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Shelbyville, Tennessee ~ Thursday, November 20, 2008
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The Bill of Rights - Amendment II
Posted Thursday, January 3, 2008, at 10:33 AM<< Previous | Read comments | Respond | Email link | Next >>
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
In my opinion, this Amendment could not possibly be more straight-forward, it states clearly "SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED". Unfortunately there are many people who believe that we should not have this right. Or that the word "Militia" means our armed forces, or the National Guard.
Below is EXACTLY what the United States Code regards as a "Militia":
United States Code Title 10 Subtitle A Part I Chapter 13 Section 311 - Militia: composition and classes (a) The militia of the United States consists of all able-bodied males at least 17 years of age and, except as provided in section 313 of title 32, under 45 years of age who are, or who have made a declaration of intention to become, citizens of the United States and of female citizens of the United States who are members of the National Guard. (b) The classes of the militia are - (1) the organized militia, which consists of the National Guard and the Naval Militia; and (2) the unorganized militia, which consists of the members of the militia who are not members of the National Guard or the Naval Militia.
Section 312 -- Militia duty: exemptions
(a) The following persons are exempt from militia duty: (1) The Vice President. (2) The judicial and executive officers of the United States, the several States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. (3) Members of the armed forces, except members who are not on active duty. (4) Customhouse clerks. (5) Persons employed by the United States in the transmission of mail. (6) Workmen employed in armories, arsenals, and naval shipyards of the United States. (7) Pilots on navigable waters. (8) Mariners in the sea service of a citizen of, or a merchant in, the United States.
(b) A person who claims exemption because of religious belief is exempt from militia duty in a combatant capacity, if the conscientious holding of that belief is established under such regulations as the President may prescribe. However, such a person is not exempt from militia duty that the President determines to be noncombatant. Comments Showing comments in chronological order [Show most recent comments first] |
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A person has every right to defend their home and family.
Even against religious fanatics... ;)
And anti-religious fanatics.
The main reasons that the people were granted the right to bear arms was to protect our Nation against invasion and attack from foreign parties and to defend against domestic tyranny (religious and non-religious nu...err...fanatics weren't even really a factor).
And anti-religious fanatics.
-- Posted by devan on Sat, Jan 5, 2008, at 11:41 PM
That would be Jesus himself... Devan, Jesus hated religion... Go re-read that book of yours.
I agree. Just didn't want to leave anyone out while we were calling names.
It's also the SECOND AMENDMENT (not the 5th, 8th, etc.) to protect the citizens from their GOVERNMENT.
Look at what happened in Nazi Germany - Hitler required registration (to know who had guns and where they lived), then all the guns were confiscated, leaving the citizens without self-protection.
We all know what happened after that!!
Don't say it can't happen here - if either Obama or Hillary are elected and with Democrats in charge of Congress, you can bet your sweet bippy they'll go after the 2nd Amendment and require not only registration, but will most likely implement CONFISCATION!!
Don't scare people puppydinks by pretending you know what Hillary or Obama would take away. Speaking of our rights... what about the Patriot Act [and your conservative president] they seem to have forgotten about our rights...
If you sacrifice liberty for security, then you will lose both! In essence Patriot Act, and the "War on Terror"
Hillary and Obama have BOTH said they want "Universal Healthcare" i.e. socialized medicine.
When the Clinton's were in office before, there was a lot of talk about getting rid of the 2nd Amendment.
As for the "War on Terror", don't you believe it's necessary?
NEWS FLASH! We haven't been attacked since 911!!
Or would you rather we just sit back and do nothing??
Hmm, in America we have a socialized post office, socialized fire and emergency response crews, and doesn't every chip into this little account called SOCIAL SECURITY?!?!?!
America will not adopt the political and economic features of the mixed economies. However, the huge trade deficit, government deficits, decline in manufacturing, shifts to outsourcing to become competitive and loss of value of the dollar show that private industry cannot counter the aggressive competition of the partially socialized nations. The United States has no choice but to become more social and align government and industry in common goals that will correct the deleterious trends.
Cooperation between government and industry rather than free-wheeling economics will enable more rational decisions and predictable operations.
