The separation of church and state is not meant to expel God from our schools or government functions. Our founding fathers established that separation so that no particular branch of organized religion could force their way of worshipping God to be the only way. One of the reasons immigrants came to the United States was so that they could be free to worship as they pleased. Separation of church and state simply guarantees that no one branch of religion, be it Protestant, Catholic, Islam, Buddhist or any of the worlds many other religions, is sanctioned by the state. To include prayers or rites from one of these religions in our schools and not include similar prayers from all of them has the effect of the state promoting that one religion. ...more

December 1, 2007

It is the tradition of this column every year at this time to relate the story of Thanksgiving. For source material, I rely on the accounts of William Bradford, governor of the Plymouth Bay Colony for 30 years between 1621 and 1656. Bradford's history "Of Plimoth Plantation" first was published in 1856. ...more

November 22, 2007

They can be seen hanging behind the counter at the minimart, those brightly colored phone cards for calling Latin America, Africa and Asia. Often they are the only reliable way for immigrants to stay in touch with their families. ...more

November 10, 2007

Attending the most diverse school in the county, I witness the beauty of tolerance on a daily basis. ...more

October 30, 2007

There are 25,341 parking spaces at Arizona State University, but don't count on getting one for an 11 a.m. class, as Daniel Heard, a senior, learned the hard way. ...more

October 6, 2007

TAMPA - Federal prosecutors have dismissed charges against another Serbian immigrant who was set to go on trial on charges he hid his involvement in the Serbian army when he filled out immigration paperwork. ...more

October 2, 2007

After two hung juries, federal prosecutors have decided not to seek a third trial in the case of a Serbian immigrant accused of lying to investigators about his involvement in the Serbian army. ...more

September 7, 2007

TAMPA - After two hung juries, federal prosecutors have decided not to seek a third trial in the case of a Serbian immigrant accused of lying to investigators about his involvement in the Serbian army. ...more

September 6, 2007