kvnchrist

I never said it was rational, but you must do everything in your power to keep the lines of discussion open. Fear is something that builds upon itself and if you make fun of others, at their own expense then you sufficiently seperate them from yourself and drive them back into the arms of those who would embrase that fear in an attempt to radicalize them for their own ends. Ebola is something foreign to America and we are quite well known for our lack of attention to things off our shore. It is one of the few realities that anger me about my fellow countrymen. It seems there is a part of our society that deems the rest of the world as unnecessary and stands ready, illing and able to pat themselves on their own backs, just because they dropped out of their mamas womb within our borders. These people are the ones that are ripe for the piking, from those on the fringe and it is the fear of them loosing control of their situation that leads us to the debate we are now having. Freedom in this country is something that is almost a religion to some people and it's that ideal of freedom that drives much of this craziness. People have this delusion of personal power that is relatively impotent, but when you take the issue to them, they will get seriously unhenged in their responses. These are the people who have coated their existance with an cloak of sentiments about individuality that shrinks everyday in proportion to the intrusion within their lives of the rest of the world. It radically rocks their world and gives them the sense that they are loosing control of something they really had no control over in the first place. This is what, in realty is what is happening to the country and what is at the heart of the controversy between the left and the right. All that has been familiar to those who strive for the comfortable, the familiar and what has worked throughout their lives have been assaulted by those who wish to take America in a new direction. It is these birth pains that are the most destructive to the well being of society and this entrance of Ebola into our society is just another symbolic brick in the coffin of those who look at change with animosity. I am a firm believer in human nature and I believe that laughing at other fears separates them from us and separating human beings from other human beings almost always leads to something far more dangerous than the original issue. We must reach out to others with our strengths and deal with them as human beings on an equal basis. If not then we are apart of the problem, not the solution.

Actually, I remember in February one such poster who had started numerous left-leaning threads got a 60-day ban on the forums for her actions in the debates section. She hasn't been back since. I think you are talking about Colourwheel. Yeah, she had a way about setting up a debate by stacking the deck. I talked with her extensively over the pm system . I think she let her passion get out of hand. As far as the staff here, they have opinions, as we all do, but I've not seen them play favorites, which is the hallmark of a perjudice forum. Believe me, I have walked away from many a forum that caters to the fringe and hve lost touch with many an interesting person along the way.

I If the dems were trying to take away from the effects of capitalism, why did they not just give us universal health care and be done with it? Why did they talk about insurgence companies and then leave these companies in charge of administrating it? Why did the Pharmaceutical companies have a seat at the table, when the ACA was created? Why did they not look for help from those countries who have had national health care for decades and had worked through their kinks? This idea that this was so important to those who brung it to us, seems to fall flat against the reality of how it showed it's face. If I had passed a law which was so important to me, I think I would have followed it around like a baby of mine and would know far ahead of time the status of everything even remotly attributed to it. Did Welfare, medicare and go through the same birth pains as the ACA?

Peoples fears must be taken seriously or people will find others to take them seriously. This is how extremist are made. Even when those fears are artificially overblown by our 'leaders'? Especially so. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink. You can also ween them off the drivel that these leaders are feeding them, when they begin looking around and see where these leaders have lead them as opposed to where we are. It might take decades and some ma never unshackle the bonds of dependency, but the truth is something that can not be hidden for long.

I spent about two hours today looking at your posts and those associated with them and I think I have an answer. At one time (2012) there was a core group of Liberal leaning people who dominated the debate threads. As much as I hate to say this (being a Liberal myself), they engaged in some shifty tactics that resulted in the internet take-down mentality. Even worse, in a few instances the staff here sided with them. Not only did this core group attack Conservatives, they also attacked other Liberals, or anyone who didn't agree with them. The people this core targeted left and took the debate spirit with them. Then this core faded away but the damage had already been done. This is all just my opinion, but I did my research and that is my conclusion. Thank you for this, but I don't beleve these people are liberals or conservatives. They are ideologues who can't stand the idea of others discussing what they themselves have determined is above the scrutiny of others. It is this attitude that feeds their anger because they deem themselves so much more a liberal or conservative than anyone else. Just bringing up topics that they have determined should be put to rest irritates the hell out of them. They are not here to debate, but to tell the rest of us how stupid we are for for bringing anything up at all.

Thank you.

Peoples fears must be taken seriously or people will find others to take them seriously. This is how extremist are made.

