Bush's new health care plan? Really? How much faith can I put in the word of someone who doesn't even know who our President is? :)

Not all gun users are bad people; not all bad people use guns as their weapons of choice; however, many people suffer or die from the improper, often criminal use of guns. Many people who commit violent crimes with guns do so impulsively. If they were forced to contemplate their crimes before committing them, many would change their minds. Most of those who wouldn't would commit their crimes regarless of the weapon used.

Guns, primarily handguns, are potentially lethal, easy to use weapons that criminals find ideal to commit their crimes. Guns are a usually easy way to intimiate their victims, but not all victims are intimidated. Some are infurated and fight back--it's fight or flight, you know. At that point in time, the would-be criminal becomes a potential victim himself, fighting back in the most expeditious manner available--he pulls the trigger, often killing or maiming the person who was merely trying to protect himself/herself. And how does this instant criminal repay the person he had just killed or maimed? He can't, even if he wants to.

The real problem here is that no one can predict who will use a gun improperly, hence the push toward gun control. It seems like a reasonable way to minimize the improper use of guns. That move, however, should be accompanied by much stricter laws to punish their misuse. If would-be crinimal knew in advance that just possessing a gun would result in a life sentence, he might be less likely to have a gun at all, don't you think? The same goes for careless parents whose children find a way to obtain their guns and ammunition.

I'm very much in favor of handgun control and much stricter laws to punish the law breakers.

The spouse of the first adulterer/ess. :)

The United States should join the rest of the civilized world by adopting socialized medicine. Our entire society is based on greed. Not at all healthy.

I'm amazed that the bulk of humanity hasn't become entirely misantrhopic. :)

What is needed, Paige, is a little more self-confidence.

Political, religious and social opinions are important to me, else I wouldn't have them. To me, person's views reflect their intelligence and personality; and those two charcteristics ARE important. :)

Assuming that what you say is true, how will adopting a positive attitude change the direction that our society is heading? I prefer to be neither optimistic, nor perssimistic, but realistic.

Benevolent dreams are the necessary percusors to benevolent actions, which occur far too infrequently amid the selfishness that prevails in the western world. Uneless something happens to change that pervailing selfishess, I suspect that nothing truly positive will happen to change the status quo.

Methinks, Lady2012, that you are a dreamer, that the changes you forsee are unlikely to happen anytime soon, certainly not within our lifetimes. As for the significance of the year 2012, I don't forsee it as anything other than any other year. If the Maya were so smart, why did they allow themselves to be assimilated by other, less enlightened culutres? And as for Eric Clapton, he and I share the same birthday, along with Van Gogh. It bears no intinsic value, either. But keep dreaming. Perhaps there will be enough people eventually to save the Earth. Perhaps not.

The Tea Party is comprised largely of poorly educated, religious exptremists, much like their Middle Eastern counterparts. Definitely NOT my cup of tea. :)

Cinco de Mayo is the Mexican independence day, just as the fourth of July is the US indepenance day. I agree that the steps taken against the students were, for the most part, unwarranted; but please get your facts straight before you speak. :)

Definitely see a doctor. If it's sprained, you'll need to wear a brace. Sprains are often more painful than breaks and sometimes take as long to heal.

I say "no" to people like Kings Knight. It seems that some people just can't be happy without slandering some people and speading misinformation about and among others. I'd like to suggest that these people pursue a liberal education, speaking only about things that they know well. For the time being, it appears that silence on their part is called for.

OMG! Start by getting your fact straight. Lincoln's wife was NOT named Kennedy, and he was a republican, not a democrat.

As for predetermination, I'll leave that to the Jehovah Witnesses. :)

I'd be 30 years younger.

Welcome, newbie. :)

Nice, suggestive photo. :)

I'll second that!

California? I spent a week there one day. :) All of the Hawaiian islands are beautiful, Kauai and Maui moreso than the others, but none will disappoint--unlesss, that is, you park your butt in some Waikiki hotel expecting that to be a Hawaiian experience.