I wholeheartedly agree, despite the fact that this Tennessee History for Kids page is written in English only:

Tolerate.

Tennessee and the United States are both based on the idea of tolerance. Not everyone here looks the same, talks the same, thinks the same, or believes the same. That’s OK. In fact, that’s great. A great American once said that “I don’t agree with you, but I will defend to my death your right to say it.” This would be a good rule for all of us to follow.

This page is full of good advice, especially about how to be a good citizen:

Do you know why your school is there in the first place? Back when people in this country were talking about the idea of public schools, the main reason they were created was to create good citizens.

But what does it mean to be “a good citizen?”

To be a good citizen means to help others. It means to get out there and do something good for the community. It means to do what our system of government expects you to do and needs you to do. And if asked, it means to help preserve our system of government and our way of life.

Not everyone is a good citizen. But we can thank the people who are good citizens for the freedoms we cherish.

Maybe Robert Fulghum was right. We could all stand to reacquaint ourselves with the information on this page.

Why should you vote? If you know Robert Fulghum’s famous book All I Ever Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, here’s similar inspiration for supporting democracy from Tennessee History for Kids:

Vote. When you turn 18, you will be allowed to vote. There are many countries where people are not allowed to vote. The people in those countries have no say as to how their government runs or who their elected officials are. Where would you rather live – a place like that, or a place like the United States

If you vote for no other reason today, you’ve done enough. Please take the time to head to the polls this afternoon. (The polls close at 7 p.m., and Nashville.gov will show you were you can cast a ballot.)

… by News2 faith and ethics videojournalist Jamey Tucker:

But then again, there’s nothing Christian or even religious about the Christmas tree. Is there? Its roots are in paganism. A tree is nothing more than a traditional Christmas symbol. Saying a Christmas tree represents the birth of Jesus is like saying a bunny represents the crucifixion.

I’m all for the public display of religious symbols. Faith is a fundamental part of our freedoms in America. Put up a menorrah. Put up a winter solstice plaque. Put up a Christmas tree. We shouldn’t be offended by seeing these symbols.

I agree, and Jamey’s words remind me of author Robert Fulghum’s advice in his book All I Ever Really Needed to Know I Learned In Kindergarten:

Share everything. Play fair. Don’t hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don’t take things that aren’t yours. Say you are sorry when you hurt somebody. Wash your hands before you eat. Flush. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. Live a balanced life. Learn some and think some and draw some and paint and sing and dance and play and work everyday.

Take a nap every afternoon. When you go out in the world, watch for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.

Thanks for the good reminder for all of us, Jamey, that maybe we shouldn’t take things quite so seriously. (Psst…don’t tell anyone that Fulghum is a Unitarian. That will really freak the War on Christmas crowd out. They love buying and reading his book until they discover the truth.)