http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=amRg3O8daYc8&refer=us

I hate repeating myself from post to post but once again I am not surprised.  The tone of this administration, this country continues to get more and more divisive.  Demonization is a tool often used to move an agenda forward.  I would venture to guess that these Cornell students aren't as well educated in the  American system of justice, and its history, as they should be.

I would venture to guess that these Cornell students aren't as well educated in the  American system of justice, and its history, as they should be.


It's nearly half of America, not half of the Cornell University.

It's nearly half of America, not half of the Cornell University.


Oh jesus! We agree twice in one day!!

This is really scary and sad. Yeah we all want freedom but only for ourselves and not to the other guy.




Cat

This demonstrates just how deep recism, zenophobia, hatred and fear run in this country.  I found it especially interesting that our religious bretheran were the most intolerant - not a surprise, but interesting.  What ever happened to Christian charity and the religion of love?

Have people forgotten about the injustices of the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII?  Here we go again.  :\'(  :\'(  :\'(

People fail to distinguish Islam from political "Islamists" around the world who use religious doctrine to motivate terrorism.  Prejudice--fear of the "other"--is the natural response of the ignorant to world problems.  The right-wing takes advantage of this ignorance.

I'm not surprised. The country is built on the premise that one person (or incident) defines the entire group. Just ask any African-American, Latino, women, homosexual, or any other disenfranchised group.

Tanya

Some how.... this doesn't surprise me one bit, my biggest fear is what will happen to the countries that don't agree to Bush's agenda, or to anyone else for that matter.

I'm not surprised. The country is built on the premise that one person (or incident) defines the entire group. Just ask any African-American, Latino, women, homosexual, or any other disenfranchised group.

Tanya


Really! I thought it was built on the premise of hard work, blood, sweat and tears. Wow, you must be right. You forgot the Asians and Indians.

Almost half of all Americans think the federal government should limit the civil rights of Muslims as part of the nation's fight against terrorism, according to a survey released by Cornell University today.


Strange, I know of no one who took this poll. So, I don't know how they can say (of all Americans) These polls are useless, unless you poll everyone. Although I do agree with it.  

Strange, I know of no one who took this poll. So, I don't know how they can say (of all Americans) These polls are useless, unless you poll everyone.

You don't have to poll everyone - people are too much like sheep for that to be necessary


Although I do agree with it.  

You believe that the freedoms of all Muslims should be restricted, even though 99.99% have nothing to do with terror?  On that sort of logic, you should lock up all Christians, too... and we'd definitely have had all Catholics behind bars here.  It's also the sort of thinking that gave Hitler the power he had in Germany: when the Reichstag was burned down, he (well, Goebbels, anyway) immediately declared it was the Communists who'd done it and used that as a lever to gain a firm hold on the reins of power.. and the people went with it 'cause of fear of these nasty Commies - most historians nowadays, however, are pretty sure the Nazis orchestrated the Reichstag fire in order to whip up that kind of fear.  Not that this has anything to do with 9/11, of course...

"He who would sacrifice freedom for security deserves neither" - Benjamin Franklin

...and IMO that includes the freedom of other innocents, not just yourself.

Really! I thought it was built on the premise of hard work, blood, sweat and tears. Wow, you must be right. You forgot the Asians and Indians.



It was built on wars of conquest followed up by government programs.

Strange, I know of no one who took this poll. So, I don't know how they can say (of all Americans) These polls are useless, unless you poll everyone. Although I do agree with it.  


While I certainly agree that this poll was mosy likely not scientific... polling everyone in the country is not necessary for a poll to be relatively accurate. Polls operate on the random sample rule... It basically means that a random sample of the population will effectively be a scale model of the population as a whole. However, this is such a large country that in order to truly get it right, they would have to use data from many random samples from around the country. This poll, of course, was only of the Cornell student body so it would be act as microcosm of the sorruonding population IF indeed a bonafide random sample was used (which we don't even know).

While I certainly agree that this poll was mosy likely not scientific... polling everyone in the country is not necessary for a poll to be relatively accurate. Polls operate on the random sample rule... It basically means that a random sample of the population will effectively be a scale model of the population as a whole. However, this is such a large country that in order to truly get it right, they would have to use data from many random samples from around the country. This poll, of course, was only of the Cornell student body so it would be act as microcosm of the sorruonding population IF indeed a bonafide random sample was used (which we don't even know).


