Shawn828's Comments (133)

“Please, don't be an ass! The point is that Faizon is just as known as most of the other actors in the film, yet only he and the other person of color were removed from the UK version. This isn't about someone's personal items, this is about their method of making a living.”

“Two minor corrections; he's a retired LTC, not general; and he's Black. While I remember the incident for which he had to retire, and I admire his taking responsibility for his actions and admitting they were contrary to military law, I'm not down with his pointing the finger at Islamic extremism and ignoring right-wing extremism also present in the Army. Remember, we let a lot of suspect peolpe in when the standards were relaxed (and "morals waivers" issued to let folks in that would have normally been kept out due to criminal or bigoted behavior).”

“They might have been so fatigued judgement was affected. Take a look at pay levels and find out if they are working second jobs that may have cut into rest time. Today's pilots are working long hours on relatively crappy pay and having to work second jobs to make a living.”

“Other note: couldn't we, in the same vane as your first point, say that KBR has the choice of not taking the govt contract? If they don't like it, give up the contract and go home.”

“Arbitration is supposed to be used for dispute purposes. Rape, false imprisonment and attempted coercion are felonies and should not be disallowed by a contract. If that were the case I could just throw in a sentence about this also covers family members and then go rape your children and say you have to take it up in arbitration.”

“By that logic the Right is in favor of gang-rape of a woman, so long as she's of age. They also support adultery and prostitution.”

“Then Vitter needs to be in prison/jail; Ensign and Sanford need to resign because in their states adultery is a crime, and being such moral men they should do the right thing. And the man who helped arrange Ensign's "solution" should be jailed for conspiracy to commit a crime.”

“It's appalling that so many of our serving women are subjected to this treatment. I know two women that have been assaulted in Iraq, with virtually no consequence to the perpetrator. And then we have the recent event of the contractor that has been trying for four YEARS to get the right to have her case heard by a court system after being gang-raped in Iraq, falsely imprisoned by KBR (locked in a container) and threatened with retaliation if she tried to press charges, then told her contract required arbitration to deal with a felony crime! This is BS, and needs to stop.”

“He was being sarcastic, and effectively showing how the Republicans seem to think.”

“But a difference between then and now is 1) we aren't fighting this as a united nation, we have volunteers doing the work. Not everyone has a stake in it; and 2) that war was fought between similar forces (i.e. formalized armies with command structures) rather than standard forces against an insurgency.

As for the "liberal" ideology- we just don't believe you win by killing and harming a lot of civilians who are just trying to live. In this region killing them invokes an oath of revenge that keeps coming back to haunt us. We need a consistent strategy of winning them over by making life better, otherwise we just fight a war of attrition until one side or the other runs out of bodies.”

“I think the article is quite accurate in the intended context, but it shouldn't be taken as all encompassing because I remember a lot of those "Middle America" people that wanted to let the man who bombed the church in Birmingham off because he was old and it was a long time ago. There are a number of others guilty of rape, assault, etc in the South alone that Middle America would like to just leave in the past. But a key difference is that these are basically anonymous people, where Polanski is well known. That means his name will be usable in more rallies appealing to the more virulent portions of the conservative party. It makes for a great sound bite that doesn't require a lot of thought.”

“Socialism and fascism are opposing forms of govt, so that part of the argument is off. How is he violating the Constitution, and where was all this resistance when the Bush administration violated the 4th Amendment, the 5th Amendment, and was working on the 1st Amendment? When people weren't free to exercise freedom of speech if it was "too close" to the President (i.e.- anywhere he might actually see/hear it)? When an Act was signed into law that allowed the govt to incarcerate you at whim, hold you indefinitely without counsel, and not even tell anyone they had you?

When those crimes were going on too many people were silent, and now under a different President they suddenly find their voices and start going bat-sh** crazy. That's the vitriol we're talking about, that only (in large part) seems to have come along with the occupation of the White House by a Black man.”

“Hear hear!”

“If you look at who's talking (i.e. listen to the reasonable people) you'll note that they are saying some of the dissent is racist in tone, not all. And they have been trying to address the issues, but the other side is too busy being a whiny little b**ch.

Van Jones is not a communist.
ACORN has a few people who do wrong. If held to the same standard most of the major companies and contractors doing business with the govt are corrupt ( KBR, Blackwater/XE, Halliburton, a number of weapon contractors, etc).
We don't continually apologize, but it is time to make amends for being so damned arrogant, especially when people die because of it.
The Postal Service has problems, but at the same time no one else can economically deliver mail everywhere. UPS and Fedex are selective and pricey. Great for express stuff, but not too good at delivering a letter to Podunk, ME for $0.44.”

