DebateGate

Quote from: Stray Pooch on August 22, 2010, 09:34:02 AM

"Whenever I feel afraid, I hold my head erect
And whistle a happy tune so no one will suspect
I'm afraid."


well the cats out of the bag now. now I just need to know what you consider a happy tune to be?

lol. 
How about that 2012 hit "Na na na, Hey Hey Hey, Goodbye!"

Yeah, Joe Biden isn't quite as appealing as Deborah Kerr, is he?

Aside from values choices, this might be a matter of self-preservation.  The emotions around this are extremely high.  I wouldn't at all be surprised to see acts of violence and sabotage associated with the building process.  I think the unions would be wise to let this one play out and leave the choice up to individuals - a novel concept for unions but perhaps most expedient in this case.

Is there a nice way to erect a swasticka over a Jewish graveyard?

Lets say you make it clear that the swasticka is actually a Bhuddist swasticka and not a Natzi swasticka at all , your motives have nothing to do with offending the visitors to the graveyard , none at all.


Feel free to substite a star of David or cross over a Muslim grave yard or a Yellowjacket over the grave of Uga IV or whatever works to fit the particular situation , as long as the general principal is that no one owes any consideration to the emotions of anyone elese, what are we , our brothers keeper?

False analogy, Plane.  The correct analogy would be can you erect a GERMAN flag near a Jewish cemetary.  Or perhaps more specifically, could you place a GERMAN cultural center near Auschwitz?  Not all Germans are Nazis.  Not all Muslims are Al Quaeda.  The very fact that you and Sirs use this association is strong evidence that the motivation here is prejudice.  Sirs similarly states (to paraphrase) that Muslims are associated with terrorism because Al Quada committed terrorism in the name of that faith.  This is no more valid than saying Christians are associated with terrorism because of abortion clinic bombers or Mormons are associated with polygamist sects in Texas.  Each of these associations are real, and each is equally unjustified.  They are based not on rational understanding but emotional misunderstanding.  Personally, I think that conforming your actions to the false perceptions of others in order to be "sensitive" is just like caving to other forms of political correctness.   

In fact, erecting a Muslim cultural center near ground zero is a very logical move for an organization that wants to fight the perception that Islam supports terrorism.  It makes sense to go to the literal "scene of the crime" to present the message that Islam does NOT want to endorse the act.  Where better to reach out, day-to-day, to average citizens, tourists and others who see only the face of Muslim extremism in front of them?   I understand that people don't WANT them there, but that is entirely a function of prejudice.  There is no more validity to the emotional outrage against Islam in this country than there is to the common perception among Muslims that America is out to persecute and destroy them.  If we assume that the cultural center and Mosque are exactly what they claim to be, there is no moral or ethical reason not to build it there.  It may be unwise, but only in the sense that it is was unwise for a black man to march in protests in the south, or for a schoolteacher to wear a cross around her neck, or for a gay man to come out of the closet.   A lot of people will protest about it, and it may cost you.  But freedom isn't free. 

If the group compromises and moves the location, it would be a gesture of goodwill and speak loudly to the issue of Muslim cooperation in the community.  But I suspect that, rather than acknowledge that, the opponents of the Mosque will hail it as a victory for freedom against extremism.  It would be exactly the opposite.

OK, seriously, that woman needed to be arrested.  This guy went too far when he pulled the chute, but I still think the guy ought to get a mulligan.  If he was gonna commit career suicide and get arrested he should have punched the moron out. 

Lately, I have had the urge to tell a couple of clients where to get off - with or without an emergency chute - and it is only the bad economy and what's left of my common sense that keeps me from doing it.

Umm, in Portland you have to have a permit to put the gaskget between the toilet and the floor, meaning, you cannot change out a toilet without a permit.
You technically have to get permission and a permit to plant a tree in your yard as well.  Few do, but they can fine you for it.
The Pacific NW is full of nets that run the government offices.  But then again, Portland is nearly as liberal as San Francisco. 

mirstnkim!!!!!!  Long time no hear!!! Nice to hear from you.

Wow , that calls for a significant award!

Why does it suddenly feel like Christmas around here?






[/quote]

I do not know how many civil rights laws were passed, but LBJ did pass the most significant ones.

Webb is a Republican, and knows that the Blacks are mostly all Democrats (because they do not like people like him), so he takes the extreme position to raise funds and solidify his base. If there are White racists in Virginia, they will vote for him. If there are kluxers in Virginia, he is sure to get their vote.

Wow.  You just made the most uninformed analysis I have seen on this site.  You might want to come down here to Virginia and research your facts a little bit.  The above quoted statement is factually incorrect and conjecturally muddled.  We Virginia Republicans don't go around voting for DEMOCRATs.  Webb started his career by being rude to President Bush and mouthing democratic nonsense off until he began to realize that Virginia's population wasn't behind him.  He rode a wave of cyclical anti-Republican sentiment into office and took it to mean the bulk of this Red state were behind him. To be honest, I have seen Webb shift quite a bit to the right since he took office.  I'm pretty sure it has a lot to do with the fact that he knows he has to actually win on merit the next time around.  Even with this diatribe the chances any of the ultra-right wing people in this state will vote for him are exactly nil.  As for the moderate right, he hasn't got much chance either.  The right isn't fooled - and the center has seen enough of him in office to not be fooled again.  That leaves his Democratic base which, UH-OH, includes a lot of black people. 

Here's the thing.    I understand there is a difference between reading Nabokov and looking at child porn.  But the fact is, there IS such a thing as obscenity.  Pornography, in any form, has a lot of damaging effects on people and on society.  There is, right now, a thriving child porn industry that DOESN'T go away.  There are children and adults being abused sexually and recorded on film.  Now that industry exists because demand exists.  I see no reason NOT to examine this material and determine whether it meets the legal definition of obscentiy (scant though that definition is).  I know that the libertarian/liberal viewpoint says the government has no business controlling "victimless" behavior, but the issue of pornography (like the drug issue) goes far beyond the actions of consenting adults in "victimless" crimes.

I'm not even going to bother to go into battle on this issue, because I've heard it all before.  But the fact is, some things are wrong and ought to be discouraged.  There is a responsibility to protect freedom by using it appropriately.