Lethal Injection: Inhumane?

The Sumpreme Court is scheduled to hear a case on whether lethal injection is humane. Opponents of lethal injection claim that if it is not done perfectly, it can cause excrutiating pain. Someone please explain to me why this is a concern. So what these people are saying is that people like Timothy McVay deserve a peaceful, painless release from the horrible crimes that they comitted? In my opinion, lethal injection is too mild in the first place. Inmates on death row are people that kill people. Is there anyone out there who thinks that a little bit of pain from an injection comes anywhere close to making up for the pain that they caused their victims and their families? There is a reason that people are put on death row: they don't deserve to be here anymore. I'm not saying that America should go back to be-heading or hanging but seriously, give me a break. A little prick in the arm and that's all? And now we want to make it even milder? What happened to suffering the consequences of one's actions? The only comfort that I can take from this is that hopefully they will get what they deserve in the long run.

Nice one, Mike

Although this really isn't related to politics, it is news and I figured that whoever didnt know this already could at least have a good laugh. Everyone knows about Michael Vick's recent arrest and trial concerning dog-fighting and his funding of those rings, but apparently Michael felt that he was slipping out of the spotlight a little bit and needed to spice things up. Earlier this month, Michael Vick violated one of the conditions of his release by testing positive for marijuana. ...What a jack-ass. Honestly, you almost have to think he did this on purpose. It would take a whole new breed of idiot not to realize that that would probably be a bad idea with your sentencing coming up in less than two months. The guy had it all...endorsements, fame, a ton of money, and most importantly, a professional football career. People like him do not deserve anything that is given to them. He is a complete disgrace to professional sports and is doing the NFL a dis-service by furthering the stereotype of pro football players being "thugs". The NFL should ban Vick from the league on the grounds of plain stupidity if nothing else. Sorry about the rant but this case hits home a little more for me when I realize that this idiot is representing my city and can't take a little more pride in the positions he was GIVEN. (I say given because he certainly hasn't earned it since coming to Atlanta.)

Tatoos: The Mark of a Bad Tennant?

There is a big stir surfacing as the result of a San Antonio couple being denied the oppurtunity to live in a private appartment complex because of the husband's abundance of tatoos. The couple is outraged, saying that the rules of the complex are discriminatory. As far as I'm concerned, whether the rule is fair or not is an irrelevant matter. The complex is a private establishment and I think that they should have the right to deny anyone the privelege of living there. Obviously, the complex strives to maintain a certain type of appearance and although it may be closed-minded and unfair, they reserve the right to make their community what they want it to be. People need to stop being so concerned about things being unfair and discriminatory and just let people live the way they want to live. Chances are, if the couple were to move in to that appartment complex, they would not be happy with their neighbors anyway. People need to stop whining and just let people have some things to themselves.

GM Strike

Workers at General Motors Corporation walked out of the plant Monday in order to demand job security guarantees from the company. I think that this is a very lofty demand from the union. They are asking GM to guarantee that their new designs and ideas will catch on and be successful with the american public. Some experts say that GM is already falling behind the asian auto markets in many different areas. With this in mind, how can the union honestly expect GM to ensure job security when they can't even ensure the security of the company?

Global Warming Talks

At a U.N. meeting recently, a huge push came from many nations to take action in the effort to slow global warming. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said that the time has come for "action, action, action."

"The 175-nation Kyoto pact, which the U.S. rejects, requires 36 industrial nations to reduce carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases."

I think that although many people go overboard with the tree-hugging, ultra-environmentalist "save the universe" campaigns, some steps do need to be taken to conserve the environment and they should be taken relatively soon to improve the quality of life of future generations.