“But have you noticed that whenever other news services talk about companies taking job application, you always see a great number of minorities lined up waiting to apply? That part THEY won't show, cause it doesn't play into their "lazy minority" schtick.”

“But these are the same people that don't have a problem keeping a weapon program going that's not needed because it "keeps jobs". Isn't that using public funds as an ATM for redistribution?

Usually those "social justice schemes" are either a move to correct past injustices, or an attempt to make life better for society as a whole. Kind of in keeping with the "Christian values" they claim this country was founded on.”

“Actually he was busted due to witness identification. But he didn't use public funds, so most of the issue is between him and the Mrs. I've noticed in multiple cases past when they busted a madam or operation, they didn't feel the need to publicly identify all the clients even though a number were "public servants", and no one really raise da stink about that. So why should it matter with him?

I, for one, would love to see Spitzer let loose in attack mode with free rein to go after the bad guys. If for no other reason than lots of stuff suddenly gets cleaned up when the risk of exposure is raised.”

“I beg to differ. I think the 85% (myself included) are simply happy to HAVE coverage, not necessarily with said coverage. And the situation is getting worse. The system needs changing because what we have is highly inefficient and wasteful money-wise. By changing over to single payer we increase efficiency by reducing paperwork, cutting out levels of bureacracy, reducing overhead which allows more funds to go to care deliverence, and hopefully improving the nation's overall health, thus reducing high-cost critical care treatment.

The one person's death is only part of the overall subject, not the entire case.”

“What does ACORN have ot do with this? And for that matter, what's wrong with ACORN? They are simply getting minority voters registered and acting on behalf of the communities around the nation. Conservatives tend to invoke their name as a smoke screen for a lack of reasoned argument.

A better response would be with the lobbyists involved who knows what will happen.”

“In fairness you have to wonder how the Iranian families of the people we killed in a shoot-down of a civilian airliner 4 months before Lockerbie felt when we announed that after investigating the incident "we" deemed it a mistake (oops!) and they should be happy with monetary compensation and no punishment to the killers?

This is not to diminish the pain suffered by the families, simply a reminder that we are also responsible for causing great pain and should be cognizant of it.”

“We also bombed utility plants, restaurants where we thought we'd catch Saddam or his family members, and other targets dep within a heavily populated city. We killed lots of civilians!

There's also the general from Haiti we removed in 1994 who then moved to the States in a deal rather than facing justice for his crimes. Then there are the Cubans who have been actively involved in bombings in Cuba which killed civilians on purpose to try to destabilize Castr's govt. We aren't even trying to pursue them (votes from Florida more important than justice). Posada Cariles ring a bell?

And as to Joanne Chesimard/ Assatta Shakur: the trial was flawed, testimony suspect, and how did she shoot a trooper standing behind the car after she'd been shot in the back and couldn't even get out of the car on her own? And while you speak of the BLA, how about the high number of questionable shootings in the black neighborhoods by white police all during the sixties and beyond?

If any lesson is to be learned it is that justice depends mostly on money and position, and whether you are part of the right skin color group.”

“Wonder what they would think of the suggestion posted before to follow North Dakota's example and found a state bank that all state revenues woulkd be deposited into. This would enable them to leverage their funds and operate in the black.”

“Here's an idea: when the Republican protesters show up with their guns, the Liberals can bring their shotguns. At least then we know there will be a price to pay for trying to intimidate.

The point the author is trying to make is if they want to come to the meeting shouting and disrupting rather than discussing, then they need to get push back. Either we act like adults or kids in the schoolyard.”

“I can see your point. But I ask this question: Why haven't we turned Posada Carilles (did I get that right?) over to Venezuela for bombing a jet liner and killing 73 people? Isn't terrorism the same no matter who's "side" you're on? He didn't strike a military target, it was a civilian aircraft. Yet we keep him here supposedly because of immigration issues that take precedence to a murder trial. Because we don't like the govt that seeks to try him.

This is an atrocity, but we shouldn't talk until we are willing, as a country, to do the right thing.”

“I'm glad someone else has the same observation. I usually play a personal game watching of which semi-finalists will NOT match the Barbie-Doll image of tall, long hair, light skin, near runway model build. The Pacific Rim contestants get shafted almost every year, and it's still a rarity to get a dark-skinned winner (although Miss Trinidad-Tobago has won twice).

Maybe they should have judges from the Far East included to help change teh perception in judges of "beauty". Also I think Miss USA always makes it to the semi-finals as a ratings thing (to keep the audience watching), and also because most of the judges are Americans, so there is a subtle internal bias to give her good ratings.”