Changes in life style that conserve energy (smaller cars, smaller houses) will lower energy prices, assist in the balance of payments and direct spending to domestic products.
Distribution of wealth will increase spending on vital goods and reduce spending of superfluous goods. It will also bring citizens closer together, increase faith in the system and ameliorate social problems; eg.: crime, poverty, drugs.
Ending of military adventures will reduce military spending, reduce the deficit and allow re-direction of wasteful military programs to more beneficial social programs.
A National Pension plan, properly prepared of course, will resolve the Social Security and pension crises.
A National Health plan, properly prepared of course and similar to those in other western nations, will resolve the Health crisis.
Agreements on "outsourcing" will limit job losses.
Participation in the Kyoto Protocol will enable a more serious challenge to the global warming threat.
Government assistance will revive manufacturing.
Improved regulation of immigration will preserve jobs for American citizens and prevent competition for wages.
I don't know about you, but all those scare tactics you hear on government sponsored media involving long waits for medical care in countries that provide "free medicine" is simply absurd. IF YOU CAN FIND MONEY TO KILL PEOPLE [war] THEN WHY CAN'T YOU FIND MONEY TO SAVE PEOPLE [healthcare]...
I think the only people who have it backwards, are those who think "we should fight the terrorists over there, so we don't have to fight them here." Think about that quote for just a second. Who are the true terrorists in America, and exactly why aren't we fighting them over here? I'll just say they are wolves dressed in sheeps wool.
And WHY are we the ONLY developed western nation that does not use socialized medicine? Because, of course we're always right, even when the rest of the world knows we're wrong.
Thom, this amendment isn't very clear to me. I believe many people should have the right to bear arms. But then again, serial killers have that same right, so when do we draw the line? And without implenting Big Brother tactics, there is no way possible to weed out those who take this amendment to the extremes.
Actually, Darrick, the majority of serial killers don't use firearms since that's not as "personal" as they like to be. Generally a serial killer has a much more intimate manner in which they kill their victims. Plus, it's usually pretty difficult to be blasting away and get away with it for very long (which is generally how serial killers operate). The Columbines and Virginia Techs are actually not classified as "serial killers" since it was more of a mass murder situation. Serial killers are much more methodical (and generally much more intelligent) than the people that go in to kill as many as they can as quickly as they can. That and, like I said, they tend to want to be closer and more intimate with their prey. So, to answer your question, there really isn't a way to weed them out. There is that new law that states that those that have been adjudicated as mentally unstable and/or institutionalized aren't to be allowed to purchase firearms. Personally, I'm not so sure that's the best way to go about it since, according to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights pertains to EVERY citizen. That it states that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law. Therefore, even with prior knowledge that a person has mental issues, no person should be denied the rights afforded them by the Constitution.
nascarfanatic - just about everything you talk about will cost the taxpayers gobs of money.
Socialist countries such as Sweden take as much as 80% of everyone's paycheck to fund their form and your form of what you think is Utopia.
The UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is the greatest nation in the history of the world and you want it to become Socialist? Are you willing to give up many of your freedoms and money for what you think will be a better way of life?
Are you willing for the USA to actually reduce its military might and become a sitting duck for takeover? This is exactly what they're waiting for!!
I suggest you check out what Montel Williams has to say about the "healthcare" in these other countries such as Canada and Great Britain.
Why do you think people from those countries come here for necessary and in many cases life saving treatment? Of course, only those with lots of personal wealth can afford to do this as their "insurance" won't pay for treatment in other countries!
Sad...
Well I know about that issue is that those other countries citizen's live longer... And if you actually interview the people who live there, which is documenting and has video evidence you will understand that the healthcare there isn't in a horrible situation. Hence, why are AMERICANS crossing borders to get free and reliable healthcare...
And as for the military spending being reduced, why do we have to be the world police, it says nowhere in the CONSTITUTION that it is OUR obligation to do such things. And you know what, our government takes nearly 50% of our earnings and spend them in pork barrel projects, and build bridges to nowhere. So if you're asking people if they would want to have their income consumed and put to saving lives instead of destroying them, then of course my answer would be yes.