I don't know how this got misunderstood, since Cornell commissions such polls all the time, but Cornell did not poll its own student body. Cornell polled average Janes and Joes across the country, as they always do:

From the poll results page on the Cornell University website:  http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/Dec04/Muslim.Poll.bpf.html

"The Media and Society Research Group, in Cornell's Department of Communication, commissioned the poll, which was supervised by the Survey Research Institute, in Cornell's School of Industrial and Labor Relations. The results were based on 715 completed telephone interviews of respondents across the United States, and the poll has a margin of error of 3.6 percent."

I don't know how this got misunderstood, since Cornell commissions such polls all the time, but Cornell did not poll its own student body. Cornell polled average Janes and Joes across the country, as they always do:


OOOHHHH... OK, for some reason I just assumed it was of the students. My bad. But the random sample principle is being used then. Good. That means it IS a fairly accurate representation of the public. Sorry I got that confused.

OOOHHHH... OK, for some reason I just assumed it was of the students. My bad. But the random sample principle is being used then. Good. That means it IS a fairly accurate representation of the public. Sorry I got that confused.

Yup, this is one scary country!  The ignorance is staggering and the blind faith is dumbfounding!  The promise this country held when I was has burned out like a 40 watt bulb.
:o

Strange, I know of no one who took this poll. So, I don't know how they can say (of all Americans) These polls are useless, unless you poll everyone. Although I do agree with it.  




You don't have to.  Ever get a blood test?  The same theory applies when the clinician gets only a small sample of blood rather than draining all the blood out of your body.

That why there are MOE's (Margin of errors.)  Remember those from the election?  They reflect how far off a poll can be, usually based on how many people took the poll.  For example, a poll of 400 people would generally get a MOE of +/- 5%.  600 people about +/- 4%.  1,000 people about +/- 3%.

Say you had a jar that had a million marbles.  The marbles are mixed black and white.  How do you get an accurate number, short of taking out every marble and counting them all?  Take out 1,000, and count them.  95 out of 100 times, you will get the same number within the +/- 3% MOE.

You don't have to.  Ever get a blood test?  The same theory applies when the clinician gets only a small sample of blood rather than draining all the blood out of your body.

That why there are MOE's (Margin of errors.)  Remember those from the election?  They reflect of far off a poll can be, usually based on how many people took the poll.  For example, a poll of 400 people would generally get a MOE of +/- 5%.  600 people about +/- 4%.  1,000 people about +/- 3%.

Say you had a jar that had a million marbles.  The marbles are mixed black and white.  How do you get an accurate number, short of taking out every marble and counting them all?  Take out 1,000, and count them.  95 out of 100 times, you will get the same number within the +/- 3% MOE.

It's not the MOEs so much as it the MOE FOEs out there that are the problem!
::)

OOOHHHH... OK, for some reason I just assumed it was of the students. My bad. But the random sample principle is being used then. Good. That means it IS a fairly accurate representation of the public. Sorry I got that confused.


Nobody's bad.  You're not the only person I've referred to that article who thought exactly the same thing... I'm just stymied as to the source of the misunderstanding with this particular Cornell poll.         

Yup, this is one scary country!  The ignorance is staggering and the blind faith is dumbfounding!  The promise this country held when I was has burned out like a 40 watt bulb.
:o


Hmm...this country ain't doing to bad for a country that is so ignorant.  Republicans are trying to keep this country as it is, the #1 economic and military superpower in the world.  The democrats, as far as I can tell, what this country to mirror Europe.  And quite frankly, nothing appeals to me from Europe.  Especially not those tax rates.

Seriously what do you want?  An 83% top tax rate like in England before Thatcher?  The 70% of Jimmy Carter before Reagan wiped him out in 1980?  Well?

Hmm...this country ain't doing to bad for a country that is so ignorant.  Republicans are trying to keep this country as it is, the #1 economic and military superpower in the world.  The democrats, as far as I can tell, what this country to mirror Europe.  And quite frankly, nothing appeals to me from Europe.  Especially not those tax rates.

Seriously what do you want?  An 83% top tax rate like in England before Thatcher?  The 70% of Jimmy Carter before Reagan wiped him out in 1980?  Well?

Well...the money has to come from where the money is.  If American thought wasn't so straightjacked by the greed propaganda coming out of corporate boardrooms and right-wing think tanks, she may stand a chance of reversing the trends that will lead to her downfall in the next fifty years.  Go ahead and tell yourself "greed is good, and Reagan was a saint," and watch your grandkids become adults in the northern version of a Latin American backwater. 
We couldn't "mirror" Europe if we wanted.  America is a unique country.  Unfortuanately, the great prosperity you've bought into is based on lies and illusions.  America is in a heap of trouble and the longer the right-wing stays in control, the harder it will be to repair the rents in the nation's fabric. 
When an economic catastrophe occurs that shakes the foundations of the land like the Great Depression, the country will turn to the liberals to clean up the mess once again.

