News of the day

Finnforest wrote: Everybody's wound up about some righties getting involved in Texas.  Yeah, because Lord knows, the Liberal viewpoint is so under-represented in our public education system.   Our schools and universities are just bastions of right wing idealogy, liberal students are being muzzled throughout our colleges and denied the liberal viewpoints I'm not following the Texas thing, perhaps it didn't follow procedure, but I think generally it is pretty safe to say most public school systems in this country are not having right-wing ideology shoved down their throats.  Far from it.

And your first grader can always read about little gay penguins adopting.

Finnforest wrote: Dean wrote: ^ no one's wound up about it. Don't get wound up Dean, it's a figure of speech.  Meant light-heartedly.  I didn't mean you guys were seriously ragin.

Henry Plainview wrote: Dean wrote: ^ no one's wound up about it. You guys aren't, but there are some people who are really pissed about this. On the one hand, teh sad, but on the other hand, I don't really feel that the US government owes her money for college. Especially as I am facing a bit of an onerous burdern for college myself, as my dad makes too much money for me to qualify for scholarships but he's unable to really help me becuase my sister is also going to college and our mortgage is thousands of dollars underwater...

Not to sound like a dick, but people treat illegal immigration like it's just a matter of "what's the big deal?  These folks are here, let them be.  Plus they do jobs no one else does."

The big problem is that illegal immigrants can live here with no social security number and pay zero federal taxes, then have children who are by birth American citizens and can go to public schools and get student loans and even grants.

I find it incredibly ironic that many liberals call for major amnesty but at the same time spout this rhetoric about "everyone paying their fair share."

Oil is strangling the Gulf
 Can we save the fragile eco-system?

 Link

 Excerpt:
Scientists are finding enormous oil plumes in the deep waters of the Gulf, including one as large as 
10 miles long, 3 miles wide and 300 feet thick in spots. The discovery is fresh evidence that the leak 
could be substantially worse than estimates that the government and BP have given.

“There’s a shocking amount of oil in the deep water, relative to what you see in the surface water,” said Samantha Joye,
a researcher at the University of Georgia who is involved in one of the first scientific missions to gather details about changes 
in the gulf. “There’s a tremendous amount of oil in multiple layers, three or four or five layers deep in the water column.”

The plumes are depleting the oxygen dissolved in the gulf, worrying scientists, who fear that the oxygen level
could eventually fall so low as to kill off much of the sea life near the plumes.

Dr. Joye said the oxygen had already dropped 30 percent near some of the plumes in the month since the spill.
"If this keeps up, it could draw the oxygen down to very low levels that are dangerous to animals in a couple of months,"
she said. 'That is alarming.'"

Oil could foul Florida Keys, East Coast

 Link

 Excerpt:
ABP said Monday more than 80% of the spilled oil was getting past them and further fouling the Gulf
as worries escalated that the ooze could carry through the Florida Keys and up the East Coast.

As engineers worked to get a better handle on the spill, a researcher told The ... AP that the oil 
may have already seeped into a powerful water stream known as the loop current, which could propel it 
into the Atlantic Ocean. A boat is being sent later this week to collect samples and learn more.


Edited by Slartibartfast - May 18 2010 at 18:02

I think most Americans just want the Feds to do their damn job and enforce our borders.  In every other country in the world, it is just naturally assumed that sovereign countries would monitor and guard their borders, allowing immigration in whatever measured way they see fit.  Only in the US are we racists because we want our Govt  to do their job.  I'm guessing even Mexico enforces their other border, in fact I've heard they do so rather aggressively from folks coming up from the other side.  I certainly respect their right to, regardless. 

Most citizens do not care about skin color Teo, that is something the protesters push because it's a conveniently way to label (and smear) citizens who only want the law enforced for numerous good reasons.  Honestly, if there were waves of whites coming down from the other border for the same reasons, just as a hypothetical, you'd have US workers and citizens with the same concerns we currently do about Mexico.  So it is not about skin color....its about behaviour and respecting any countries right to have its laws obeyed, Mexico included. 

The T wrote: I think many Americans may want that, but many [not "many", a small minority] others are moved by pure racism. When was the last time you saw a black/brown/yellow/etc person in an anti-immigration rally (not to mention the tea-party movement).  I really don't think many Americans would protest so harshly if there were waves of Canadians or any other Caucasian group coming illegally to the US through its borders. I may be wrong,[I think you are, I would feel exactly the same if the people doing this were white or had gummi-bears for skin] but what I've seen and read makes me believe so.  [the desire the vast majority of citizens have for a fair and workable immigration program with Mexico has nothing to do with race, and it infuriates me that I even have to say that.  the issue of race has been shamefully exploited here, and it should piss off Mexican-Americans more than anyone.  And you are starting to hear those who did it the right way come forward and express themselves, we need more to do that.] And, by the way, I'm not Mexican. Not everybody who is from south of the border is Mexican.[Where did I say that?]  Not everybody who is here as an illegal immigrant is Mexican, also. [Never said that either] Mexico is just the biggest natural border with the US and of course the source of most of illegal immigration, but from all latitudes

I am SO frustrated about the issue of race and the use of racism on this issue and others....but it's just too big of an issue to get into for me in a venue where I have to type.  I can't express what I need to express without being able to look the other person in the eye and speak from the heart.  But this issue of what is truly racism and how it is so easily applied to large groups of people who do not deserve it and are factually NOT racists will someday have to be tackled.  (not pinning this on you specifically Teo, rather talking about all of us)
Suffice to say the use of the race charge should offend people of every color, as they are desensitizing the public from the very serious problem when it truly does need action.  It's a very severe offense that is allowed to be floated too often without being challenged.  I see it all the time in news media web commentary and it stuns me.  I agree that the AZ law is not the way the problem is best solved.  But for so many people to label anyone who believes we have the right to a secure border and a right to curtail the massive scale illegal crossing of that border as racist, is wrong, morally and factually.   Every country has the right and the duty to do the job the citizens ask through their laws.  In this case, the Feds refuse to.  That does not mean they can't, it just means they don't have the will.  This hurts all of us, and no one more than the people from other countries who try to follow the rules and come here legally. 
OK I gotta stop.  Again, this is not at you Teo, you were just standing at the bar when I went into rant mode.

Is this Country named America purpously creating this as to create a socialist sort of way? I find "Illegals" to be honest and hard-working, I don't Mind them. As to corporate Us..look out. T.V. seems to enjoy all this at election time. Everything's good and bad at the same time. Kinda like a microwave dinner. I believe a War is on what was that Ozzy song 'Goodbye to Romance"

or Paris