I thought we settled this in 1984.

I remember when I saw Footloose as a freshman in high school, it seemed far-fetched. A town with no dancing allowed? Come on, now! That kinda thing doesn't really exist. It was the 80s for pity's sake! The 20th century! But it had a great soundtrack, so I'd suspend my disbelief for a couple of hours. Let's hear it for the boy!

But apparently, such nonsense does, in fact, exist. And not just in Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan, but right here in the good ole U.S.A.! A Christian high school in Ohio actually suspended one of its students for attending his girlfriend's public high school prom.

Unfreakinbelievable.

I wonder if the kids at that school are also not allowed to view Michelangelo's David and if books with curse words are burned? For the record, I'm a Christian, so I'm not some religion hater, but seriously. Those people need to get a grip. There is nothing evil about dancing. BABIES dance to music before they can even walk or talk! It's human, and it's fun, and it's exercise, and doesn't lead to anything that can't be led to without dancing. Do some people dirty it up? Sure. Just like songs, or language, or photography, or any other form of communication. But because some people want to make something ugly doesn't mean all forms of it should be banned. If that were the case, a lot of beauty, joy, celebration and even glorification would never be experienced.

So dance, Ohio kids! Dance, I say!

I think I have no choice, really, but to post the video of the Footloose title track:



And for good measure, here I am last summer at the mill from the movie - the one where Ren worked and they held their dance. That's right - THE mill! (I think that's a Burger King drive-thru across the street that I'm standing in if I remember correctly...it's not quite like it was in 1984 anymore.)



The girl gets around. And I'm holding out for a hero.