mcurrier

It's almost that time people.

He's going to need one if he keeps this crap up.

Employees are crying for their smoke breaks now as it is. I can see them really balling for it. Yes, I do envision reefer madness. Each time something is decreased to a lesser degree of severity, we get further and further to complete anarchy. Step by step. Closer and closer. Eventually, EVERYTHING will be 'legal'. It's like termites and embezzlement. It happens in small bits, tiny increments, and at first is hard to noticed. But one day you wake up and wonder how you got to that place.

Uh Oh! Every time I see someone post "Ho Ho Ho" I feel compelled to post this -

I believe that would be the Penny man. I'll bet you a $5 bill.

I foresee 50 mini-countries in the very near future. Or 57 if you are Obama.

Billy Ray Valentine: Merry new year! Clarence Beeks: Happy new year. In this country we say "happy new year." Billy Ray Valentine: Ha, ha, ha, ha! Thank you for correcting my English, which stinks!

I was born politically incorrect. Merry Christmas!

yeah...sorry about that. It just seemed real appropriate to this thread for some reason.

A few more of the minority of politicians who have brains. God bless them! They have my support.

WELL SAID xreedx! Same here. French/German/Scotch. (NOT England. Nor did we come over on the Mayflower.)

All? Hmmm. I don't remember that. I personally know tons who aren't, but whatever. I thought we we speaking of the illegal ones mostly. Rant? Educational information maybe.

BTW, I don't care who comes to live here legally. Welcome! But this issue is one that causes me to like the idea of a flat tax/fair tax/national sales tax, or whatever you want to call it, to replace 'income tax'. That way everyone pays, there is no escaping. You buy something, the tax is paid. Whether you are a citizen, tourist, here legally or illegally. I would have a lot less problem with illegal immigrants if I knew that they were paying in just like the rest of us, rather than us footing the bill and them getting all of the benefits. Read this to try and understand - Joe Legal vs. Jose Illegal You have two families: "Joe Legal" and "Jose Illegal". Both families have two parents, two children, and live in California . Joe Legal works in construction, has a Social Security Number and makes $25.00 per hour with taxes deducted. Jose Illegal also works in construction, has NO Social Security Number, and gets paid $15.00 cash "under the table". Ready? Now pay attention... Joe Legal: $25.00 per hour x 40 hours = $1000.00 per week, or $52,000.00 per year. Now take 30% away for state and federal tax; Joe Legal now has $31,231.00. Jose Illegal: $15.00 per hour x 40 hours = $600.00 per week, or $31,200.00 per year. Jose Illegal pays no taxes. Jose Illegal now has $31,200.00. Joe Legal pays medical and dental insurance with limited coverage for his family at $600.00 per month, or $7,200.00 per year. Joe Legal now has $24,031.00. Jose Illegal has full medical and dental coverage through the state and local clinics at a cost of $0.00 per year. Jose Illegal still has $31,200.00. Joe Legal makes too much money and is not eligible for food stamps or welfare. Joe Legal pays $500.00 per month for food, or $6,000.00 per year. Joe Legal now has $18,031.00. Jose Illegal has no documented income and is eligible for food stamps and welfare. Jose Illegal still has $31,200.00. Joe Legal pays rent of $1,200.00 per month, or $14,400.00 per year. Joe Legal now has $9,631.00. Jose Illegal receives a $500.00 per month federal rent subsidy. Jose Illegal pays out that $500.00 per month, or $6,000.00 per year. Jose Illegal still has $ 31,200.00. Joe Legal pays $200.00 per month, or $2,400.00 for insurance. Joe Legal now has $7,231.00. Jose Illegal says, "We don't need no stinkin' insurance!" and still has $31,200.00. Joe Legal has to make his $7,231.00 stretch to pay utilities, gasoline, etc. Jose Illegal has to make his $31,200.00 stretch to pay utilities, gasoline, and what he sends out of the country every month. Joe Legal now works overtime on Saturdays or gets a part time job after work. Jose Illegal has nights and weekends off to enjoy with his family. Joe Legal's and Jose Illegal's children both attend the same school. Joe Legal pays for his children's lunches while Jose Illegal's children get a government sponsored lunch. Jose Illegal's children have an after school ESL program. Joe Legal's children go home. Joe Legal and Jose Illegal both enjoy the same police and fire services, but Joe paid for them and Jose did not pay. -