It's amazing to see your narrow minded view of such systems around the world. While you sit back and agree that insurance companies, drug companies, and lobbyists should rake in millions of dollars in compensation for "some of the best healthcare in the world" I prefer to see life in a realistic way.
America is so backwards, if we see that the Japanese or Germans build better cars, we ship them to us, if we see that Italy and France have better foods and wines, we ship them to us. If we see that the Middle East has oil, we go after it. All these things we long for, yet it isn't readily available in our own country, much like healthcare.
Another interesting thing, in France it is MANDATORY for people to take a MINIMUM of FIVE weeks off work, if employed by a large employer [you must take it] and you are rightly compensated for it. The difference between France and America, in France the government fears the people, in America the people fear the government.
Oh and by the way, my candidate Ron Paul is for protecting the 2nd amendment...!!!!!
darrick_04: Have you considered moving to France? Sounds like it's your Utopia...
Nope, is that all you got now? "Move to France!" LOL, typical response when you have been proven wrong.
No I'm not wrong - just look in the mirror.
I LOVE THE UNITED STATES! I LOVE DEMOCRACY!
I don't want the U.S. to become another France, Sweden or another mediocre country with a Socialist/Communist form of government. I believe in the Bill of Rights and our Constitution and I enjoy my freedoms.
I want to be able to earn as much money as I can and I don't want income redistribution. I want to own my own home; I don't want to live in a Commune.
I want the U.S. to become even STRONGER and I want to live in PEACE!
If you don't agree, so be it - that's what makes the USA SO GREAT!!
Darrick: The more power that the people hand over to the federal government; the more they will control our lives. You state that you're a supporter of Ron Paul (as am I), but Dr. Paul is not a supporter of more government control. Socialist (universal) healthcare would only succeed in handing over more control of our lives and rights. If individual states want to enact this, that is their right (per the Constitution), but the federal government has no right to imbed themselves into this facet of our lives. As a supporter of Dr. Paul, one would think that you would want the federal government involved as little as possible in our daily lives.
I'm still wondering how the major media outlets can justify discounting a candidate that has successfully drawn significant support from both Democrat and Republican voters. I'm just assuming that Darrick is NOT a Republican...and I'm betting that you folks can guess that I'm not a Democrat.
Just because I am a supporter of Ron Paul, doesn't mean I agree with every single thing he says, Thom.
I'm neither a Democrat nor a Republican, but what I find so laughable is that the Republicans claim to be this "godly party" and if you vote against them, then somehow you are just a horrible sinner...
Well obviously the Republicans forgot to read a few scriptures [more like the ones that just don't want to accept]...
{ Leviticus 25:35-36 }
" If your brother becomes poor, you are responsible to help him; invite him to live with you as a guest in your home. Fear your God and let your brother live with you; and don't charge him interest on money you lend him. Remember -- no interest; and give him what he needs, at your cost: don't try to make a profit! "
Far from blaming the victims of poverty and the like for their plight, as Conservatives tend to do, the great prophets of the bible usually blame those with power over the weak for those ills and expect the community as a whole to redress what they perceive as injustices.
Their isn't POWER in giving people healthcare, it is pure necessity.. The more power you give to corporation whose MAIN goal is to earn a profit, then of course you will continue to have SICK American's who DIE in a "FREE" country, when they can be CURED in others. If you take profit out of medicine and other affairs you then get better results. Why? Hmm, well it's really simple, how do drug companies and insurance companies make money??? They give you treatments that only dilute the side effects [so you buy more medicines, that don't cure you] and the insurance companies thrive when people die, are hurt, or have everything they owned destroyed. It seems like a nice gesture to be insured, but for many millions of people they insurance isn't there when you need it.
So no, I don't want to live in a socialist culture, but the only people that have you scared of that are the Neo-Cons who LOVE to have ALL the power. What a contradiction!
When I was a young whipper snapper (about 30 years ago) I was a Democrat, but then I woke up and realized that the Democratic Party was actually Socialist in disguise.
So I switched and even though the Republican Party has its problems, it's still better than the alternative!
