought forth for the benefit of the whole, the society betters itself.

I think it's quite clear that both are true, but...

The one where an individuals progression is sought doesn't really find the value in the individual (other than the collection of them...) and the one where societies' progression is sought directly from the value of the individual doesn't really find value in society.

The blindness to the above 'values' exposes the need for the religions each (diametric) has *chosen.

I'm sure someone can shed even more light with clearer words than those...


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One may concede easily that civil governments ought not give people the day off (nor close banks nor allow the kids to escape from school) for such occasions as the Feast of the Assumption nor Saint Bernard's Day nor Maundy Thursday. But that is not the hardest case. Purist political philosophy wanes when the question is put: do we keep the post office open and make kids go to school on Christmas?


#103264 05/20/03 06:26 PM
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(posing as a cynic)

Not a problems really, letting kids out of school for christmas, lets face it, in US, christmas is a secular holiday, all about gift (or one could say all about shopping) and it no longer is a religios one.

some old die hards still remember the christian religious underpinnings, but in an other couple of hundred years, it christmas as a religious holiday in US will be as quaint as All Hallows Eve!



#103265 05/20/03 07:43 PM
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> Christmas as a religious holiday

Is this 'Christmas' you refer to some archaic form of the great end-of-year spending frenzy we call X-Mas?


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... are both public holidays in NZ. Garden centres open on both days and are regularly prosecuted for doing so ...


#103267 05/20/03 09:18 PM
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They offer such things as:
"--A full range of quality plants and products, with market leading brands
--Quality advice from a qualified and experienced team
--Replacement guarantee of establishment of our plants in your garden
--Continuously changing 'special-priced' promotional lines
--A weekly radio Garden Show
--Landscape design advice
--General garden advice "

Won't give the site, as it's a commercial one.


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