I read some statistics, presented here last week, that divorce rates are lower in the northeast than in the red sates, and furthermore, family value seems to be more observed there as well. But that is an aside.
I would like to take this opportunity and ask all posters to please refrain from rabid attacks on each others. Labeling and comparison to Hitler and fascists as well as to the KKK simply is not productive. I cannot spend the time to read all posts and cull those offensive one, so please exercise self disciplines, caricatures of Bush as a brown short are not welcome here, nor is comparing democrats to the KKK.
There are real serious issues that can be debated on this thread. Pick one and be serious about it.
Here are some burning issues IMHO.
1. Social security: Privatization of part of it. First issue is yes or no. If yes, second issue is how? The same way individual controls their IRA?
2. Health care problems. Our country spends close to 15% on health care vs about 10% in "Socialist Europe" and less than that in Canada. And, we do not get the quality of health care these countries deliver to their citizens. Are we incompetent? Have we let insurance companies and other "middle men" take too big a chunk of the pie and develop extremely inefficient and costly bureaucracies? Are we really that much more stupid and inefficient than those socialist regimes?
3. Drugs. Drugs are cheaper in Canada and Europe, because these systems negotiate bulk deals with the drug companies (you can call it "price control, if you wish). Here, by law, the largest provider of medical services, Medicare/Medicaid is prohibited from negotiating large buys from the drug companies. As a result, US citizens are essentially subsidizing Europe's and Canada's drugs. Is that the best way to do business? What solutions could be presented?
4. Is homosexuality really a choice or a god (or nature) inflicted problem on some member of our society. I believe it is the latter, and if that is the case, a compassionate Christian, Jew or Moslem, would try and find a way to integrate in society rather then ostracize such people. T A way should be found to do that without impacting the sensitivities of million Americans that view these afflictions as a cardinal sin.
I would suggest that the issue should be completely separated from the sexual behavior of such people. I think that in our country, the court have long decided that what consenting adults do in the privacy of their bedroom is their and theirs only affair. Handle it without the issue of sex and procreation, and I am sure that both sides can compromise on solutions acceptable to all. Homosexuals should stop their campaign to recognise their relationships as "completely equivalent" to those of heterosexuals and come up with a series of simple and non offensive (to religious people) arrangement that can be codified into laws granting them certain, if not all rights and duties, heterosexual couple have.
Here are four issues that can and should be discussed in a rational non acrimonious way, and without labels, or we end up with too much lacrimose.