But anyways, this thread isn't about all that, it is about the right to bear arms... So if you want to continue this debate, I don't want to be accused of hi-jacking a thread. "Someone" could start another topic.
Have a nice day, ttyl.
I agree wholeheartedly with Thom - the more power the government has the more control it has over the people.
Again, read the books "Brave New World" and "1984" both of which describe a society completely controlled by Government...
The power, in my opinion, comes from allowing the federal government to control healthcare. If they don't want you healthy, you won't be. I truly believe that the healthcare industry needs to be overhauled, but allowing the federal government to control it is not the answer. I'm not saying that I know the answer, but I know that's not it. I'm not saying that sick people shouldn't be allowed to get better. The hospitals have made the "bottom line" their goal, and that's not right. It is sad that the majority of healthcare "professionals" go into that field because of the money, not to help others.
EXACTLY Thom, but when that happens is when the government is supposed to protect the people. All too often people forget WE elected THEM, they are working for US.
Puppydinks I just don't see how you think government regulated healthcare is any worse than any other government controlled institution, like mail and emergency services... You want the government to police the world and control the media, but the one good thing they could help control is health. If private companies will not insure American's, it is the responsibility of the government to protect its citizens.
Thom, the only alternative we will ever see, will be when not for profit institutions such as government FORCE multi billion dollar corporations to dominate the most crucial mechanism of survivial, HEALTH.
that should read "FORCE multi billion dollar corporations *WHO dominate the most crucial mechanism of survival, HEALTH, to lower prices and premiums."
Puppydinks, please provide an alternative then... Name atleast 10 GOOD things that have been to your benefit as a U.S. citizen, in the last 7 years... Just 10.
WAR? AND THE LIE THAT GOT US THERE
NATION BUILDING [even though Bush said he would NEVER do that]?
HOUSING MARKET DISASTER?
MORE BANKRUPTCY THAN EVER?
A CURRENT RECESSION?
PATRIOT ACT?
ILLEGAL WIRETAPPING?
RECORD HIGH OIL PRICES?
HIGH INFLATION?
LOWEST VALUE OF THE DOLLAR IN HISTORY?
50,000,000 people in the richest country in the world without health, INCLUDING KIDS...
4,000 DEAD AMERICANS [for oil]
STOCK MARKET FRAUD
HALIBURTON
ENRON FRAUD
VETERANS WITH NO CARE
AMPUTEES HAVING TO GO BACK TO WAR
LOWEST ENLISTMENT EVER
ARTHUR ANDERSEN FRAUD
A PRESIDENT WHO WAS HANDED AN ELECTION BY THE COURTS, NOT THE PEOPLE
PROVEN VOTER FRAUD
SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE TO PROVE THE TWIN TOWERS COULDN'T HAVE FALLEN SO FAST, UNLESS OF COURSE THEY WERE "SET UP" TO DO SO.
REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMEN VOTING AGAINST GAY MARRIAGE, BUT HAVING SEX WITH BOYS.
THE WORST ANTI-AMERICAN FEELINGS ALL AROUND THE WORLD, because YOUR president thinks the best way to make peace is to blow a country to pieces...
I love your alternative, but America gave the Republican party one in November 2006. None of those issues should be political. Disease, Poverty, Death they all have on thing in common, it doesn't matter WHAT party you belong to, but what DOES MATTER is which one will be there for the people, not the rich.
With that, I am done. Good riddance.
I just want to ask all the Republicans and Democrats who think it the governments job to help the people one question.... What would Jesus do?
{ Isaiah 1:17 }
" Learn to do good, to be fair and to help the poor, the fatherless, and widows."
{ Proverbs 14:31 }
" Anyone who oppresses the poor is insulting God who made them. To help the poor is to honor God."
{ Proverbs 19:17 }
" When you help the poor you are lending to the Lord -- and he pays wonderful interest on your loan!"
{ Matthew 25 }
"When I, the Messiah, shall come in glory, and all the angels with me, then I shall sit upon my throne of glory. And all the nations shall be gathered before me. And I will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and place the sheep at my right hand, and the goats at my left.