Well...the money has to come from where the money is.  If American thought wasn't so straightjacked by the greed propaganda coming out of corporate boardrooms and right-wing think tanks, she may stand a chance of reversing the trends that will lead to her downfall in the next fifty years.  Go ahead and tell yourself "greed is good, and Reagan was a saint," and watch your grandkids become adults in the northern version of a Latin American backwater. 
We couldn't "mirror" Europe if we wanted.  America is a unique country.  Unfortuanately, the great prosperity you've bought into is based on lies and illusions.  America is in a heap of trouble and the longer the right-wing stays in control, the harder it will be to repair the rents in the nation's fabric. 
When an economic catastrophe occurs that shakes the foundations of the land like the Great Depression, the country will turn to the liberals to clean up the mess once again.


Again, what tax rate do you want?  Was Clinton's 39% enough?  Or does it need to be higher?  In my opinion, the 28% of right now is more than fair, it's over a fourth my paycheck.

That seems to be where the republicans and the democrats split.  The republicans seem to think that what you earn in a paycheck is your money, and whatever is taxed is what the government is taking away.  The democrats seem to think that the paycheck is the government's, and whatever is not taxed is what the government is giving you.

Again, what tax rate do you want?  Was Clinton's 39% enough?  Or does it need to be higher.  In my opinion, the 28% of right now is more than fair, it's over a fourth my paycheck.

That seems to be where the republicans and the democrats split.  The republicans seem to think that what you earn in a paycheck is your money, and whatever is taxed is what the government is taking away.  The democrats seem to think that the paycheck is the government's, and whatever is not taxed is what the government is giving you.


Bull.  You keep pretending to know me and my ilk, but sometimes I wonder if you've ever even met a real live Democrat.  I think things like, "Freedom isn't free" and "I'm investing in America," "I own it, I should pay for it" and "I don't want anyone other than the American people owning a controlling share of America." 

That's an expensive war you're all gung ho about us fighting over in Iraq... how and when should we pay for it?  Or maybe you thnk Halliburton isn't entitled to earn a profit from its business and should donate everything?  The infrastructure doesn't keep itself modern and in good repair.  Veterans benefits (which are the least we can do to thank those who served in our stead) -- not free.  All that standardized testing the Prez based half his campaign on... not free.  Removing criminals from society -- not free.  All that pork your senators and representatives bring home from Washington lest they lose the next election for failing to bring home the pork -- not free.  Etc. Etc. Etc. 

If your home town is stricken by a major disaster... Uncle Sam's on the scene and he's there on my behalf because you're my fellow countryman and we take care of our own... we're not going to set you up with a mansion and pimp your ride and hook you up with a designer wardrobe, but we'll get a roof over your head, some food in your belly, some clean water to wash it down with, some clean clothes and a blanket to keep you warm... the privatized socialism insurance kitty I pay into will take care of giving you back the rest of what you lost... and my rates will go up, permanently, to make up for your withdrawal from the kitty... even though it's not my fault you lost everything, I feel no sense of fellowhood with you through our mutual patronage of the insurance company and I've filed no claims.

28% would be great or even high -- if it covered everything, but it's not coming even close.

But, this thread isn't about taxes.  It's about nearly half of all Americans being in such a state of fear that they're willing to make a drastic change to this country and sacrifice everyone's (mine, yours, their own -- everyone's) freedom of religious choice by allowing, nay insisting that that the gov't lock up people based solely on their faith.  If we don't address that fear, successfully, before their numbers grow and any real damage is done, the precedent set could one day result in the "anti Christian" element you've mentioned, before, persecuting innocent Christians... all it would take is for them to have their clutches into the government when some nutjob cultist who practices an extreme/warped version of Christianity manages to talk his/her followers into blowing stuff up for Jesus.  There's no telling these frightened Americans that they have to be careful which blocks they pull from the foundation of our nation, lest those blocks support the beams that bear their own weight... they can't see beyond the fear that motivates them.  That their fear is very real and  needs to be successfully addressed is the big message so many on my side of the fence failed to "get" going into November. 