Security Teams Practice Behavior Analysis

Recently, the government has been training security screeners in airports and other areas of mass transit to "weed out" possible terrorists based on patterns in their behavior and facial expressions. Since January of 2006, these specialized screeners have referred about 40,000 different travelers, with about 300 of them being arrested for carrying concealed weapons and drug trafficking. At first glance, this statistic may not seem like a big deal...almost a waste of time. But if you really look at the numbers, that's almost 300 possible terrorist attacks that have been stopped by the screeners. Civil Libertarians and Democrats are saying that these new techniques violate personal privacy and facilitate racial profiling. I may be wrong on this, but I think that if most people were asked, they would sacrifice a little bit of privacy to ensure that they would be safe in their travels. And on the issue of racial profiling, I personally would say "get over it". It's a fact of life that people will be more suspicious about people that are different and look like they "don't belong" in that area. This is true of any country in the world, probably moreso than the United States. People should be a little more understandingof the fact that security is there for our protection. If a black, asian, hispanic, or muslim person wants to screen me because I look suspicious to them, that's fine. I would rather sacrifice the rights of the few for the protection of the many.

OJ at it again

OJ is in trouble with the law again and I have to say, I'm really not surprised. Personally, I'm through with OJ and I really don't care what is going on with him. I am ready for this whole deal to be over so we can get some real news on TV again. Between OJ and Britney, there is no time for anything else. I think it's a shame that someone who had everything going for him and is arguably one of the best football players to ever play the game just can't stop screwing up. Nobody will remember him for his accomplishments on the field. They will only remember him for killing his wife and the scandal he is involved in now and to me that seems like such a waste.

9/11 Memeorial Ceremonies

Today, in order to remember and pay respects to those who died in the attacks in 2001, millions of people participated in memorial ceremonies all over the country, specifically at Ground Zero. Many people are beginning to wonder how much longer we should keep recognizing the anniversary of the tragedy. As far as I'm concerned, paying respect to the heroes and victims of that tragic day should never stop. It does not have to be some grandiose, marathon memorial but I don't think that a few minutes of silence or rememberance, one day out of the year is too much to ask for the most devestating tragedy in the history of our country. But it should not stop there. 9/11 should also be viewed as a day to recognize, not only the heroes that died that day, but those who put their life on the line day in and day out to watch over us. Being the son of a fireman, I may be bias but I feel that those people deserve to be recognized every now and then for what we so easily overlook. Like I said, nobody should be expected to devote their entire day to memorials and ceremonies 6 years after the event, but its the least we could do to take just a moment to remember that day and those who lost their lives. And next time you happen to see a fireman, stop just for a second to thank them for what they do. It's nice to know that bravery and selflessness don't go unnoticed.

China steps-up on safety inspections

In a reaction to the overwhelming amount of recalls on Chinese products such as toothpaste, pet food, and toys, Chinese president, Hu Jintao, told President Bush that China was taking measures to be more vigilant in their safety inspections of these toys. This should help ease the minds of some Americans who were concerned by the recent mass recalls of their Chinese products. Regardeless of promises that Jintao might make, this can't be good for the stereotype of generally "cheap" chinese products.

Bush: 'Fewer American forces' possible in Iraq

On a surprise visit to an Iraqi air force base on Monday, President Bush said that it may be possible to maintain the current level of security in Iraq with a fewer number of troops. Im glad to see that many more of our troops will most likely be coming home soon, but I am just as glad to see that they may be coming home based on results of the war effort rather than cowardly politicians' reactions to protests and negative media. I am 100% percent for bringing the troops home asap but I am not ignorant enough to think that a hasty mass withdrawal is a good idea.

"In other words, when we begin to draw down troops from Iraq, it will be from a position of strength and success, not from the position of fear and failure," said President Bush.

It is easy to see that all of the troops are in good spirits and believe in the efforts that THEY are making for US. The only people that seem to be against the war effort are those that are watching from the outside and making judgements based solely on what they see on CNN. Whether you respect the leader of our country or not, those that are fighting to make our country a safer place for people like you and me deserve your unbridled support and prayers. Everyone is certainly entitled to their own opinion, but before you make an assumption or negative comment about the war effort, stop to think about what is important.

With this in mind I'm proud to see that our President has a backbone and is commited to doing what is right and best for our country rather than what is popular.