The one thing that is so overwhelmingly obvious to me is the inability or unwillingness of the rank and file of any political persuasion to police up those who on it's radical fringe. It seems the tail is wagging the dog at this point in time and it is always the actions of these radicals that are used by the opposition as examples of who the opposition truly are. What we allow to happen in our name, we own just as surly as if we had perpetrated the deed ourselves. We've allowed the words of those we place above us to drive us apart and we did so willing, just to be apart of something we think is greater than us. If the world has turned against the Dems and President Obama repeats the same actions that have lead his party to the situation of loosing all that they have lost, is the president really there for the sake of his party or himself and damn everybody else? Where is loyalty here?

Thank you for this, but without any comment from you I have no way of knowing your take on this.

It's not clear to me: are you asking about the picture itself or about the fact that I posted it here. Very little. The fear of catching Ebola in the United States of America is part of it. As I stated Disrespect is what is screwing up America. Not taking serious issue with the concerns of others and in not doing so they drive these people back into the arms of those who would use that fear to to their own political advantage. My friend. I never take anything into the realm of the personal. You made us awear of this cartoon by posting it and I think you for doing it. It gave us all a chance to make a social comment on the status I deem of American society, which is at the extremes as toxic as it can be. Many no longer classify ourselves as just American, but groups of segregated groups based on our differences more than anything. Then we demand our rights while ignoring others and this self centered attitude is ripe for the political elite to pick in order for them to remain relevant. This cartoon exemplifies that and I thank you for posting it.

I have no fear of an idea. A conservative friend of mine, who has sence passed on became unglued when he hard that President Obama had been elected. He too pointed out the socialist nature of the presidents platform. I told him and I'll tell anyone else that America has been dabbling in socialism sence the 40's. There has been a cultural war on these lines building up through the years and I think it is high time that we actually see, upfront just what socialism, in it's fullness is and if it would work as a viable economic force in America. I hated the idea of the House on Unamerican activities and I despised the idea of others being demonized and blackballed because of their ideas. I think the same for those ass holes who call for those who against gay marriage to be fired because they speak their mind. I think they are backward and delusional, but I also think that the freedom of speech should be held above all other issues, sense all other issues are dependent on their being articulated. Don't hate people who speak their minds. Hate those who claim to be protecting us from speech, sense thy are the ones who are claiming we are too stupid to make desisions for ourselves and that we need them to think for us.

It's contemptuous, which reduces it's effectiveness by making light of others concerns. This is the exact reason why America is so screwed up. Nobody will grant the same respect to others that they demand for themselves. How does this, in any way solve anything, even that which it brings to light? Also. What percentage of fear, these days is not irrational.

People need to scrutinize those who claim to speak for them just as much, if not more than those on the opposition. If you don't you risk becoming cannon fodder for those with ambitions that don't include you.

I think the imagery is more contemptuous of those the artist is portraying than any real comparison of diseases.

There is a lesson to be learned from the story of the little boy who cried wolf. Both parties need to understand that the fear and angst they use to obtain power might be too strong to control when they are in power.

The Dems painted themselves into a corner by embracing only the letter of civil rights era and forgetting its spirit. Dr. King stated the following so eloquently I remember the sentiment during President Obama's election and how this man was glorified for being the first black president, instead of being the man he was and still is, who happens to be black. When you embrace an icon or he imagery in your own head, you forgo reality and many times that reality is rather solid when you run blindly into it. President Obama is just a man, amongst other men, who happened to fall into a mold that looked right and felt right to so many. He also had an image that he, like so many who voted for him, twice that he hasn't been willing or able to shack and it has lead him, the Dems and the country to the precipice we now stand upon. He has the same faith in his vision as many of those who have pushed away their dismay, still have faith in him. What bothers me is the race card has been used so many times by those on far left that they risk being shown up as the race baiters they are, If they acknowledge the reality of what so many foresaw so long ago. This is a heavy pill to swallow and one that the Dems who have lost reelection have had to swallow, today. We need to stop this scavenger hunt for the right image and concentrate on the individual benigth or we will go down this same path again. Truth be known, both parties do this. The reason the Republicans ended up with Romney is because they are looking for the next Ronald Reagan instead of the next competant person to lead the country.

I give up.

I just found out that a cousin of mine, who had just squeeked by getting in trouble for having intercourse with a 14 year old has now be charged with doing the same with a 13 year old. The boy just turned 18 about 6 months ago and seems to not have a good grasp of common sense. Full disclosure the 14 year old was a girl, well known to the family ands is a good friend of this guys then 14 year old sister. They were talking alone in his room unbeknownst to his mother and did the duty on his bed. The girls mother is also a good friend of the family and when she found out about it, it only went so far. No charges were pressed and nothing happened. That was not the case with the 13 year old. Note, there is a laws that people within a four year period between them can't be charged as a preditor, but the girl was afew weeks shy of her 14th birthday and when the boy went over fr a party the girl, seemingly wanted to give him a present and he ended up winning a game of tonsil tag. Well, the girl, being young decided to tell others and through one of her cousins, the father found out He now has to answer for it and is to surrender himself to the authorities on Monday. My questions to you guys are: (1) what should be the standards for calling a person a sexual predator? (2) what should be the punishment for anyone convicted of such, for their first offense? (3) What should be the standard for getting placed on the sexual predators list? (4) What should happen if they are repeat offenders?

