Hey Gip, Don't worry about the lettter in yesterday's paper-- he doesn't bother me at all.  Let's be thankful we live in a place where he has as much right to express his opinion as we do.  It's certainly not the first time I've been personally denounced in the 'letters' section, although it is the first time it's happened because I took a liberal (excuse me, progressive) position.   Thankfully he didn't call me at home like some have done.  At least I don't think he did (I'm working so I haven't been home since 7 AM yesterday).  Like I said a few weeks ago:  I'm now much more than famous, I'm infamous.   Maybe we should invite Warren to join our little group here.  I have a feeling Sandi, Dave, and/or David Horn could quickly neutralize him, or at least round the corners off his bluntness.

I must say though, this guy reached a new low when he implied that I have the credentials to sit on the editorial board of the RT.  That would be like setting a diamond into a piece of rhinestone jewelry.  Wait a minute -- the more I think about it, the better the idea sounds.  That group is certainly in need of an exquisitly conservative jewel such as myself.   I'm a philanthropic, service-oriented guy, and if I can give of myself to make our valley a better place....  

The most delicious irony of the whole situation is that the letter writer apparently doesn't know that I am usually a staunch advocate for lower taxes except in certain specific situations such as transportation.  He and I might have more in common than he realizes.  Wait a minute -- I don't like the way this is going.

Betty Price:

Like it or not, some of the properness that we ole' fuddy-duddies HAD to live by (oops) and expected others to do likewise, has become relaxed and in some cases, disappeared.

Betty:  I am enjoying your grammar lessons tremendously!  I hereby give you permission to critique and correct any of my posts.  If I had know that I would grow to love writing I might have paid more attention in my English classes, and I do remember a few things, such as not ending a sentence with a preposition.  I still have my college grammar textbook so I am able to look things up were I not so lazy.  (Hmmmm "were I not so lazy" sounds a little clumsy -- wonder if that's correct.)   I think my major weakness is overuse of commas.  Rather than following the rules, I tend to put them in where I want my reader to pause.  As for apostrophes, judging by a lot of the writing we see today, one would assume that the new rule is: "when in doubt, insert one."

Dave Hanson:

For the sake of full disclosure, I am a card-carrying member of the ACLU, although I don't have a bumper sticker or t-shirt to announce it.  It's not a dirty little secret; I just prefer not to "wear my politics on my sleeve" (or lapel, or bumper).  I've let my membership slip from time to time, but I first joined the ACLU about thirty years ago, and I'm pretty sure I am active now.  Why?  Because I was a young and naive left-wing liberal atheist antiwar hippy punk in the 1970s.. and now I am an older version of the same.  Not really.  None of that, actually. 

Dave, I'm itching to reply to the ACLU topic if I can find the time to do it right.  I don't want to just throw something out there that you can demolish while you're eating lunch.  Interesting description of yourself from the 1970's. (Aside: Betty, I've only recently started using apostrophes with plural numbers because my college textbook gave me permission.  What's your opinion?)  Subtract the "atheist" label and add "ignorant," and you pretty much described me as well.  My army dog tags were stamped "no preference" in the religion slot, but that only indicated my confusion at that point in my life.  I have never seriously doubted the existance of God -- only my relationship to him.  Interesting how age tempers our idealism and leads most people to a more conservative bent.  I voted for Jimmy Carter in '76 and I can remember looking to him the way many people look toward our current President.  Sadly, by the time 1980 rolled around I had become disenchanted and voted for RR.  I guess we need to realize that it's impossible for any leader to ever fulfill all our hopes and dreams, and I believe that is a good thing.  It means that we have high hopes and lofty dreams. 

Gibson Brown:

May I run a tab on this tutor thing? Thanks again, Gip

I think you know more than you let on, Gip.  A majority of the population would have used "can" instead of "may,"  to which Betty, fine teacher that she is, would have replied, "I don't know, can you?"

Sandi Saunders:

Wow, Gip, Leesa, Clonnie and John, who knew that being brave enough to dare an opinion would get you hate or fan mail?  If it was your first, get used to it.  Hats off to The Roanoke Times for even printing the critique, I'd like to say they shouldn't have, but how else to know what you are up against.  Keep fighting the good fight, you are the heroes and Mr. Ferguson is the skunk at the picnic

:)

I hadn't noticed those actually, but that was interesting to read Sandi.  I've gotten hate mail before for writing letters to the editor on topics where people vehemently disagreed with me.  In one the person said I should get hit by a car the next time I cross the street.  Thankfully, their hollow threat never came through.

Clonnie..."I'm a philanthropic, service-oriented guy, and if I can give of myself to make our valley a better place..."

