gary350

I never thought about this in terms of suicide, only as a fantasy in case I like lost my rig in freefall or had a double-total or something, but maybe it could be adapted. . . I figure if I was going in anyway, I would scan the ground for an open dumpster and track right into it. Reason is that I might be remembered as someone thoughtful who tried not to leave a mess. Seriously, for anyone contemplating suicide - seek out others who have been close in the past and ask them their story - how is life now? Things change in ways that in a specific time, you can't even imagine. . .

Justin - you have good arguments and express them well. I do ask myself the same questions, but just get a different answer.

Excellent - Thanks for putting it in terms that perhaps a few more people will understand.

One word: pendulum. Even if opportunities in this country now SEEM (to all you angry white males and others) equal for all, they are not. Hundreds of years of oppression and hate do not get mitigated in 30 - 40 years. After a few centuries of shameless racism and even genocide by the culture of this country, maybe, just maybe, the pendulum of fairness should swing just a teeny bit back the other way - maybe even a teeny bit past straight. . . It's not about race per se. It's about doing something to help right a great wrong. In a vacuum, discrimination of any kind, "reverse" or otherwise, is wrong. This country is not a vacuum.

>Have you read any independent (i.e. not written by the ACLU) information about them? Yes, and sometimes my reaction to certain things the ACLU does is dismay, anger, confusion. . . But, I try to stay open and understand the big picture. Sometimes I can't. One can strongly agree with the mission and ideals of an organization (or of a country for that matter), while disagreeing with some (or many) of its specific positions. In fact, I imagine it would be difficult to find any member (or staff member) that is not uncomfortable (or disgusted with, more likely) some of the ACLU positions, or lack of them. Still: "The ACLU, and groups like it, provides a real and needed voice against those who would seek to undermine the rights granted in the Constitution. If they did not exist, such rights would be woefully underrepresented. In a sense, they exist to remind us of the reasons for which the United States was founded: the freedoms that make us human."

Personally, I'm pretty well informed regarding the ACLU and the United States Constitution, not just the headlines about them. How 'bout you? From the ACLU Position Paper "Freedom is Why We're Here" (Quoted for the benefit of those folks with strong, almost visceral opinions that may not actually know what the ACLU is really about. . .) >The ACLU is frequently asked to explain its defense of certain people or groups - particularly controversial and unpopular entities such as the American Nazis, the Ku Klux Klan, and the Nation of Islam. We do not defend them because we agree with them; rather, we defend their right to free expression and free assembly. Historically, the people whose opinions are the most controversial or extreme are the people whose rights are most often threatened. Once the Government has the power to violate one person's rights, it can use that power against anyone. We work to stop the erosion of civil liberties before it's too late. In my own words, the Bill of Rights only works if it works for EVERYONE - Nazis, Christians, Muslims, Atheists, flag burners, NAMBLA (disgusting, but true) - so long as they are not breaking the law. WHAT IDEA IS MORE FUNDAMENTALY AMERICAN? Yes, the ACLU fights for separation of church and state. But did you know they are also there when the rights of Christians are threatened? You just don't hear about those cases, since they aren't as controversial as Skokie or NAMBLA. . . And let me add this - the ACLU is completely incapable of making or interpreting law. They may advocate for group and individual rights, but it is ultimately AMERICA'S COURTS that decide what is constitutional. Complete text of ACLU Position Paper here, in PDF: www.aclu.org/Files/OpenFile.cfm?id=10740 Also perhaps worth a read, for those who may have missed it, the US Constitution: www.in.gov/judiciary/rules/usconst/usconst.pdf Resistance to ignorance is NOT futile

IMHO: You sir, are woefully misinformed about the mission and values of the ACLU, along with the critical role they play in keeping America the kind of place our founding fathers created. Resistance to ignorance is NOT futile.

Two different thoughts. One is to talk to your county animal control officials, rather than the police. In my county, there is a very strict ordinance against animal noise that continues for more than 15 minutes. >(Lane County, Oregon) 7.115 Continuous Annoyance. An animal owner who permits any animal to cause annoyance, alarm, or noise disturbance for more than 15 minutes at any time of the day or night, be it repeated barking, whining, screeching, howling, braying or other like sounds which can be heard beyond the boundary of the owner's property commits a Class C violation. If you document the offense and file a complaint, an animal control officer will first give a warning, then start issuing tickets with increasing fines. When personally faced with a noisy dog problem, I wasted a lot of time and emotion before figuring out that these are the people who can help. Next tack - purely hypothetical, untried, possibly not good. Needed: signal generator capable of sustained 20,000 Hz + modulated output; Amplifier (really big - perhaps measured in KW); Big horn speaker capable of handling above specs. You probably get the idea. . . Crank that sucker up by day - the beast will either be all barked out or insane by night. No human will hear it.

Seen on a bathroom stall in Oklahoma: Here I sit, My cheeks a-flexin', Giving birth to another Texan! (expression in above poetry does not necessarily represent the personal views of the poster. . . )