1. Palin: average isn't good enough

Comment #252560 by Bongdoper on September 23, 2008 at 10:58 am

"Nobody wants to give free abortions with tax payer dollars. I'm not paying for the mistakes of the permiscuous" So wrote Quantum Flux.

Make that "Nobody minus one" Flux. I would be happy to know my tax dollars are going for free abortions. I know this isn't an abortion thread, but I just had to correct your one assumption.

2. Wash. school board restricts Gore's global-warming film

Comment #17771 by Bongdoper on January 16, 2007 at 6:18 am

When I was in eighth grade (in 1972 in California), I had an English teacher who regularly spent a good deal of class time babbling about Jesus, and in general spewing us with a lot of his literal interpretations of the Bible. There was lots of fire-and-brimstone stuff thrown in, along with the usual Holy Spirit spookiness and, in general, a lot things that to me didn't make much sense.

They still don't, but back then I was naive (and hopeful) enough to believe that things will get better, and someday we won't be coerced into believing this nonsense. In eighth grade, I probably would not have put it in so many words, but my deeper insticts were telling me that this teacher was full of s--t, and that he was abusing his position.

Flash forward to today... How wrong I was! America is even more ignorant and frightened and cajoled into spooky religions, but today I do not sit there like the meek 8th grader I was. I 'call' people on their nonsense, and I no longer care what sort of mixed company I'm in. when someone tries to infiltrate a conversation or topic with their code-talk of religion. I'm having none of it.

Just because we no longer burn witches does not mean that we will never burn them again, and with that in mind - more people need to speak up. Being firm is not the same thing as being rude.... thank you Richard Dawkins.