Then I, the King, shall say to those at my right, "Come, blessed of my Father, into the Kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world. For I was hungry and you fed me; I was thirsty and you gave me water; I was a stranger and you invited me into your homes; naked and you clothed me; sick and in prison, and you visited me."
Then these righteous ones will reply, "Sir, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you anything to drink? Or a stranger, and help you? Or naked, and clothe you? When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?" And I, the King, will tell them, "When you did it to these my brothers you were doing it to me!"
Then I will turn to those on my left and say, "Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry and you wouldn't feed me; thirsty, and you wouldn't give me anything to drink; a stranger, and you refused me hospitality; naked, and you wouldn't clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn't visit me."
Then they will reply, "Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?"
And I will answer, "When you refused to help the least of these my brothers, you were refusing help to me." And they shall go away into eternal punishment; but the righteous into everlasting life."
How can you claim to be a Christian [which is the message the Republicans want you to think] and then deny people in the exact way Jesus said not to?
I'll leave the rest for your conscious to figure out.
Remember 911? Have we been attacked since?
Do you want a Government Employee to be your Doctor?
Government sponsored healthcare should not be forced down our collective throats. It should only be available for people who can't get health insurance. Other than that leave the rest of us alone!
But nooooo - the Democrats want COMPLETE AND TOTAL CONTROL of "healthcare" and weed out the chronically ill and the elderly who would cost the government too much money.
As Thom says, once government controls healthcare, it will open the door for more government control in our lives.
Then the next biggie will be registration & confiscation of guns - and U.N control!
So I see you have no answer to the long list of things I mentioned.. and you had no response to what has been a benefit to you...
And why haven't we had another 9/11? because Bush and the Neo-cons are already at war, therefore they don't have to sell fear to the American people.
Hey darrick, you should tell them...
As soon as they quit telling lies about the Democrats, we'll stop telling the truth about Republicans!
BTW - I gotta go see my stockbroker and check my Halliburton stock - I think it's about to go thru the roof!!
Oh, yeah, my Exxon stock is really setting records!
I think I'll also raise the rent on those ungrateful renters too while I'm at it!
Times are tough!
Typical Conservative, only care about you and yours... I noticed you haven't addressed many of the things Darrick said. About the only thing you can do is make a mockary of serious issues, yet again typical conservative stance.
It's unfortunate you comedy in companies that make money of off dead soldiers, and rape consumers at the gas pumps. It's ok, those corporations love the sheeple... or should I say "goat" who will be cast out of heaven.
I just want to ask all the Republicans and Democrats who think it the governments job to help the people one question.... What would Jesus do?
-- Posted by darrick_04 on Mon, Jan 14, 2008, at 10:09 AM
Ask the Roman Senate to pass legislation?
I don't think the question here should be are we obligated to help people but is more government the right way to do it. Big government is how we got in this mess to start with.
Darrick, to answer your questions, I've done a little bit of research, but not nearly enough to do most of it justice. And some of these answers are simply my opinions.
WAR? AND THE LIE THAT GOT US THERE -- Actually, whatever the reason for going in to oust Saddam Hussein, someone needed to do this. It kind of goes back to the whole "helping the poor" thing. Basically, he was a bully to his people and we, as a more powerful (big brother) went in and made sure that he and his sons never did that again. Now, should we still be there? Probably not, but that's more the fault of the new Iraqi government not stepping up to the plate to take charge. If we were to have simply pulled out, leaving a power vacuum, someone probably just as bad as Saddam would have stepped in.
NATION BUILDING [even though Bush said he would NEVER do that]? - Not entirely sure what you're talking about here.
HOUSING MARKET DISASTER? - stupid people making stupid decisions. Government can't help that...and shouldn't.
MORE BANKRUPTCY THAN EVER? -- (see above)
A CURRENT RECESSION? -- What recession? I don't see no stinking recession.
PATRIOT ACT? -- This one should be repealed ASAP. It was passed at a time that our people were still in shock about what happened on Sept. 11th, 2001, and I doubt very seriously that even half of the "representatives" that voted for this bothered to read it.
ILLEGAL WIRETAPPING? -- Isn't this part of the "Patriot Act"?