Bull.  You keep pretending to know me and my ilk, but sometimes I wonder if you've ever even met a real live Democrat.  I think things like, "Freedom isn't free" and "I'm investing in America," "I own it, I should pay for it" and "I don't want anyone other than the American people owning a controlling share of America." 


As Al Franken said, "Liberals love their America like adults love each other.  Republicans love America like a three year old loves his mommy and daddy."  Furthermore, the Republican party is the biggest abomination in the name of Christianity since the Spanish Inquisition.

All the rubbish GWB keeps spewing about taxes and who pays what comes from 25 years of propaganda designed by and for Wall Street bigshots, corporate executives, and their minions.  Since the agenda of the financial fatcats became dominant in the early '80s (including the Clinton years) America has produced more millionaires and billionaires than ever, yet has gone from the biggest lender nation to the biggest debtor nation.  "Supply-side economics" is to America like Kryptonite to Superman.  The super-prosperity of the top few percentile is subsidized by the decimation of the middle class.  The Reagan dream is a Ponzi scheme.
Am I talking class warfare?  And how!  It's the only war we need now!

As Al Franken said, "Liberals love their America like adults love each other.  Republicans love America like a three year old loves his mommy and daddy."  Furthermore, the Republican party is the biggest abomination in the name of Christianity since the Spanish Inquisition.

All the rubbish GWB keeps spewing about taxes and who pays what comes from 25 years of propaganda designed by and for Wall Street bigshots, corporate executives, and their minions.  Since the agenda of the financial fatcats became dominant in the early '80s (including the Clinton years) America has produced more millionaires and billionaires than ever, yet has gone from the biggest lender nation to the biggest debtor nation.  "Supply-side economics" is to America like Kryptonite to Superman.  The super-prosperity of the top few percentile is subsidized by the decimation of the middle class.  The Reagan dream is a Ponzi scheme.
Am I talking class warfare?  And how!  It's the only war we need now!


Well said, Maxwell. 

If liberals want more taxes, PAY THEM.  So many liberals talk that but don't do it.  You can give your money to the government if you want.  So MooRocca, Maxwell, if you want a 40% take rate, and the government is at 28%, then take 12% of your paycheck, and send it to the government.  But don't force other people at gunpoint, using the power of government, to take more money away from people.  Hell, even the nobel prize winner in economics said Bush's tax cuts weren't big enough.  But what does he know, right?  Dam* government.

And the only ponzi scheme is social security.  Private accounts are the way to go.  Democrats plan?  Stick to an old system, allow no progress.  Why does the left want us to be in the early 1900's?

Furthermore, the Republican party is the biggest abomination in the name of Christianity since the Spanish Inquisition.

Lovely quote... but I didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition ;)

And the only ponzi scheme is social security.  Private accounts are the way to go.  Democrats plan?  Stick to an old system, allow no progress.  Why does the left want us to be in the early 1900's?


Progress isn't always moving in the right direction. The only place private accounts will progress towards is ruin.

Yes, I will follow in feeling sad on reading the article. What is troubling is how easy these initial stances get out of hand. As people have touched upon in this thread, one day it will be the muslims, the next it could be another religion/race or country. If Britain steps out of line and doesn't agree with America in some way, I'm sure we would follow suit. I will not forget what Bush said:

"You are either for us or against us"

Ironically, it is this argument a lot of religions take to control the members of their flocks.

As people have touched upon in this thread, one day it will be the muslims, the next it could be another religion/race or country. If Britain steps out of line and doesn't agree with America in some way, I'm sure we would follow suit. I will not forget what Bush said:

"You are either for us or against us"




Yeah, I understand your fear. It's already happened to us Canadians.  :(

Yeah, I understand your fear. It's already happened to us Canadians.  :(


What has happened to you Canadians, Mercat? Sorry if I sound ignorant.

What has happened to you Canadians, Mercat? Sorry if I sound ignorant.


Good ol' Dubya has weakened our ties with Americas because we do not fully support him with the war in Iraq for "freedom".

I'm sorry to hear that you feel this way towards something as generic as a country.
There's a word for it, bigotry.  It's the modus operandi of the American Right.

You know, I love the idea of getting to know people from other countries. This is a simple serious question Bush: What is your main purpose for being on the boards?

Good question.
::)

::)


Indeed.

Good ol' Dubya has weakened our ties with Americas because we do not fully support him with the war in Iraq for "freedom".


I think we may end up the same way. Blair wants to tackle environmental issues and this isn't convenient for President Bush at the moment.

