Posts by Bendrr

85

Truth, Justice, and the American Way

by D8TA in

ah yes, the ?truth?

?and not by the standards of one publishing company in which we all here share something in common with.

as i?ve sat silently for months, browsing this board on occasion, and i still can?t believe there are people here who blind themselves with ?patriotism?

Bendrr

While I vote conservative, there is a need for a certain amount of "socialism" or social responsibility. Without this, the poor and less advantaged become disenfranchised from society and extreme wealth is concentrated with just a few people which can lead to corruption and more suffering for the normal workers who rely on the system being honest for their retirement etc ...
This is exactly what is happening in the USA today.

Well y'all better sit down for this....I happen to agree somewhat with Simon on that point. I really don't know any conservatives who would disagree with you on that. Where they (the conservatives) and I (as a Libertarian) do take issue is the fact that what started out as "social safety nets" with noble purposes have turned into redistribution of wealth at gunpoint.

When people realize that they can vote themselves a free paycheck, and politicians realize that they can buy votes via government checks, well we've got a problem. Those who do try to change it are going to be the villains. But what country can survive and prosper under ever-increasing redistribution of wealth?

Isn't the whole problem though that people decide whether they want to support something or not based on who has suggested it and the political part involved rather than on the strengths or weaknesses of the act itself?

Not the whole problem, but a large part of it. There's a lot of people out there who oppose the war on terror (World War IV) for no other reason than their hatred of President Bush. And then of course you've got the "blame America" crowd. Oh yeah, it's all our fault that those noble freedom fighters used civilian airliners to destroy civilian buildings. After 8 years of Clinton, the evildoers who directed the attacks expected a quickie public relations show in response, maybe another aspirin factory would get clobbered with a few Tomahawks. What they got was exactly what they didn't expect and certainly didn't want. The full wrath of the U.S. military, led by a patriotic "U.S. first" conservative. I don't follow Bush blindly and don't agree with him on everything, but I'd rather have him in office at this time in our history than Al Gore or any other liberal.

Mike.

p.s. Careful there Simon, if we start agreeing you may get your posting limits reduced!

18

"Winging" OFF the board!

by Bendrr in

jw
friends

i decided to annoy someone other than simon and the moderators for a change.

so i decided to raise the ire of my local bible-thumpers.

well actually this ain't the first time, but the local paper put my letter in a special spot on the letters page this time so i expect some fire and brimstone very quickly and heavily.

Bendrr

You know something else?

This situation serves as an example that it ain't just the Empire that wants to control peoples' lives. And I don't mean to lump religion in general into this description, but all too often the Bible is turned into a tool to wield power. "Man has led man to his ruin" I think the scripture goes.

I actually re-wrote a couple of parts of my letter to "tone down" a little. When I said how the statement about the clerics doing what they were called to do made me uncomfortable, I originally included with the Inquisition the fact that others believed "God" had "called" them to be suicide bombers or to fly aircraft into buildings. But that was just a little too harsh even if applicable.

I'll be sure to post responses. I'm sure y'all will get a kick out of some of them. Last battle I fought in the paper over this, well I was called immoral among other things. But it was fun and I've had a lot of local folks tell me they agree with me and enjoy reading what I write.

Almost every time I've written in to the paper, they print what I write. I've actually had people I know ask me what my next letter will be about and when they can read it!

Mike.

18

"Winging" OFF the board!

by Bendrr in

jw
friends

i decided to annoy someone other than simon and the moderators for a change.

so i decided to raise the ire of my local bible-thumpers.

well actually this ain't the first time, but the local paper put my letter in a special spot on the letters page this time so i expect some fire and brimstone very quickly and heavily.

Bendrr

Thanks everyone for the props!

Maverick:

Great commentary. You may want to add this line of reasoning. The Churches have little or no influence on non members. So their reasons for continuing the ban must be because they fear their members will be weak and succumb to the evils of drink on Sundays. This law is enforce to prevent their members from misbehaving. Maybe they have little faith in their own members ability to follow Church ways. After all, the Church leadership is setting the example by misappyling scripture and using the worldly government to force everyone to follow their own brand of righteousness. Are they so poor at teaching their membership and providing solid moral guidence that they need the government to hold their hands? Maverick

I'm going to save that for future use if you don't mind. (I'll work in a credit for you when I use it) When writing the letter the thought did cross my mind about the strength of their faith considering the outcry that comes whenever someone tries to change the blue laws. I wrote in to the paper about this before. In the first letter I pointed out that everyone is free to not buy and consume on Sundays or any other day, and everyone is also free to not do business with a store or restaurant that sells on Sundays. Just because it's there doesn't mean you have to partake. Thanks for the thoughts. Mike.

