John Gilliland

Reply to Iran Warns of Pre-Emptive Strike in International JoeUser Forums

Well said, Pearlcaster. John Gilliland

Reply to Iran Warns of Pre-Emptive Strike in International JoeUser Forums

Mr. Muggaz, You are right to suggest there is no nation with the moral high ground to denounce the preemptive first-strike. But what you fail to consider is the premise that there is nothing wrong with a first strike, when a nation's very existence (Israel 1967, 1972) or national security (Gulf War I & II) is threatened. There is no highrer responsibility for any government than to preserve the existence and security of the nation-state. If

Why Do People Hurt Children? in Politics JoeUser Forums

I am writing this as a way to immortalize a little girl who is probably dead. I do not know Patricia Ann Miles. I have never had the pleasure of meeting this beautiful 7-year old girl. I can tell by her picture (http://www.asp.state.ar.us/mnaa.html) that she must be a spunky, vibrant child with a zest for life. She looks to be well cared for and interviews with he

Reply to Does Gay Marriage Have to Be Called Gay Marriage? in Politics JoeUser Forums

I rather think many of you have strayed from the original thread here. My point is not to argue the legitimacy of of same-sex marriage. By definition, if such a union is recognized by a governing authority, it is legitimate within the scope of that authority. My singular point is that much would be solved if we took the word "marriage" out of the secular and placed in firmly in the realm of the parochial. If this means legislation equalizing the p

Does Gay Marriage Have to Be Called Gay Marriage? in Politics JoeUser Forums

Is same-sex marriage worth ripping America apart? It's likely a question people found themselves asking during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950's-1960's. But this is the only parallel one can draw between the two issues and remain intellectually honest. The Black fight for equality centered on perceptions and treatment based on an unchangeable gen

Reply to Racism is Killing America in Politics JoeUser Forums

I appreciate all the positive and negative feedback. I apologize for any misunderstanding in my "spade-a-spade" reference. My intention was to viscerally illustrate my point that people used to speak their minds, pefore P-C became the norm. I did not mean to offend.

Racism is Killing America in Politics JoeUser Forums

Racism is real. Racism is insidious. Racism costs this country billions of dollars in lost productivity and untold litigation. But how do you define racism? How do you prove racism in today's sanitized P-C society? These are questions Black Americans must wrestle with every day. These are questions I have only just come to grips with, as a White man married to a

Still Time For Kerry...Still Time For Bush in Politics JoeUser Forums

The short-sightedness of Americans watching the tug-of-war between George W. Bush and John Kerry, over the Presidency, is amazing. How easy it is to forget that the election takes place on the first Tuesday of November...not tomorrow...not last month. Pundits on both sides have called this race for their respective candidates, both sides using the same figures, spun

Democrats Are More Dangerous Than Any Prison Scandal in Republican JoeUser Forums

Polaroids of Iraqi prisoners in various poses...nude and simulating sex acts...are making the rounds on all the news channels, and in diplomatic circles...like dirty pictures of a dirty secret. President Bush calls the abuses they depict, "abhorrent." His opponents and enemies say they are the tip of the iceberg...a cold, sharp mountain of failed policies and a sad

The Dawn of a New Blog Age in Welcome JoeUser Forums

Yes...this is the dawn of a new era in blogging. I have now ventured into a new arena...a new venue. After more than a decade of writing for newspaper, radio, television and internet news services, I am now blogging. Come back soon to read some of the most insightful political and social punditry this side of "The McLaughlin Group". I envy you your first experi