my2cent's Blog

Even though nothing has been finalized, there are discussions about closing the military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.  As you are probably aware there are foreign detainees being held at the prison.  My first thought when I heard this is, they can’t put these people back in their own country. There’s a great possibility that we’ll lose more US troops by this action.  I don’t think that we can readily release them to other countries because somehow or another they’ll probably end up back in Iraq. 

If they close that prison, what do you think they should do with the detainees?   

For a class project, Kyleray Katherman who is 13 tested the bacteria content of four water fountains and one toilet to challenge a ban on students from bringing bottled water to class.   From the article, the school staff thought students were bringing in alcohol.  

For the test, Katherman swabbed the spigots of four fountains and sampling from one toilet.  He dipped the cotton swab in the bowl's center and then dragging it around the rim for a complete sample.  He took the results to the school lab put them under a light to speed up the bacteria's growth.  The petri dishes with fountain water were spilling over with bacteria. The sample from the toilet was clean.

 Katherman took his results to the school board and they quickly replaced the spigots and casing of three of the water fountains and had custodians give the spigots a thorough cleaning.  

This is a smart kid.  I now look at water fountains with a different view. 

 Mary Winkler was sentenced to 210 days in prison (less than a year) for killing her husband as he lay in bed.  A jury found her guilty of the lesser crime of manslaughter after she testified that she was physically and emotionally abused by her husband.   She testified during her trial that her husband hit and kicked her, made her look at pornography and demanded sex she considered unnatural. Jurors were shown a pair of tall, platform shoes and a black wig Winkler said she was pressured to wear during sex.

Michael Moore has a new movie that's coming out called "Sicko" on June 29, 2007.  Supposedly his movie will investigate the health care with an emphasis on the American pharmaceutical companies and the FDA.   When asked about his movie, Michael Moore said, "If people ask, we tell them 'Sicko' is a comedy about 45 million people with no health care in the richest country on Earth."

First of all, I’m all for exposing the truth but in an unbiased manner. I think when presented with the facts; people are able to make up their own mind about an issue.

What do you think Mr. Moore’s film will produce? Do you think he’ll follow that slogan of “Fair and Balance” reporting?  What are your thoughts?  

Jack Kevorkian (Dr Death) the Michigan pathologist who helped with planned suicides has been released from prison.  According to Mr. Kevorkian and his lawyer(s), he has no plans of assisting with suicides any longer.   

What are your thoughts?  Do you agree with assisted suicides?  Do you think that Mr. Kevorkian will restart with assisting with suicides?   

The House voted today to expand federal hate crime categories to include violent attacks against gays and people targeted because of gender. 

Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, said the legislation would mandate different penalties for the same crime.  “For example, criminals who kill a homosexual will be punished more harshly than criminals who kill a police officer, a member of the military, a child, a senior citizen or any other person.”   

First off, I don't approve or endorse anyone being ostracized, threaten, beaten or killed for their beliefs but I do have a problem with this bill.  From my initial research and interpretation, we have pre-existing laws that address hate crimes.  Frankly, I don't think we need to have a particular bill of this sort. This creates discrimination.  This bill caters to one group of society and not the population.  A crime is a crime and should be handled accordingly and with fairness.  There should not be a special bill created for a part of society that make the choice to live a certain way.   What next, are we going to create other sub/specialize bills to fit another element of society? 

What's your thoughts? 

"Anti-war Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich yesterday introduced a 2-inch-thick articles of impeachment bill against Vice President Dick Cheney -- a move supported by few Democrats, who prefer focusing on congressional oversight of the Bush administration.
    The Ohio Democrat and presidential candidate said he is pushing impeachment because the vice president "sought to deceive" the nation in the lead-up to the Iraq war and is threatening war with Iran.  
    "Now is the time for Congress to examine the actions that led us into this war just as we must work to bring the troops home,"  said Mr. Kucinich, who opposed the war in October 2002 and says his effort is beyond partisanship. "
http://washingtontimes.com/national/20070424-104642-17
25r.htm.

This is crazy and such a waste of tax money.  There are so many bigger issues that this Congress should be focusing and spending their time on (e.g., immigration reform, strategy to bring our troops home, cost of energy, healthcare, education and on and on). Impeaching VP at this time is a waste.  What can be accomplished by this impeachment?

We need to have people in office that want what's best for this country and I'm not saying that all the elected officials don't want what's best.  What I'm saying is that as long as we have people in office pursuing their own personal agenda vice what's best for this country as a whole, we'll never get anything accomplished.  We'll continue to chase our tails.  As far as I'm concern, this country will cease to be the great nation that it is now if we continue to elect officials seeking their own personal agenda. 

What are your thoughts?

The Supreme Court upheld the federal ban against partial-birth abortions.  This ruling emphasis that the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act that was signed into law does not violate a woman's constitutional right to an abortion.  I say it's a start in a positive direction.  What are your thoughts?  

I'm interested in knowing other people's thoughts on Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez.   One minute he wants to take down American and the next minute he's contributing (bribing) money into our social programs.