GonneVille

The problem with the 2nd Amendment is that the wording is somewhat ambiguous. It does not say at any point that the Right to Bear Arms is dependent solely on there being a state militia, or that in the absence thereof, the right no longer applies. The strictest reading of it is that the right is there whether or not a state militia exists.

Because this is the first campaign in decades where it truly DOES matter. John McCain is in his 70s, and had a history of cancer. It is almost certain that even if he doesn't have a fatal or mind-altering event during his term, that he WILL be under general anesthesia at least once, and likely several times. If his VP isn't able to pick up the reins and execute the Office with the same level of expertise and professionalism as he does, then conscience should dictate that we not allow her in office, and by extension, that we should not elect a President who would leave the country in the hands of an unqualified VP.

I'm not suggesting they go to youtube, or ebaumsworld. Both campaigns keep archives of their own speeches, and legislative records are available on govt sites. Almost everything said by politicians in the public eye is kept on a govt site somewhere. These sites, along with interviews on news programs, and official statements would be invaluable for the moderators in exposing doubeltalk and evasion. I'm also of the firm opinion that there need to be Truth in Advertising laws for campaign commercials.

I would like it if those who worked so hard to get where they are would pay their fair share of taxes instead of hiring weasel accountants, that the lower classes couldn't afford in a million lifetimes, to find every loophole and exception possible in order to skirt around paying their honest share of taxes. Find me a billionaire, I bet you the amount of money he ACTUALLY PAYS in taxes is considerably lower than what I do. Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759 The Revolutionary War occurred because men believed that their rights were important enough to die for. That even if they never enjoyed those rights themselves, that the fact that others would made their sacrifice worth it. That is the founding belief of our country. Without that belief, without the absolute inviolability of those rights, the sacrifice of every soldier's life, in every war America has ever involved itself in, is MEANINGLESS.

I actually like Republicans on the local level. As mayors and in the State Congress, they tend to do a pretty good job. But in the Federal Govt, I much prefer Democrats at this point. A couple decades ago, I would have been a staunch Republican. But their stands on abortion, religion in public institutions, and their willingness to cut very close to the core of the Constitution scare the hell out of me. Throw this on top of their increasing liberal fiscal policies and the parties seem to have almost completely exchanged their stated philosophies. Admittedly, Obama's beliefs on gun control scare me a bit, but in a time when the Supreme Court and other lower courts are reversing the more ridiculous gun laws, I don't think he will attempt to put forth anything to strenuous.

Got a link? I'd rather not spend half the night trying to find one particular statement out of five weeks of inane soundbites, but I am willing to have my opinion swayed. At this point, considering where this argument has gone, I would very much LIKE to have something to change my opinion of you. If it provides context that significantly alters the conversation, I will gladly apologize, but point out that it could have been brought up earlier.

BTW, I definitely agree it was a ridiculously soft debate. I remember a debate last time around where the moderator asked a very specific question, and the speaker( I think it was Bush, it could have been Kerry, I don't recall) went on at length without really making any definitive statement. The moderator stopped him and said, very directly, "You haven't answered the question". I want that kind of debate. I want a PANEL of moderators empowered to ask any question, cut off the candidate if they wander, and demand a clearly worded response. In other words, I want courtroom witness stand rules. I also want there to be another panel sitting to the side with access to the internet, who can look up speeches and votes on the spot, and interrupt the candidates to point out any "inaccuracies". Think it'll happen?

What I saw: When hit with a difficult point, Biden would fumble a bit, then answer. Palin, OTOH, glossed over and then changed the subject. Biden stated his own positions fairly clearly, but Palin either said nothing, at great length and exposition, or referred to McCain's stock position on the issue. The only time Palin answered any question with any authority was when she was parroting McCain. She also accused Biden many times of looking to the past, and judging McCain by Bush's actions. But McCain has openly said that he would continue Bush's policies on Iraq, taxes, and the economy and budget. So judging him by Bush's policies is absolutely necessary.

Do I need to defend this? He started by implying a victim of rape should pay for rape kits, in other words, they should pay for their own investigation into one of the most revolting crimes humanity can commit. He then revealed through his posts that he had no idea what a rape kit actually was, but was willing to make sweeping statements concerning their funding. At all points during the argument, I supported what I said with reason and fact. His last post contained zero semantic content and was exclusively a useless post to insult me, thereby making himself feel better by getting the last word in, instead of acknowledging his fault as he could have done at several points during the thread.

I am all in favor of calling someone a tard if you are referring to someone who routinely does stupid things. But I don't much like it as a reference to the disabled. OTOH, I am one of those who is a little put off by the "don't call him retarded, he's special/mentally challenged/differently able/mentally handicapped" BS. Retarded is a technical term, live with it. Just don't be crass about it. BTW, I actually kind of respect Palin for keeping the kid. She stuck to what she believed. What I don't respect is her belief that everyone else should stick to what she believes.

Does the Patriot Bill ring a bell? A Republican sponsored bill, and hardly what I would consider the government minding it's own damn business.

Is there some semantic value to this statement, or do I assume that you have retreated into the realm of third-grade insults in lieu of admitting you're wrong?

Actually, I just reread your first post, and it turns out, you ARE a bad person. Or maybe I should say, you're a poor excuse for a human being.