RECORD HIGH OIL PRICES? -- record high oil prices are more the doing of a monopoly called OPEC than it is anything else, since they're the ones saying they're going to cut production until they get "x" amount of dollars per barrel.
HIGH INFLATION? -- According to the FED(I hate those people), the inflation rate for 2007 is estimated to be 2.4%. The average for the past 50 years is 4.084%, so I don't think 2.4 is so high.
LOWEST VALUE OF THE DOLLAR IN HISTORY? $ -vs- £ 03 Jan, 2008: 0.506765 -- 06 FEB 1991: 0.50025 The dollar is low, but not the lowest in history.
50,000,000 people in the richest country in the world without health, INCLUDING KIDS... 303,234,456 (as of 1:27pm today CST. Per the US Census Bureau). $45,593 per capita income (per the IMF: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/.... That tells me that most people are more concerned with their Hummers, BMWs, Escalades, and McMansions than they are with healthcare for their families.
4,000 DEAD AMERICANS [for oil] -- technically, it's not quite 4,000, but close enough, it's still the lowest number of casualties we've had in a war (with the exception of the invasion of Grenada).
STOCK MARKET FRAUD -- Please explain how the federal government is the cause of this…
HALIBURTON -- you've got me there, Dick should be ashamed.
ENRON FRAUD -- I fail to see how these individuals' greed had anything to do with the government
VETERANS WITH NO CARE -- ALL veterans are able to get healthcare at the VA. Sometimes it's not the most expedient or the best care available, but it is healthcare that is run by the GOVERNMENT…back to that topic.
AMPUTEES HAVING TO GO BACK TO WAR ??? What?
LOWEST ENLISTMENT EVER -- This is mainly due to the anti-war sentiment that is preached at most schools (because most teachers are liberal and don't endorse the military anyway…EVER.
ARTHUR ANDERSEN FRAUD -- again, you're blaming the federal government for individuals' greed and stupidity?
A PRESIDENT WHO WAS HANDED AN ELECTION BY THE COURTS, NOT THE PEOPLE -- The President was elected by the ELECTORAL COLLEGE…some people have no idea how the election process works.
PROVEN VOTER FRAUD -- See New Hampshire primary where Ron Paul had "no" votes in certain hand-counted precincts and Clinton had significantly higher votes than the polls showed, in precincts that used the Diebold scanners. The election process definitely needs to be looked into.
SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE TO PROVE THE TWIN TOWERS COULDN'T HAVE FALLEN SO FAST, UNLESS OF COURSE THEY WERE "SET UP" TO DO SO. -- I'm not convinced that the federal government was totally caught unawares by this attack, but I still find it hard to believe that they would have planned it.
REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMEN VOTING AGAINST GAY MARRIAGE, BUT HAVING SEX WITH BOYS. -- Not ONE of these men ever tried to marry these boys.
THE WORST ANTI-AMERICAN FEELINGS ALL AROUND THE WORLD, because YOUR president thinks the best way to make peace is to blow a country to pieces. -- This is not necessarily so. How many countries have you been to? I've been to 26 and I've not run into an overwhelming amount of this. Sure, most of the Arab nations don't like us, but most of them don't like each other. Have you ever been there? It's 120 degrees in the daytime and it gets hotter at night with 95% humidity…I don't blame them for being angry all of the time. Even so, I only encountered three people in my three separate visits to Dubai or Bahrain that exhibited strong anti-American sentiments.
Devan, exactly, more government control is NOT the answer. Rather than ask "What would Jesus do?", maybe some of these people should be asking, "What can I do?" If more people start doing this, then our nation will continue to be the greatest nation in the history of the world.
The problem with health care and health insurance in America should be addressed by each state and should involve the national government as little as possible. It is my belief that many of the problems our country is dealing with today should be state problems. I want as little government involvement in my life as possible. If I had a problem with the laws in one state, I could simply pack up and move to a state where I felt happy. How powerful would that be, to have 50 independent experiments in democracy running at the same time? If we would follow the tenth amendment and remove this imaginary power that our US Congress and President has created for itself, we might just find the America that the framers envisioned and not this mismanaged, overtaxed, and in debt mess that it slowly dividing its people instead of uniting them.
