I was going to post this. Thank you.

maybe when he is Cheech and Chongs age,, but for now, (like the younger cheech and chong)it seems like the pot is pretty central to the image that earns his income,,

when did I mention shoplifters?,,,,,interesting....

what case has he won in FLORIDA in the past ten years?

Im saying a law professor who has not worked in Florida law, or as an actual lawyer(as opposed to a counsel to the lawyers) in over a decade, probably doesnt know as much about what the Florida courts require as a sitting Florida judge,,,and prosecutor,,,

last one I found was in 1984...(unless you count his counsel to OJ in 1995) as I said

the CURRENT legal representatives of Florida probably are more aware of Florida mandates than a Harvard Law Professor

alot here but I will try to address how common these issues are to both sides

1. as a christian, I may not even want a school teaching my kid about sex in the first place, in which case I can choose (like an atheist) to opt out and teach them what I want, how I want to, at home.

my personal view is that sex education does not have to include information on EVERY variation of sex, it only needs to explain how to not catch disease or where babies come from, , there is no NEED to address it as homosexual because the parts are the same regardless of the relationship,,MALE FEMALE,,,Vaginal or ANAL or oral,,,,

bringing sexual preference into it only forces parents children to be exposed to things which they may have no other reason to be exposed to,,,,children, regardless of sexual preference, do well to know where babies come from and know about the PARTS of the male or female human body.

I see it as more shoving sexual preference down impressionable kids throats to insist that homosexual be mentioned in a sex education class. Sex, Male , and Female along with the anatomy is really all thats relevant and common to EVERYONE.

2. The law doesnt forbid me from any relation I want. The law also does nothing to promote or encourage me to make the CHOICE to raise a child without a father, or to marry someone with the same parentage, than it promotes the choice of a homosexual to raise children with only one gender to guide them or to marry someone with the same anatomy.


I dont feel 'punished' because the law doesnt see my situation with EXACTLY the same privileges (or responsibilities) as those who have committed to each other before creating and raising a child together. THat is something that should continue to be encouraged as the most IDEAL gift we can give children for their foundation in a growingly complicated world.

3. As a christian, I can be prevented from raising my child if the other parent has more money or more resources because of the 'balance' that culture has legislated as expected or healthy for a child, much like the balance of mother and father that culture determines to be healthy for a child is often argued to try to deny homosexual pairings form raising children.

I dont agree with preventing people by law from raising there children for any reason but abuse. Im sure many atheists agree with me. Im also equally sure that there are many atheists who also arent too supportive of the idea of father father child rearing or mother mother child rearing. Although those who would oppose a biological parents right to raise a child must be the extreme on either side.

4. As a christian, it troubles me that people try to force the notion that humans are 'unchangable' in any character trait, tendency, preference or whatever, the same way it troubles non christians when the notion is forced that things like homosexuality CAN indeed be changed.

I believe before there were millions of christians, before there was a bible, there were people who believed those things or they would never have written them down. I believe its false logic to assume those particular objections are the effect of religion in isolation as opposed to culture, environment, and any other number of factors that help build an individuals 'values' as they grow and experience life. WE never hear people 'blame' christians for legislation against murder even though its a pretty specific CHRISTIAN doctrine. BUt people often 'blame' christians for any other restrictive legislation if they are able to find it anywhere in a bible. As if people would not possibly hold those values and opinions without religion.

5.As a christian, I often wonder why history only teaches about the 'good stuff' our founders achieved and doesnt mention any of their less than desirable actions or behaviors, to the point where they are REVERED even though they were no more or less flawed than any other person. I dont know that history really deals in sexual preference even of heterosexuals unless to mention whom someone was married to, nor do I understand what sexual preference would have to do with studying achievements.

Who a person is is not wrapped up in their sexual preference or their dietary preference or their taste in music. Giving people credit in history for their accomplishments does not require wrapping their identity up in those labels anymore than sexual preference has anything to do with what one has accomplished, unlike race or gender which are harder to hide 'in a closet' so to speak and out in the open for all to see and put obstacles up against. ANd bulling also doesnt require going into peoples preferences. Bullying is about behavior, it only needs to be addressed as an unhealthy and unfavorable behavior. The root cause of bullying is 'difference' of any type and that covers all subcategories of the bullied like smart kids, poor kids, fat kids, homeless kids, homosexual kids,,etc. ITs universal enough without making it ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY.