Did I say I think they SHOULD be responsible for those expenses? No, I said they ARE responsible for those expenses. Learn the difference between opinion and statement of fact. Anything beyond the samples taken during the rape kit exam is the financial responsibility of the victim, just the way you like it. The rape kit itself is a forensic procedure, part of the investigation into a crime, and therefore the responsibility of the state, the same as taking police statements, investigating murder scenes, etc,. Unless you think that victims should pay for investigating crimes, you have no reason to object to paying for rape kits. Here's what the last few posts boil down to: You opened your mouth about something you have zero knowledge of, then when you got educated, you tried to turn a statement of fact around into an accusation to cover up the fact of your own ignorance. So, you're not actually a bad person, you're just stupid.

BTW, just so you don't get to go stupid about me mentioning surgical repair for violent rapes, the victims ARE financially responsible for those. Fortunately, some people who are better educated and more emotionally developed than you have put together charities to help victims of rape pay for their medical procedures. Triple, fuckface.

How the fuck does your mind come up with THAT argument? It's not even comparable. A rape kit is to GATHER EVIDENCE. It's an investigatory tool!

This is not "getting something for free". We're talking about the swabs and sample containers they use to gather DNA evidence, VD tests, even sutures and needles if the victim needs stitches. It's not a lollipop given to a little kid who scraped her knee. It's an invasive process at a time when the victim probably doesn't even want to be in the same room as another human being. They use a speculum to open the vagina, take swabs and samples, and even do surgical repairs in the case of particularly violent rapes. They scrape under fingernails, swab anywhere the victim remembers being touched, even cutting hair samples if they find foreign substances. All that, after someone has been RAPED. And you want them to have to pay for it. You want to charge for police services? If someone breaks into your car, do you want to have to pay for an officer to come and take the report? Got kids? Do you want to pay to gather the evidence necessary to catch the sick fuck who just raped your daughter?

Rick, you claim to be a doctor, so you should KNOW the life-long health problems that can be caused by complications from child birth. Someone who has been raped, or worse, molested at a young age, should have to take that chance? DO NO HARM. You KNOW that that doesn't just include physical harm. By not allowing a victim of sexual assault to terminate a pregnancy, you are contributing to the mental and emotional trauma of having to carry a child that was forced upon them against their will. What a wonderful human being you are. Man, I really hope you don't actually believe a victim of rape should have to pay for a rape kit. Do you even know what a rape kit is? It's a pack that includes all of the non-reusable instruments, containers, and utensils used in the exam given to rape victims to gather evidence, determine whether they are at risk of disease, and determine the extent of any injuries they may have suffered. If you think that the VICTIM of a rape should have to PAY for that, then you really are a piece of shit.

He LOST your lappy? How the fuck does that happen? I'd have gone after him for the original purchase price of the computer plus all the software I still had receipts for. Which, for even a cheap lappy, is gonna come up to around $2000. It is completely unacceptable that he would "lose" your computer. You need to get an explanation in WRITING of how the hell he managed to lose it, and if he can't get you one, you should probably call the cops. Keep in mind, the biggest problem is not "losing" the computer. It' the fact that you have personal information stored by your browser and other programs that would be invaluable to ID thieves.

Call me David Duke, dude, I HATE rap. And not because of the lyrics. No, I hate rap because it's fucking annoying. The bad drum machine tracks, the looped samples, and the "singers" who all sound like they have Downs, asthma, or pituitary problems. There's 99% of rap. Prove me wrong. Find, let's say, 20 rap videos where every single note or beat in the song is produced by a real person playing a real instrument. Now, show me ONE of those videos where the song made it into the top 40 for rap.

Love that first pic, nice backdrop! I always new TransAm truckers were good for something(not for driving, that's for sure...).

These guys are quick! I brought in a slow leak, and it took the guy about five minutes to have the tire off and find a roofing nail with no head that had sunk into a tread block. Plugged it, patched it, remounted it, and had me out the door inside of half an hour. Thank god for Road Hazard Protection, though. I already had one tire pro-rated for a multiple puncture, and right now, I couldn't even afford a patch. Anyway, I think I'm gonna have a word with my apt. complex. That's the fourth roofing nail I've picked up since they re-roofed this spring.

Look up the Straits of Malacca. It runs between Malaysia and Singapore, and the route continues on past Indonesia. They lose ships there every couple of months. The pirates board them, kill the crew, or set them adrift, or even hold them for ransom. Sometimes they creep aboard at night, but they have been as bold as boarding a ship posing as customs officials. In some cases, they actually ARE customs officials. They steal cargo, hijack ships, and they've even stolen ships, repainted them, and sailed them under different flags.

Complete and utter failure. The exterior is just wrong, and you can't even call the interior gay. It's FAGGY. I'm pretty sure Ru Paul could design something more masculine. That is the worst fucking failure in design. I want to say, "worst since xxxxx" but I literally cannot think of a production vehicle that has ever been that stupidly flashy, badly laid-out, and downright FUGLY. You could go to a Japanese auto-indutry show, and not find one concept in the bunch as stupid looking as that thing. As unimaginative as GM design has been at some points, I can't think of a GM car from the past 25 years that was actually UGLY. They just blew that all in one go.

You know, I could definitely see throwing a slots deck onto the Santa Maria...