Wrong. Firstly, most of them are not immigrants, they entered this country illegally, hence defining them as illegal aliens. Most have NOT attempted to immigrate while adhering to our known and established immigration laws and procedures. They simply walked/drove/flew/crawled/climbed/swam across our joke of a border. Sure, I'd like to be instantly made a citizen on Monaco tomorrow and receive all of the benefits of citizenship, but that's NOT going to happen. If you're going to immigrate, do it the right and legal way. Many of them are hard working, however that does not redeem them from illegally entering this country. Many have their hands out and are draining our medical, school and welfare resources which are supposed to be for the use of actual citizens of this country, paid for by other citizens of this country. They see it as some worldly 'right' that they have to come here and put their kids in our schools and use our medical resources. And to clarify, when I say our, I am speaking of those who paid the taxes for these things to exist for our benefit. Not to have a bunch of sponges come here and soak it all up. And their own government even issues maps and other information on how to leave Mexico and come here illegally (there is even an iPod app now on how to illegally cross the U.S. border). Ironically, the actual immigration and entry laws of the country of Mexico are very strong, difficult and punishment is severe and harsh for violators of their entry/immigrations laws. How ironic! Where's the compassion for a poor American who wants a Mexican life? Crime statistics show that an alarmingly huge percentage of people in prison for violent crimes here in the U.S. are these illegal aliens. So let's not get all warm and fuzzy about their innocent intentions for being here. They work here illegally and send huge portions of money back to their own country. They are merely taking advantage of a situation of non-enforcement by this country that has allowed them to get away with many things. Illegally crossing the border was their first crime. Taking a job when they are not legally entitled to work here is another. If they get drunk and kill people with a car (as is very common, especially here in Nashville) after having been arrested and released multiple times, what do you tell the family of those killed? Sorry, but Juan was just seeking a better life, and, yeah, little Timmy is dead, but that's the way it goes. Why don't they go fix whatever is wrong with their own country rather than taking the easy out and coming here? Since the Garden of Eden there had been only one language until Babylon. Now all languages are foreign, if you want to be nit picky about it. Since English is and has been the predominant language of this country since structured government and society has dominated and saturated the land, that's the one we're going to stick with as the national language. It is irrelevant what language illegal aliens speak, regardless if 600 million of them were to flood into the country tomorrow. Just because they are increasing in numbers (illegally so) does not mean that we are going to be converting to their culture to accommodate them. That's already been the problem and magnet that has continued to draw them here. Businesses who give them jobs. Businesses who want to make more money from an increased customer base, so they have signs in their language and have 'press 2 for spanish' on their phone systems. And the liberal left only sees an increase in their voter base by kissing the butts of illegal aliens, damn the impact that adding millions of people to welfare rolls, medical services, EVEN social security (having not paid a cent into it!). If you feel the need to speak another language due to a feeling of guilt, or whatever, knock yourself out. Many people drive Toyota Prius cars for the very same reason - imagined guilt. Some elections are even won for that same reason. I guess you would have all other countries be sovereign except this one. That tells me all I need to know about your beliefs and political leanings. Would you then be inclined to say, "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need" ? Just curious.

That's not what I'm saying, AT ALL.

Yeah, it really pissed me off when I heard about this a few days after it happened. They try to sweep everything under the rug. What ever happened to the little punk that hacked Palin's email? Not a word in a year. What about William Jefferson, the lib caught with $90,000 in his freezer? Yeah, he got 13 years for bribery, but you will never hear about it from the so-called media. He's appealing, of course. He was caught in 2006 and re-elected later the SAME year! I guess his stupid voters like criminals. What about Charlie Rangle the tax cheat? What about Geithner the tax cheat? How do these guys keep sliding by when they are obviously full of corruption? I could write pages upon pages of corrupt people in government who simply get away with it.