I have many good friends who have traveled all over the world in official capacity (Federal Government employees) and ALL will tell you that the U.S. is the GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD!
NONE of them have any desire whatsoever to live elsewhere and practically kiss the ground when they arrive home.
I wish that all you naysayers would realize how good you've got it here!
Thnks Thom. I was working on those but you did it better that I could have.
I wish that all you naysayers would realize how good you've got it here!
-- Posted by puppydinks on Mon, Jan 14, 2008, at 4:27 PM
Well, fortunately for you, I don't think of just how good I have it in the U.S., we are the "UNITED STATES" of America, therefore just because I am well taken care of, doesn't mean everyone is as fortunate. I am afraid, you are spreading a very dangerous message, that we should only care about ourselves without realizing the impact it has on the entire nation. It is what Jesus would want, for me to look after my brother who is less fortunate, to cloth him when he is naked, feed him when he is hungry and take care of him when he's sick. But all the so-called Christian's who represent the Republican Party, don't believe that way. Tell me how is it possible to claim to be such a religious group of people and only care about yourself? If only we had the heart to save our own people with our own money, rather than erroneously spending it in foreign disasters...
WAR? AND THE LIE THAT GOT US THERE -- The SOLE reason given for the invasion of Iraq was to disarm Saddam of the weapons we sold him. Should we still be there, NOPE. Wrong diagnosis, stop the uneffective treatment.
NATION BUILDING [even though Bush said he would NEVER do that]? - Mr. Bush's own words Thom in the 2000 presidential election debates... "And so I don't think our troops ought to be used for what's called nation-building.
I think our troops ought to be used to fight and win war. I think our troops ought to be used to help overthrow a dictator that's in our and it's in our when it's in our best interests.
But in this case, it was a nation-building exercise. And same with Haiti, I wouldn't have supported either."
HOUSING MARKET DISASTER? Excuse me, the government sets the rates at which consumers pay to borrow the funds... thus depreciating the houses values. Once those "sub-prime" loans were taken off the shelf, the people couldn't afford to live above their means anymore, much like in the 1920s.
MORE BANKRUPTCY THAN EVER? -- Not the governments fault, never said it was, just so happens that this crisis happened when the Neo Cons were in power
A CURRENT RECESSION? -- Housing market DOWN, auto sales DOWN, Retail sales DOWN, Gas prices UP, Inflation UP, Jobless claims UP, United States federal deficit 9,000,000,000,000+ AND counting...
PATRIOT ACT? -- This one should be repealed ASAP. It was passed at a time that our people were still in shock about what happened on Sept. 11th, 2001, and I doubt very seriously that even half of the "representatives" that voted for this bothered to read it.
ILLEGAL WIRETAPPING? -- Isn't this part of the "Patriot Act"? SURE IS... but it is the most legally challenged part of it too. Part of giving MORE executive power to Bush, a power not warranted by the Constitution.
RECORD HIGH OIL PRICES? -- yeah OPEC, but we deal with the Saudi royalty who are a large terrorist organization. All they have to do is stop sending us oil and the entire economy would be useless. It is the governments fault for waiting until the situation was so bleek to begin looking for alternative energy.
HIGH INFLATION? -- According to the FED(I hate those people), the inflation rate for 2007 is estimated to be 2.4%. The average for the past 50 years is 4.084%, so I don't think 2.4 is so high.--- YES, but inflation being that low, seems modest until you consider real wages haven't increased with it, therefore inflation now is much more detrimental than the last 50 years, when wages rose along with it, thus altering the effect...
LOWEST VALUE OF THE DOLLAR IN HISTORY? We print more currency with less gold to back it, it is depreciating rapidly... Kinda like the Confederates who printed greenbacks, that were worth nothing.
50,000,000 people in the richest country in the world without health, INCLUDING KIDS... it's not about the one's who are blessed, it's about helping those who are actually trying to provide for their families and get no benefits for it.. [myself excluded]
4,000 DEAD AMERICANS [for oil] -- technically, it's not quite 4,000, but close enough, it's still the lowest number of casualties we've had in a war (with the exception of the invasion of Grenada).--- And it's also the most technologically advanced war we've ever fought, so one death is too many Thom.