With the ongoing culture war between the progressives and the conservatives, who will end up, ultimately in deciding what is moral in any society? What holds society together and is culture a moving target that adapts to the changing attitudes or is it the rock our society is built around?

I have no issue with what you said, my friend. What I said was something I think needed to be said. Discussion is a group effort and one that needs to be productive, not destructive. I've seen too many people who are so full of themselves they leave little room for anyone else. This has been the bain of many debait sites and some have been completely confuscated by peronalities browbeating eachother with their egos.

Contrivercy. Let's see, I've posted about the Ebola thing and it got about 4-5 hits and then it went cold. I've posted about politics and those who assume that I bring up an angle on an issue that I automatically have a leaning, which to me is nonsence. Chosing between the two cancers that have taken over the political spectrum of the country is to chose which side to be consumed by. Idealogues set in the background, refraining to contributing to anything other than to posts they don't want discussed. When such issues arrise they come out of the woodwork and snarl at everyone. I realy don't want to feed these people, even though by their very actions they confirm many of my points about the attitudes of idealogues. The reason for that is twofold. (!) I don't want to bring grief to the mods, who have to police up this place and (2) I really don't want to loose it on some of these highly intelligent but hopelessly lost individuals who are so enslaved by angst and ideology they wouldn't know an original thought if it bit them. I set those in the same order of priority I keep them. I am far less important than the site itself and if what I do here jepardizes the debate area by attracting toxic people to spew their anger and frustration then what's the point? I would like to see important issues myself, but I would also like to keep things civil and I'm not quite sure just how to do that, other than saying Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead and let things land where they land. That in itself might be the end of the debate area, sence sooner or latter the antics of some will push this area beyond the paiance of those with the power to pull it's plug. What is needed is maturity, self disipline and a strong sense of where we all set in the world we live in. We might be passionate about our beliefs, but if we are so sure of ourselves that we can not give the same respect and space we want for ourselves then why are we here at all? Why even log onto any site, if we already know all the answers? This place is not meant for any of us to capitalize on but to be apart of, as it is for ny site. We are just geusts here, surrounded by other guests and some have missed that fact, altogether. I hope they will come around, some day to seeing that.

I have read through this passage a few times and I still cannot say with surety that I know what you were intending to express, mind a bit of clarification? I have been on many sites, political, theocratic, social and I think I can count on my fingers the number of people who do so not to be apart of something greater than they. How many times have you come across those who assume those who bring up issues unflatering to their social, politicl or theocratic leanings are deserving of personal attacks. Of these attacks how many do you think would, if given the chance assault those who are their targets, if they were face to face instead of avatar to avatar? Ideology and religous ferver have much in common to those who are incapable of respecting the ideals of others, infact sometimes they are interchangable. The differance betweeen these people and those lone wolf terrorists is these terrorists have removed the use of language and have gone dirrectly to action. Anger is anger, my friend. It has not other form and if given the right push at the right time, devistation almost always ensues. The degree that anger is controlled and the level of respect one holds humanity equates to the the level of retribution that demands, by their actions.

With a world flooded with sensationalism it's not hard to see why the clean slate of young minds are so impressed with self centered expansionism of those who promote themselves to the highest degree our society can stomuch. Ask yourself how much richer our society would be if scientists and teachers gained the same status in the media as athletes and film stars. What we respect, we pull towrds and what we do not respect, we push away. People have learned far better, how to use their mouths than when to use them and it shows by ho many we see today who flood our world with words and say almost nothing.

Emptiness ripe to be filled with the excuse that others are somehow responsible for their being so. Ideaology is an absolute that doesn't require deep thought and those who need dirrection embrase such things as a means to be apart of something larger than themselves. When you see some of the extreame ways people express themselves of some of these boards, when they are confronted with something they morally, politically and socially detest and add in the image of devinity and you have a lone wolf. What is more godlike than they that holds the lifes of those they care nothing for in their hands and is given the means to manipulate them by fear?

Nothing expresses the human spirit more than the feats of exceptional people when they excell in their tallents far beyond the expectations of the nay sayers.