Virginia talks to God about school shootings.

• Author: McCorkle, Vern
• Position: From the Publisher

Ever since Francis P. Church, writing in the New York Sun on Sept. 21, 1897, reassured her that, indeed, there really was a Santa Claus, Virginia has lived in our memories one way or another. Recently, a copy of a letter to God, attributed to her, came to us anonymously.

So what's the business connection in this? Well, while business mourns the deaths of nearly 100 youthful lives in the U.S.-all wantonly taken from us, their parents and friends in just the past 10 years-at the end of the day, business, the primary creator of wealth, must help pay for the much needed reconstruction of society. And so here's what Virginia wrote:

"Dear God, why have you not saved the school students from death?"

His response: "Dear Virginia, I am not allowed in schools. I think it started when Madeline Murray O'Hare complained about school prayer. And the people said OK.

"Then someone said not to allow the Bible in school because it says, 'Thou shalt not kill,' and 'Thou shalt not steal,' and 'Love thy neighbor as thyself.' And again the people said OK.

"Next, Dr. Benjamin Spock preached against spanking children if they misbehaved because their personalities might be warped and it could damage their self esteem. And the people said 'An expert must know what he's talking about so we won't spank them anymore.'

"Then, Virginia, somebody else said that teachers and principals mustn't discipline misbehaving kids for fear of losing their jobs and they said, 'We won't spank them anymore.' The people accepted such reasoning.

"Next, some people said that school girls could have abortions without telling their parents, and others added boys will be boys and should get free condoms from the coach or school nurse without having to tell their parents...