People tend to congregate with those like them. No one forced them to be in these sections. 100% of people from China or Chinese decent are not to be found in 'China-town'. Many have spread around all over. Besides, if large groups didn't centralize in saturated areas I would have a hard time enjoying some good Italian food if there was no little Italy, or Laotian food if there was no little Laos. No one is forcing anyone to speak English, but if you come here and want to operate in this country, learn the language. If I move to France, I would expect to have to learn French. Why is it that other countries have much, much, MUCH tougher immigration laws than we do (i.e. Mexico!). Quebec has ordinances that enforce having business signage in French. These days, we would consider that to be oh so politically incorrect if a U.S. state or city had a similar ordinance concerning English. I go into two different Bank of America branches and 50% or more of the signs inside are in Spanish. That's b.s.! We are neither in Spain nor in Mexico. We are in The United States. Having a national identity means that when people ask you what your nationality is, your first answer is, "I'm an American." Not I'm Italian-American or Mexican-American, or African-American. You're either an American first or you're not. That's all I've got to say. If anyone wants to argue further, they either can't get it or just don't want to get it.

Good thing you're not a bridge burner like me then. I would have nuked that bridge on the way out the door.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, civilians owned better quality firearms than the military did. Firearms were not mass produced and the better ones were made by master craftsmen. Wealthy people could afford a custom quality firearm. Armies could not. A custom made and privately commissioned firearm was much more accurate and better quality than what the general military was using, especially in the Revolutionary War. Not much difference in the Civil War when comparing quality between private firearms and those made for the soldiers. A private soldier or mercenary could easily be better equipped than government soldiers. It was not until after WWII, Korea and Vietnam that government issued firearms exceeded the functionality of those available to the common citizen. If you have enough $ you can still buy plenty of different firearms that equal or exceed the quality of U.S. Military grade weapons. They can't give every soldier a $4,500 firearm. Sure, we can't buy stuff like Stinger missiles, or nukes, but the private citizen has every right to own the best quality firearm that he can afford, even if the military can't afford it. And if it happens to be better quality or function better, them's the breaks.

I paid $47 almost a year ago.

Legalize drugs...ummmmm...yeah..right... So let's say that marijuana and a few other drugs get 'legalized'. Where are people going to use these legal drugs? Can we be assured that they are only going to use them in the privacy of their own home and not leave until they wear off? I for one am not willing to bet my life on an increased percentage of irresponsible drug users driving around, operating heavy machinery on the job, operating on me in a hospital, and so on. "That wouldn't happen!" you say. Yeah? How do you figure? How would you monitor it? How would you enforce it? How many new laws would we need for different degrees of infractions? Kill someone with your car while toasted? "Mmmeh, no big deal". Amputate the wrong limb while jacked up? "Awww, it happens all the time with sober doctors anyhow, what's the problem?" And what about HCP? Can't drink while carrying, but now lighting up or popping a pill will be ok? "No" you say? Well...who's going to monitor and enforce all of this? It would be impossible.

Heard that!

??? Being of partial German descent and having a grandmother on that side who was a school teacher from the 1920's to the 1950's, that's the first I've ever heard of that other than perhaps in the Amish communities of PA. Lately, yes, but in the past (1920's-1950's, maybe broader) there had been large groups of immigrants that discarded the language of their former countries and gave preference to speaking English because they wanted to be 'Americans' now. Obviously this is now the exception rather than the rule. ????? Not sure what history book you got that from. Not any longer. They used to though. Being an American meant opportunity. Freedom. Freedom of opportunity. Do what you want (skill, craft, entrepreneurial-wise) and take the chance of making it big or failing. But the idea would be yours, not something that was dictated to you. People used to be proud to be Americans. I guess I am a member of a shrinking group that is still proud to be an American. If others would rather be something else...well, go to that country and have at it. But don't expect to have the benefits that citizenship in America provides you and call yourself something other than an American.

Those would be my thoughts precisely.