32

Emergency!!! - Crabby Pants Bought a GUN!!! I Need Advice ASAP, Please...

by Frannie Banannie in

most of yall don't know that i live with my ex-hubby (just watchin' his back)...he's retired from the navy, a stroke victim with an anxiety disorder among other psychological problems stemming from his iq of 85, i'm sure.....his stroke impaired his left side and he was left-handed, so the use of his right hand is unstable....i live with him to see that the water gets turned off when he leaves faucets running and goes to the store, to see that he eats regularly, to see that doors are closed and locked when he goes to bed or leaves the house, cause he forgets and leaves 'em open and/or unlocked alla time....and to loan him money cause even tho he makes more than i do, he can't handle his finances successfully from month to month...... this morning, he ranted and raved and called the police dept.

to report that two garbage trucks were cruising down our street side-by-side blocking traffic while they were picking up garbage (they do this every week)....he wasn't going anywhere, just got irritated that they were blocking the street as they went about their business.....a short while later, he went somewhere and came back with a loaded gun in a shoulder holster....my mouth fell open and i asked very mildly..."what are you doing with that gun?

"......he said that he bought it and starts classes tomorrow to be certified to carry a concealed weapon......he says things are getting too nasty around town...... friends.....we're talkin' about "forrest gump with a bad attitude" here.....question is: how do i handle this without pissin' him off....if i call his sis or son and give them a "heads up" he'll know i told 'em.....i could call the class instructor where he's going to be certified, but there's no guarantee they'll listen when i tell 'em the problem and no guarantee they'd take the gun away from him anyway......my only other choice is to let him just go ahead and "do his thing" and "hang" himself for mopry with intent to creep.....or whatever they charge people with who have no business with a gun in the first place.. help, please....i need advice pretty soon here..... frannie b

Bendrr

Frannie, just go to any local gun shop and they'll give you either a blank form or a copy of one. For that matter, you may want to try and find a reputable gun dealer and run the situation by him/her for advice. Gun dealers are good people (99.9% of them anyways, there's always a few shady characters) and the last thing any of them want is to get on the bad side of the BATF "Gun Gestapo".

Mike.

74

What's your Phobia?

by ApagaLaLuz in

jw
friends

i tend to be a pretty wild soul.

i have eaten the grossest foods.

i don?t get sea sick.

Bendrr

Oh thanks a whole lot for the pic SFJim!!!

I'm afraid of spiders and heights. I'd rather deal with heights than spiders though.

Spiders are evil, pure and simple. Sooner or later evolution's going to catch up with them and those of us who are made out of meat had better watch out.

Mike.

59

.A question for the guys about VASECTOMIES!!!

by nicolaou in

would you recommend it?.

i've got an appointment to see my doctor in less than an hour for some pre-op discussion.

i guess they want to make sure that i am sure!.

Bendrr

Nic thanks for bringing up the topic. I've been thinking of getting....um....snipped (ouch!) myself. I won't have the situation you had with your Dr. tho, mine's a dude. Did your Dr. lay some good meds on you afterwards? I'm not going to get mine done until I make sure my Dr. won't be stingy with the 'tabs.

Mike.

32

Emergency!!! - Crabby Pants Bought a GUN!!! I Need Advice ASAP, Please...

by Frannie Banannie in

most of yall don't know that i live with my ex-hubby (just watchin' his back)...he's retired from the navy, a stroke victim with an anxiety disorder among other psychological problems stemming from his iq of 85, i'm sure.....his stroke impaired his left side and he was left-handed, so the use of his right hand is unstable....i live with him to see that the water gets turned off when he leaves faucets running and goes to the store, to see that he eats regularly, to see that doors are closed and locked when he goes to bed or leaves the house, cause he forgets and leaves 'em open and/or unlocked alla time....and to loan him money cause even tho he makes more than i do, he can't handle his finances successfully from month to month...... this morning, he ranted and raved and called the police dept.

to report that two garbage trucks were cruising down our street side-by-side blocking traffic while they were picking up garbage (they do this every week)....he wasn't going anywhere, just got irritated that they were blocking the street as they went about their business.....a short while later, he went somewhere and came back with a loaded gun in a shoulder holster....my mouth fell open and i asked very mildly..."what are you doing with that gun?

"......he said that he bought it and starts classes tomorrow to be certified to carry a concealed weapon......he says things are getting too nasty around town...... friends.....we're talkin' about "forrest gump with a bad attitude" here.....question is: how do i handle this without pissin' him off....if i call his sis or son and give them a "heads up" he'll know i told 'em.....i could call the class instructor where he's going to be certified, but there's no guarantee they'll listen when i tell 'em the problem and no guarantee they'd take the gun away from him anyway......my only other choice is to let him just go ahead and "do his thing" and "hang" himself for mopry with intent to creep.....or whatever they charge people with who have no business with a gun in the first place.. help, please....i need advice pretty soon here..... frannie b

Bendrr

The big problem is that I don't have access to the paperwork (psych profile) on him that proves what I'm claiming, nor do I have any right to access his records....