I think we may end up the same way. Blair wants to tackle environmental issues and this isn't convenient for President Bush at the moment.

What are the environmental concerns of Mr. Blair?

What are the environmental concerns of Mr. Blair?


It seems to be a general concern involving climate change and pollution. I don't know whether the article below is from the left or right . . .

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/28522/story.htm

The implication to me is Bush will not stand for Blair's environmental proposals because a lot of businesses depend on the way things are currently run.

I don't know why people are so content to ignore environmental issues when they affect everybody directly. It's time for the right-wing to get their heads out of their arses and just admit that Global Warming does exist and that we are all going to pay dearly for ignoring it. I don't blame Blair for starting to worry. The United Kingdom includes some places that are pretty far north. One of these days you're all going to wake up and there will be no more Orkney.

The US, in just the past 50 years, has consumed more resources than everyone else who has ever lived on the planet combined... and that is a fact, I'm not making it up. I got it from a documentary called "Affluenza." I think everyone needs to see this film. It is played on FSTV (Free Speech TV) and World Link sometimes, and I think I saw it advertised on PBS as well. Check your local listings or get it from Netflix or something.

Good ol' Dubya has weakened our ties with Americas because we do not fully support him with the war in Iraq for "freedom".


This is indeed a bone of contention with many Canadians.  Shall we be punished just because we are "a peaceful nation?"  I personally believe our stance should be applauded.  We welcome diversity, and have a richer country for it. 

I have nothing against other countries and their methods of politics, but I sure don't want to move.

I don't know why people are so content to ignore environmental issues when they affect everybody directly. It's time for the right-wing to get their heads out of their arses and just admit that Global Warming does exist and that we are all going to pay dearly for ignoring it. I don't blame Blair for starting to worry. The United Kingdom includes some places that are pretty far north. One of these days you're all going to wake up and there will be no more Orkney.

The US, in just the past 50 years, has consumed more resources than everyone else who has ever lived on the planet combined... and that is a fact, I'm not making it up. I got it from a documentary called "Affluenza." I think everyone needs to see this film. It is played on FSTV (Free Speech TV) and World Link sometimes, and I think I saw it advertised on PBS as well. Check your local listings or get it from Netflix or something.

I agree.  Our government is controlled by the Republican party.  The Republican party is controlled by the Military-Petroleum Complex.  The MCP is incapable of acting on anything but its own greed for ever higher private profits and the confiscation of all public holdings for private exploitation.  Thus, if fossil fuels are there to be extracted, they must be extracted.  There is no such thing as the public good in the eyes of the MCP.  The public is just a nuisance.  The MCP will placate as much of the public as it can with propaganda.  The more recalcitrant citizenry will be ignored or, if they step out of line, imprisoned or killed.

Bush is not just unwilling but incapable of working with Prime Minister Blair on environmental concerns.  Bush and the Republicans may appear to be working on environmental conservation, but these initiatives merely mask efforts to further divest the public of a stake in ecological decisions, and hand over more power to the MCP.

I agree.  Our government is controlled by the Republican party.  The Republican party is controlled by the Military-Petroleum Complex.  The MCP is incapable of acting on anything but its own greed for ever higher private profits and the confiscation of all public holdings for private exploitation.  Thus, if fossil fuels are there to be extracted, they must be extracted.  There is no such thing as the public good in the eyes of the MCP.  The public is just a nuisance.  The MCP will placate as much of the public as it can with propaganda.  The more recalcitrant citizenry will be ignored or, if they step out of line, imprisoned or killed.

Bush is not just unwilling but incapable of working with Prime Minister Blair on environmental concerns.  Bush and the Republicans may appear to be working on environmental conservation, but these initiatives merely mask efforts to further divest the public of a stake in ecological decisions, and hand over more power to the MCP.


Very well put.

I agree with you both (Maxwell and McDonald) entirely and I believe this is where the US starts to say to Britain 'You've stepped out of line.'  :-\\

I also agree with Fragswife too. Peace should be a sign of progress and not made out to be a sign of submission.

The US, in just the past 50 years, has consumed more resources than everyone else who has ever lived on the planet combined... and that is a fact, I'm not making it up. I got it from a documentary called "Affluenza." I think everyone needs to see this film. It is played on FSTV (Free Speech TV) and World Link sometimes, and I think I saw it advertised on PBS as well. Check your local listings or get it from Netflix or something.


Wow! I didn't realise the scale.  :

Wow! I didn't realise the scale.  :






It has to be old.  I remember hearing about a year ago that America was #2 in energy-consumption, and that Israel was the biggest consumer.

