Comments on: 2nd Cuppa (or: Not Fully Awake)

By: Lara Croft

Lara Croft — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 23:25:00 +0000

This is an awesome post. A discussion to have sitting in the lake…but with my broken arm it is too hard to type so it will have to wait.

By: DBB

DBB — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 22:39:00 +0000

Great post – very interesting. I sometimes think of my own blog as thinking out loud. Sometimes I rant, sometimes I just comment. I don’t think there are any perfect answers – that’s probably why I’ll never be in either of the main political parties, probably why I’m a libertarian – if no one can say for sure what the best course of action is, perhaps it is best to let everyone decide their own course as much as possible.

One small thing I just can’t stop myself from mentioning – the whole brain use thing – as far as science is concerned, we use every single one of our living neurons, all of us. So the notion that we don’t use some % of our brain is just simply false. Now, this doesn’t mean that we all live up to our potential, in terms of what we can do with our lives if we dedicate ourselves to something. And it doesn’t mean we know exactly how all those neurons work, but we do know for sure that they do all work and all of them are used in one fashion or another. So I just had to get that off my chest…

On to the rest – I agree with you also that (for some things, at least) taking a stand one one side or another is at best premature, given the lack of information to make a good decision. I’m quite content to have the answer to a question be ‘I don’t know’ – I like to discuss things. Sometimes I end up changing my mind by the time I’ve finished writing something – I usually end up somewhere other than where I thought I would when I started typing. Or I did not know where I would end up until I got there.

I think there is great value in discussing things in an open-ended way. People can be stubborn about changing positions – I know I have been – it is a natural human tendency. I try not to be ideological. I call myself a libertarian with a small-l, not affiliated with any party.

Now I realize I don’t know where I was going with this, so I’ll end now… and get back to reading the rest of your comment that brought me here…

By: Thorne

Thorne — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 18:44:00 +0000

Betmo and anna, thank you so much for your heartfelt and thoughtful comments.
Betmo, I do know how you feel:i realize i am jaded and cynical- but people on both sides of the political spectrum have left me cold. but if we allow despair to kill hope, we go down without our children and grandchildren even getting a chance...

Anna, I agree that I think that everyone has to ask themselves these questions before they get involved in any type of debate, and I think that is the problem; or a big part of it. People "decide" on a stand without really examining it and all if the ramification, and how one "stand" may well contradict another. Or, because they don't care to look to their "dark side", or consider a question fully, they disengage completely in apathy.
IMO the hatespeech will never stop until it no longer receives an appreciative audience. That is, as always, an uphill battle against separation and ignorance. Lets keep fighting!!!

By: Anna

Anna — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 18:22:00 +0000

I’m biased in a lot of this stuff. One, I have a mental illness and know how that feels and to be shunned by society. Have I gone out and shot anyone…no, but then again…I was offered help, I have a supportive family. Not everyone has that in their life. Do I believe there needs to be gun control…yes. Do I own a gun…no. Have I ever thought about owning a gun…no, I prefer knives…lol…All joking aside though I understand the dilemna’s (?sp) with gun control and agree that most of the blame falls on lack of parenting and locking up the gun at home. Death penalty…do I believe in the death penalty…sometimes…I’m the type of person that takes it case by case…I’m an activist and trust me, I’ve asked myself all those questions…could I flip the switch…no. If it was my child that was raped, murdered, beaten could I flip the switch…no. If I was raped or beaten would I accept the death penalty for the person…no. If a family member was murdered would I accept the death penalty for that person…no. I think that everyone has to ask themselves these questions before they get involved in any type of debate. Yes, your life is going to come into play in your decision as with me and the vt shootings. Do I blame the school…no, do I blame the innocent victims…no. Do I blame Mr. Cho…no. I blame a society that ridicules and are obviously uneducated about mental illnesses. This is getting too long…lol. Anyway, greatly enjoyed the post. Oh and btw, even though I’m for freedom of speech the racist/sexist shock jock…I’m glad he was fired…do I believe in freedom of speech…yes. Am I a woman…yes. Am I african american…yes. My life played a factor in my decision. Have a great weekend.

By: betmo

betmo — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 13:13:00 +0000

thorne- i share many of your thoughts that you posted. when i started my blog- i felt very much the same way. i am usually all about dialogue- and reaching a consensus and reaching out and living and left live. i used to have faith that the laws in my country would safeguard- at the very least the constitution- right to free speech and bearing arms and whatnot. i don’t have faith in my leaders to do the right thing and i don’t have faith in my fellow americans not to have me hauled off to a detention center for leaning left. i agree that moderates need to come together and the poles need to go back to their ends and simmer down- but now that the genie is out of the bottle- you can’t put it back in. the sad part is- we don’t even get 3 wishes. i am not saying it isn’t possible to get folks together and start repairing this country- i just doubt that it will happen in my lifetime. i realize i am jaded and cynical- but people on both sides of the political spectrum have left me cold.