No problem at all Frannie. They do have the right. When buying a gun one has to fill out a BATF form (I forget the number) and one of the questions is regarding mental condition. Now if your [whatever he is] hasn't actually been committed it may be somewhat of a gray area legally but it sounds like the authorities would have a good case in taking his gun and rights to own them away.

Don't let up on the cops and DPS. I may be a big supporter of gun rights, but I'm also a big supporter of responsible gun ownership. There's some folks out there who just plain don't need to be even near a gun.

Mike.

18

"Winging" OFF the board!

by Bendrr in

jw
friends

i decided to annoy someone other than simon and the moderators for a change.

so i decided to raise the ire of my local bible-thumpers.

well actually this ain't the first time, but the local paper put my letter in a special spot on the letters page this time so i expect some fire and brimstone very quickly and heavily.

Bendrr

Simon, what's the reason for not being able to buy a Bible on a Sunday? That doesn't make much sense. And why not baby milk?

Mike.

18

"Winging" OFF the board!

by Bendrr in

jw
friends

i decided to annoy someone other than simon and the moderators for a change.

so i decided to raise the ire of my local bible-thumpers.

well actually this ain't the first time, but the local paper put my letter in a special spot on the letters page this time so i expect some fire and brimstone very quickly and heavily.

Bendrr

I decided to annoy someone other than Simon and the moderators for a change. So I decided to raise the ire of my local bible-thumpers. Well actually this ain't the first time, but the local paper put my letter in a special spot on the letters page this time so I expect some fire and brimstone very quickly and heavily.

On the letters page, there's a section reserved for longer letters. Almost always those letters come from those who have been writing in to the paper for a long long time. I've written quite a few myself in the last year or so and they always get printed, so I guess the editors must like me. Well this time they gave me a little more recognition by putting my letter in the special section.

Let me preface it. Here in Georgia, it's against the law for stores to sell alcohol on Sundays. The law does allow for restaurants to sell on Sundays, provided no less than half of their revenue comes from food and the local city/town gov't passes a referendum allowing the sales. Well my old home town of Perry tried to pass just such a referendum and the local churches got together and out-voted it. A resident of Perry wrote in to the paper to object to the churches' involvement in the vote and I "got his back".

Here goes:

Macon Telegraph, 11/17/2003.

Sunday alcohol sales ban makes no sense

Once again the debate over Sunday alcohol sales rears its horned, evil head and certain people cower in terror at the prospect that drink may flow somewhat freely on their holy day.

Very well then. Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war!

Mr. Turner's response to the well-written and courageous letter by Mr. Huckeba of Perry said "The clerics...are doing what they are called by God to do...uphold his word. The Bible tells us to remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." That makes me more than a little uncomfortable when I think of what God has "called" people to do in the past, like the Inquisition and Salem witch trials.

Nowhere in the Bible does it even imply that "upholding God's word" includes enforcing Biblical law, or interpretations thereof, upon the populace in general. Jesus made no effort to get involved with the local politics of the time, and also stated more than once that his followers were "no part of this world."

This country is a representative republic, not a theocracy. If Mr. Turner or anyone else wants a theocracy, I and many others would be happy to buy them a ticket to Iran so they can see just how well one works.

Furthermore, I have read the Bible from cover to cover more than once. Nowhere can I find any commandment to abstain from alcohol on the Sabbath.

I really have to wonder just why some feel so threatened by the possibility of alcohol sales on Sundays. Just because it's available doesn't mean they have to go buy it and consume it, nor does it mean that Sundays will turn into a day of drunken debauchery spilling out into the streets. There are already enough laws on the books to deal with what might happen should some irresponsible individual happen to misuse alcohol on a Sunday or any other day of the week.

Maybe we can all reach a compromise. In fact, I have a unique one in mind. Since eliminating "blue laws" around here is as likely as a Britney Spears poster on the wall of Taliban headquarters, I recommend that they be amended to apply to Christians only. In order to purchase a six-pack on a Sunday, one must identify him or herself as non-Christian. Agnostics, atheists and other non-Christians may purchase and consume alcohol on Sundays, provided they don't drive drunk or get drunk in public of course, but Christians may not.

That didn't make much sense did it? Well, guess what, people? Neither does the ban on Sunday alcohol sales!

Mike Ganas
Macon

Oh boy they're just gonna LOVE that!

Mike.

32

Good 'ol United States style TERRORISM

by logansrun in

just the tip of the iceburg....

a brief (and partial) history of us sponsored terrorism abroad

1946 - u.s. opens school of the americas in panama.