Jimmy if I could give you +1 for the Pac-Man reference to ease tensions, I would, but I was kind of hoping this thread would evolve into positions that attempted to shake my position. I'm not swayed by the disagree position by any of those here. Will keep checking back and reading though.
Romney will do podcast interview with TechCrunch, questions?
In a post this morning on the popular startup tech blog TechCrunch, Mike Arrington writes:
Governor Mitt Romney ... was the first to respond, and we will be recording a podcast discussion with him in the next week. What we talk about on that podcast is largely up to TechCrunch readers. We’re finalizing the high level questions we’ll be asking Governor Romney (and other candidates in the future). Please let us know in the comments what tech-related issues are important to you; what would you ask if you had the chance?
If you have any technology-related questions for Mitt Romney, this could be an excellent forum to make your voice heard. Interesting seeing Romney respond first when John Edward was a speaker at Gnomedex last year. I'd think he would have jumped on this chance, but kudos to Romney for responding first.
NEW FEATURE: Add friends' blogs to the Home Page
Thanks for adding that feature :) I'm going to check it right now.
NEW FEATURE: Add friends' blogs to the Home Page
Hi there Secularian - looking at your profile I see you oppose George Bush? That's pretty friendly politically to me :) I added you. If you choose to accept my request you'll now have more than the site founders as your friends :)
Hint: you can find member blogs by clicking on the names and looking in the PB member's profile.
NEW FEATURE: Add friends' blogs to the Home Page
Is there a river of news feed for every blog post here -- friend or not --or no, does that feature not exist at the present time? Might be useful to be able to follow all the blog posts and decide who to add to the friends list that way too.
Hate crimes should be determined by common sense
Pandemic Soul - you shouldn't assume anything :)
A judge giving somebody first degree murder "time served"? I'd have to see the specifics in that case, but has that happened in any significant numbers historically? There are always exception to the rule cases, but that's the problem with creating or expanding laws on the books unless the numbers are there to support it. I'm generally in favor of less legislation, not more, but am flexible enough to evaluate the information and change my mind if the numbers support it. Perhaps you or someone else reading can offer up some more empirical data for myself and others with a similar opinion to consider?
The Second Amendment isn't about shooting deer and while I personally have never owned any gun nor been part of the NRA, I don't have a problem with other people purchasing or collecting any type of guns as Andy commented above.
If there should ever need to be a time to deal with an oppressive government (isn't that part of what our forefathers wanted to protect with the second amendment?) -- and I hope there never is a time like that, BTW -- I'd like to know I can lawfully purchase whatever gun is necessary to equalize force.
Hate crimes should be determined by common sense
I'm against the list as it stands and that includes expansion for any group.
We have too many laws on the books now. Properly labeling something a 'hate crime' should be common sense in the sentencing process (and handled by capital punishment in extreme cases), not be part of a specific and potentially neverending list that targets crimes toward any group of people.
Where does the list of hate crimes end?
I'm with Bethany. I have a problem with the verbiage used in the example given above. I, am, however still against slavery reparations because I think there would be better ways to help the increasingly distant ancestors of those who were enslaved.
Let's see some fiscally responsible creative proposals exploring that additional opportunities and access to college grants rather than cash payoffs. The deficit is out of control and needs to be tightened and while this might be the nice way to say sorry fro the past, it's not very financially prudent at the present time to do so.
How can anyone support the death penalty?
Hopefully people with this opinion never have somebody they know senselessly and brutally murdered. And if they do and can still carry the same opinion about the fate of the perpetrator at least they're consistent. I can see being against the death penalty because it's too slow, cumbersome and expensive the way it's currently being used.
I'm against capital punishment for children though, regardless of the nature and degree of horror behind the crime. Once a person turns 18, I'd like to see the death penalty on the table as something prosecutors have available to them at least for a bargaining chip (see cases like the Green River serial killer). Without the death penalty, some victim's families may not ever get closure on what happened.
With that said, I do believe capital punishment needs to be reserved for a very small number of extraordinary cases only where DNA evidence is present and/or a confession from the accused, so that we reduce the percentages to rounding errors that we're not accidentally executing innocent people.
Internet gambling should be legalized and taxed. This missing revenue could be used to combat the out of control national deficit, fund problem gambling assistance, strengthen our education system, reduce other taxes (rising property taxes, anyone?) and possibly help with the health care.
The downside is there are many social ills created by more widespread gambling. Regulation on the internet would be difficult, but not impossible. Also there is the issue of preventing underage gambling. We can bury our heads in the sand while other developed nations legalize gambling or be proactive in setting up a system where a piece of the action is used to fund other better causes.
No offense to tribal gaming, but outside of Nevada and Atlantic City, they are the ones benefiting most and that needs to change. I'd like to see across the board legalization of gambling both terrestrially and on the internet.
What do you think?
Welcome and how to get started
I'm hoping this site will be one (of many) that helps me become better informed about the right candidates to vote for in 2008, so the "vote for" functions mentioned might be a bit premature for me at this stage. I like how this site is put together from what I've seen so far (just registered today). Thank you for building PB.