It has to be old.  I remember hearing about a year ago that America was #2 in energy-consumption, and that Israel was the biggest consumer.


Oh well, it makes the situation a little bit better then.  ;)

What are Israel doing to consume so much?

Oh well, it makes the situation a little bit better then.  ;)

What are Israel doing to consume so much?

He must mean per capita.  Don't know where he heard that, but it sounds dubious.

McDonald wrote:
Very well put.
Gee t'anks.  Such a compliment from you is coin of the realm!
:)

He must mean per capita.  Don't know where he heard that, but it sounds dubious.


Yeah, considering our population trumps theirs about 36-fold. Not to mention we have been an industrialised nation for more than a century and a half, while they have only been a nation for about sixty years. He's using some whacky arithmetic.

GWB may be confusing the statistics on energy consumption with the results of this 2003 poll:

http://www.eubusiness.com/afp/031103132511.i4ottp1n


We are number one in energy consumption:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/usa.html

China is second and gaining on us:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/china.html

GWB may be confusing the statistics on energy consumption with the results of this 2003 poll:

http://www.eubusiness.com/afp/031103132511.i4ottp1n


We are number one in energy consumption:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/usa.html

China is second and gaining on us:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/china.html

Oh he's confused alright!

Polls are funny things.  They try to reach an "average" group of people, and hope that the odd people will average out.  But sometimes, that does not follow.

And trying to group people be political belief is quite often an artificial grouping.  I know that a lot of people blast the so called "Religious Right" about the Abortion issue.  But this is more of a "Religious" issue then a "Right" issue.  I am sure that most Catholics would agree that it is wrong, both Liberal and Conservative.  This is because to them, it is against their religion.  In fact, quite often the same Catholics blast Abortion (a "Conservitive" belief), and also blast Capitol Punishment (a "Liberal" belief).

Personally, I believe that targeting a religion is wrong, unless there are some very specific reasons.  All religious groups will have a radical fringe element which wants to take their belief in a way that most in the religion dissagree with.  Protestants and Catholics in Ireland, Muslim Fundamentalists, these are problems that will never be solved until the members learn tolerance.

The only time I think that the "rights" of a religious organization should be partially suspended is if the group has proven itself to be a danger to others.  Good examples of this is the "People's Temple" of Jim Jones, the Branch Davidians of David Koresh, or most spectacularly the Aum Shinrikyo cult of Japan.  When such a specific group has proven to be so dangerous, this it is appropriate to keep close tabs on them.

Do I agree with the poll?  Of course not.  I know that most Muslims in this country are not Fundamentalists, and are good and honest citizens.  But in any group, you will always have some "bad apples".  We need to concentrate on those, not the fringe minority.

The only time I think that the "rights" of a religious organization should be partially suspended is if the group has proven itself to be a danger to others.

I've been trying to think of a religious organization that hasn't at some point in its history...

An incidental aside: Pope John Paul I (the predecessor of the current pope) was in favour of overturning the Catholic proscription on abortion.  A shame that he was killed so soon after taking office.

  A shame that he was killed so soon after taking office.


Killed?  I remember that he died less than a year after coming to office but don't recall that he was killed.  Mind, I was only a little girl at the time ;)

Killed? I remember that he died less than a year after coming to office but don't recall that he was killed. Mind, I was only a little girl at the time ;)

Read "In God's Name" by David Yallop - IMO there's no real doubt he was killed, the only thing is the incredible number of vested interests who'd have something to gain by doing it.  Proof of murder won't be possible, though: one of the cardinals threw his pills away, cleaned out his water glass etc.  and only then raised the alarm; the embalmers turned up an hour after the body was discovered... having travelled from three hours' drive away.

But do read the book if you can find it: t'was a great shame, as Albino Luciani would have been a great power for good in the world.  No wonder he was killed.

Almost Half of Americans Favor Restrictions on Muslims' Rights

I have to ask something:

Why do they say ''Americans" on polls like these, even though they never personally asked ME?  How come I never know of these polls until it's too late?  Am I the only one who isn't getting asked these?  Am I not American enough, or what?

Sorry, these polls just cheese me off.  They ask maybe a few hundred or thousand people and claim that all of America feels this way?  WTF?

BTW, I'm definitely for equal rights for everyone, including Muslims.

It's already happened to us Canadians. :(

Awww... if it helps, I love Canada.  I've only been to Vancouver, but I loved it there.  Would love to meet more people there, too.