STOCK MARKET FRAUD -- The federal government dictates interest rates, interest rates cuts or increases send stocks tumbling or soaring... it is a co-existing relationship that the FED should not have control over...
HALIBURTON -- you've got me there, Dick should be ashamed. Of course he should just like Donald Rumsfield and the Neo Cons should for shaking Saddam's hand two years before I was born, and calling him an ally... The United States, doing business as usual turned a friendly nation into a staunch foe, and for what reason?
ENRON FRAUD -- This is a CORPORATION that caused blackouts in California and charged the citizens of that state quadruple the normal amount for energy... Why? Because they were selling stock at rates that were inflated and fake and the SEC didn't investigate until a "whistleblower" came forth.... Also "Since the start of Mr George W. Bush's career in politics, the largest donor to his electoral campaigns has been a man named Kenneth Lay. "Kenny Boy" is how Mr Bush often referred to his friend, indicating the warm and intimate relation between the two. Recently, though, Mr Bush does not return Kenny Boy's phone calls. In fact, he would rather not acknowledge that he knows Mr Lay. The reason? The company of which Mr Lay was president, Enron, has just crashed in the largest and most spectacular bankruptcy in American history."
VETERANS WITH NO CARE -- 20% of all veterans live on the streets of America, and the healthcare they get is Government regulated, but when you don't fund it, of course it's going to be horrible.
AMPUTEES HAVING TO GO BACK TO WAR ???
It's as simple as searching "amputees going back to war" you'd be amazed...
LOWEST ENLISTMENT EVER -- This is mainly due to the anti-war sentiment that is preached at most schools (because most teachers are liberal and don't endorse the military anyway)…EVER. ---Right, where in the South is there a liberal school? Few and far between...
ARTHUR ANDERSEN FRAUD -- "Enron's accounting firm, Arthur Anderson Inc., had difficulty explaining how it gave a clean bill of health to a company that later revealed it had all sorts of hidden losses. In a stunning development, it was revealed that after the civil investigation of the accounting process was announced, Anderson had shredded documents and erased computer files about the accounting at Enron."
"The Republican Party, which had the responsibility in the recent past of passing legislation that would ease Enron's path into the shady side of business, received $1.2 million in the 2000 election. The Democratic Party, which under President Clinton had supervised the laws and policies that Enron often wanted changed so that it could flourish, received $500,000. Mr Bush received $113,800 from Enron."
A PRESIDENT WHO WAS HANDED AN ELECTION BY THE COURTS, NOT THE PEOPLE -- The electoral college was useful when 75% of the population was in roughly 4 or 5 states, that is no longer the case, and it should be revised....
PROVEN VOTER FRAUD -- See New Hampshire primary where Ron Paul had "no" votes in certain hand-counted precincts and Clinton had significantly higher votes than the polls showed, in precincts that used the Diebold scanners. The election process definitely needs to be looked into.--- AGREED!
SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE TO PROVE THE TWIN TOWERS COULDN'T HAVE FALLEN SO FAST, UNLESS OF COURSE THEY WERE "SET UP" TO DO SO. -- Watch "Loose Change"... and it's evident that the firefighters on the ground are documented as saying it sounded like explosions.. IF the government has nothing to hide, then why did they destroy or confiscate the evidence? Because without evidence no one could ever convict them....
REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMEN VOTING AGAINST GAY MARRIAGE, BUT HAVING SEX WITH BOYS. -- Not ONE of these men ever tried to marry these boys. --- It still makes them hypocrites and liars... It's like saying you're for civil rights, but denying blacks the right to go to school...
THE WORST ANTI-AMERICAN FEELINGS ALL AROUND THE WORLD. --- Have you seen the protest in Europe? South America? and Asia? Yeah, it's not only Middle Eastern decendants... Oh and a few places in Africa, where the people are undergoing genecide, but the U.S. can't help b/c, again, it's much easier to destroy, rebuild, and arm a country than it is to truly save one.