6. Behavior has to be visible to determine that its 'irrational'. Christians are highly exposed. What atheists do doesnt have quite the same open exposure. How often do you hear a news piece where they even mention someones affiliation with religion UNLESS they are religious? All those times its not mentioned at all, its possible those people are atheists but it isnt CALLED OUT in the same manner as it is for 'religious'.


in any case,, my point was only to say that we are all flawed, and we could all do to be more aware of whether we are addressing behaviors or just insulting humans,,,whatever our beliefs,,,

terrible option

there is actually a term for that which is disgusting but I dont remember it,, I remember in camp a few guys (none of which were particularly religious as I remember) stood up in a meeting to actually say they were going to go out that night and hunt for homosexuals,,,,,


,I think decent people anywhere would find that behavior disgusting, whatever their religious or non religious beliefs,,,

the piece says he is a LAW PROFESSOR (used to be attorney)

it would be interesting if he knew more than a CURRENT sitting judge and prosecutor...

obviously , they would be quite overworked if that were true

they have and always will be 'all over' issues that are close to them in some way

just as lp officers can sometimes be all over the 'thugs' they are so expert at identifying as well as what the solution should be for handling them,,,

cant please everyone

if he fought with them they would say he dictates
and if he doesnt fight they say he isnt leading

the part where we pick and choose which parts of the actual constition are 'constitutional',,,,

I havent witnessed any more of a 'dictatorship' than with any other president in my lifetime,, congress is running things as they mostly have and this president actually vetos less of those decisions than most,,,,

Well said. Facebook gets me too, how people dont understand that stuff goes PUBLIC for everyone to have free access to,,,,,


and even employers use it, although I disagree with the practice personally, because there is no assumption of 'privacy' once you post something in a public forum or do or say something in a public setting,,,

hey sneaks,,,when you want to make it a link type

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?


you need the word url inside of [ ] at the beginning of the web address and the word /url inside of [ ] at the end of the web address

alot of people are less computer savvy than we think. The link is the easiest way for such people to view something,,


many really dont know the other options

and the same holds true with fed taxes, dont like them,, move,,,,

Is privacy about what we wish to share or what we dont wish to be shared with us?


I see a dichotomy in our culture where so many are talking about how government should stay out of our 'private' lives, but at the same time there seems to be this big push to make people accept anything and everything others may wish to do or say in public

should nudity be private?
should sexual activity be private?
should relieving oneself be private?

how do we , as a society, find the balance between allowing people their right to privacy without completely trampling on peoples ability to have some security about what environment they will have their children in?

I know I am fine with heterosexual pda of the old fashioned kind. Gentle pecks, holding hands, hugging, but I dont care for my c hildren to be exposed to two people virtually making out with their clothes on.

I am fine with comfortable dress, but I dont care to see peoples butt cracks because their pants are too tight to cover them up if they sit or bend


how much should my 'comfort' be permitted to step on the toes of the next persons,,,?

I have hugged a few 'gays', my brother is gay and many of his friends have been like family,,,,I also have other gay family members whom I love dearly,,,and Im a hugger,,,lol

however, there is no reason I want a man outside in nothing but underwear (or a woman for that matter) to come up and hug me,,,,

I would take an occasional shove at my door that I can not answer or turn away, than the constant bombardment in media advertising and television,,,personally.

But my point was just that , beliefs aside, the common feeling of being bombarded by the pressure to accept what we dont believe is felt on both sides and that commonality could be a place to start building bridges and finding balance,,,

I think thats a common experience that christians and atheists could unite upon actually. As a christian, I sometimes feel that homosexuality and 'self centered' culture, is 'shoved' down my throat and dictated as a norm that I must accept or be labeled as homophobic, intolerant, bigoted,,etc,,,


I see promiscuity, violence, homosexuality, unwed parenting, vulgarity peppered throughout media and culture MUCH MUCH more than I do any of my christian beliefs,,,,and it upsets me too

but we have to find a way to allow a balance of these things without having to demonize one another to do so...