Clonnie, you give, and you give, and still you desire to give more. Having lost every material thing I had aquired to date in which I THOUGHT was important in a total loss house fire on this very lot in bee-ewe-tee-full *Salem, Virginia(*see brainwashed) back in 2001, I can attest Fireman are indeed 'givers'<(dang-it...Betty?)>. Salem's finest truly risked life to save life. You may come across as a happy go lucky philanthropist, but your heart is huge, and the ruse of your heart being made of stone is over. Sorry about cousin IT showing his rear, and dragging your good name through mud...moonshine does funny things to people. Obviously there is a glitch in the ole family tree of mine not too far back(insert banjo music here). This is my last reference to my rude awakening yesterday. Back to the business of saving the world, one topic at a time. Gip

Liniel..."Gip, my friend:  I'll start with you since you are the most recent post on Prisons.   Thanks for your comments, or perhaps I should say the lack thereof, but I am wondering why we always talk about trains when actually I'm in the trucking business?  Have a great day."

'Linnie' if I may, I believe it was your common sense advice to living well just before my love of T-bone steak took a hit, that started the "All Aboooooard" reference. I respect wise people, and hence yourself and this way cool Panel of ours. You can run my Maglev train any time you so desire. Gip

Gibson Brown:

am working hard towards sponsorship, and putting my big ole bucket head mug on ESPN from the world finals in Mesquite Nevada this October.

Keep us posted so we can watch!

Gip...am working hard towards sponsorship, and putting my big ole bucket head mug on ESPN from the world finals in Mesquite Nevada this October.

Leesa..."Keep us posted so we can watch!"

Hey Leesa, you obviously have mistaken me for some humble guy. I will keep you posted. Gip

Luanne Traud:

According to a Pew Center on the States study, about one in every 31 adults in this country is in jail or on supervised release, a rate nearly five times the world's average. Why is that, and what should be done about it?

As y’all may have noticed, I have “wimped out” on answering this week’s question.  I am at a loss as to why we have such a large number of inmates, except for the obvious reason:  the accused persons were prosecuted to the letter of the law.   The root of the problem is the laws themselves.  In order to reduce the number of inmates, we first have to re-write the laws.  I’m not ready to tackle that subject yet.

Tap tap tap...is this mic on? Hello? Test 123. Some dang (enter stereotype of choice here) has stolen one of the stars from our 5 star rating this week. What could account for such a thing? OK...I swear there is like a 15 or 30 day period where one may not habitually write and be printed in the letters to the editor section. Please Panel, come back...LUANNE! Next Topic please? Serve refreshments? Gip

Gibson Brown:

Please Panel, come back...

Plenty to say, Gip, but no time to say it, cause I have promises to keep -- and grass to cut before I sleep.  And grass to cut before I sleep.  Later....

Gibson Brown:

 

Tap tap tap...is this mic on? Hello? Test 123. Some dang (enter stereotype of choice here) has stolen one of the stars from our 5 star rating this week. What could account for such a thing? OK...I swear there is like a 15 or 30 day period where one may not habitually write and be printed in the letters to the editor section. Please Panel, come back...LUANNE! Next Topic please? Serve refreshments? Gip

Gip, I'll be back with you Friday and a new topic. Anyone with a suggestion should send me an e-mail.

As to the stars, I think I figured it out. Put your cursor over the star bar. It should light up. Fill in as many stars as you think the discussion is worth. Your rating will be averaged with other ratings.

Marvin Foster:

We can't display the ten commandments in public buildings and can't speak God's name in prayer at public meetings and wonder why we have a problem with crime.

They don't display the Ten Commandments in public buildings and speak God's name in prayer at public meetings in Russia, and their crime rate is lower than it is in the U.S.  Likewise Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and, well, at least fifty other countries, all with lower crime rates than the U.S., and no government display of the Ten Commandments. 

It is hard to imagine a person commiting crimes simply because the Ten Commandments are not posted in buildings where he happens to go (unless it might be someone who took it upon himself to go around drilling holes and posting them without permission); but if posting the Ten Commandments would truly lower the crime and incarceration rates, we might be persuaded to advocate for it.  Still, there is that rascally Supreme Court, and that darned First Amendment.

Dave, using Ricky's computer while he is napping.

I think you missed the symbolic point that Marvin was making.  Check out Tibet and Bhutan for example where there is virtually no crime and they endlessly pray, spin prayer wheels, give you silk prayer scarfs, bow down, lie prostrate, worship idols, etc.,etc.    And, if Russia, Canada, UK, Germany, France at 50 other countries are so great, how come everyone's not moving their citizenship and families there ?

Linnie going to home sweet home.