Having grown up in the Chicago burbs – I find it rather amazing the amount of coverage this latest Chicago teacher strike is garnering. Maybe it is because this is the first such strike in quite a while? Because I recall the CPS having strikes virtually annually when I was young.

Slow news cycle maybe? Mittens hasn’t jammed his foot down his throat far enough this morning?

As for private schools being “too strict” – I went to private grade-school (parochial) for K-8, then chose the local public high-school. It was notable that the kids from the Lutheran and Catholic grade schools consistantly got better grades, were better behaved in class, and had a stronger work-ethic than those who had attended the public grade schools.

Not all of my teachers in EITHER school were “wonderful”, in fact, I can remember some really ghastly individuals who should NEVER have chosen teaching as a profession. And because of those individuals, I do think that there needs to be a system for weeding out those who really should have chosen to be elevator-installation-technicians or marine biologists instead of teachers. I am not sure that Rahm’s method is right, however.

Boy, we sure do like to beat up on ourselves over here, don’t we? It’s like we all have catholic upbringing or something. Yes, I know the US hasn’t been lily-white and pure of heart and action. Yes, I know we aren’t universally loved.

But isn’t Islam supposed to be the Religion of Peace? When exactly are the
ME followers of the prophet supposed to grow up and learn to control their own emotions (and erections) instead of blaming them on other people?

American imperialism disgusts me. However, so does Islamic hysterical-ism.

Thanks, Guys!

Honest question here…

Is it considered bad form to go wading or swiming in the Sea of Galilee as a rule or no? I never thought about it before, and I know it has that whole “sacred” thing going for Xtians, but is there any official rule/law that prevents using it recreationally? (The nudity bit I can understand being wrong – you can’t legally skinny-dip most places)

You missed the point, tammanytiger. Why wait for George Soros? Why wait for the Democratic party, or one of its offshoots? Why do we need their money/authorization? Why can’t we take OUR country back by doing something about it OURSELVES, instead of waiting for some organization or billionaire to do it for us?

Since it appears that voter ID laws are going to be a problem nationwide this year, what say we work on a solution instead of crying about the problem?

Yes, ACORN was disbanded, and the League of Women Voters has slacked off lately – but why not work on a different solution? Most areas have a government run registration place – mine is at our Village Hall – to register to vote. How about if those of us who want to help, find those potential young, old, poor, etc. voters, and drive them to the places they need to go – to register, or to obtain necessary ID?

If every person I’ve seen complain online (not just here) were to give assistance to just 2 people, I suspect that the problem could be vastly mitigated. This DOES NOT MEAN that I think we should stop trying to block these laws and voter purges. It means that we need to find ways around them until we succeed in overturning.

Well, so THAT is the rock that Jimmy O’Keefe has been hiding under. I wondered why there had been no new faked videos for a while even though Andy Not-so-Bright Bart is still dead.

Yes, there was a large police presence this last week WRT the NATO meetings. I am surprised that anyone would take that as being wrong. There are protestors – yes – but there are also agents provocateur, who wish to subvert legitimate protests with violent behavior.

No arrests.

The Chicago police DID learn something from the ’68 convention.

You know what? Although I personally agree with Starbucks’s(‘s’s's) corporate position, Just as is is our right to boycott sponsors of Limpballs or Komen – it is their right to choose to boycott Starbucks.

It’s all that old “I may not agree with anything you say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it” thing, for me.

No, I don’t think so, tjbs. I think if a white kid was shot by a black “neighborhood watch man” – said watchman would have committed “suicide by cop” when police arrived.

Also, OT, but… please, moderator? I am having problems with my logging in – whenever I enter my username/password and then click the “remember me” box – the site does not recognize my password as valid. If I do not tick that box, I get in fine. Is there something I can do on my end to aleviate my having to log in again every time I close and re-open my browser?

What we have heah… is a failuh…. to cummmunicate.

I think a lot of those “Don’t know” folks hear things like “Barack”… and “Hussein”… and “Obama” and really do believe that since he isn’t named William Harold Smith, he MUST be a furriner, and one of them there moslems.

People like (sadly) my Dad (92) who just cannot fathom that someone with such an unusual name could possibly be an American Christian.

Lisa – if you have lost a friend, then I am sorry for your grief and loss. I am not, however, sorry that someone who dedicated his life to destroying others has left the world.

What Andrew did to ACORN, what he did to Shirley Sherrod, was, and remains, unexcusable, unforgivable. Andrew was NOT a nice man. He may have been able to pretend he was to “friends” and family – but he was not a nice man. I do not share your grief, but I am sorry that you feel pain.

Knox, maybe it isn’t ABOUT turning constituents around. Maybe it is about a business owner refusing service to someone they cannot in good conscience allow into their business.

Kind of like how I would turn away Fred Phelps, Rick Santorum or Herb Cain or $arah Palin, if it were my restaurant.

You’re really rather mistaken about what people remember about the Chicago police riots at the convention in 68.

Most everyone who was here then knows who went overboard. Just as we know who went overboard at Kent State – even without the CSN song.

Saying that Hillary attracts women voters is as offensive to me as saying that black voters only voted for Obama because he was black.

There may be a few of each who did so for such reasons, but in general, I think both black voters and women voters are quite capable of making a decision that isn’t based on emotion – as your comment seems to suggest we/they are not.

I have to disagree with you on this. We don’t have “debates” in order to see how the candidates do against other candidates. We have them to see who can think fast on their feet, and not curl up and die under pressure.

Perry’s “oops” moment says to me that he is unable to think quickly under pressure, which is a MAJOR problem if he wants to be CinC of the armed forces, and have control of the “football” nuke codes.

He failed the pressure test. I cannot vote for him. He’s not the guy I want having to answer the red phone at 3 a.m.

With due respect – the Mississippi measure was even more draconian – it counted “personhood” from FERTILIZATION – thereby rendering all women who had eggs fertilized that did not implant into murderesses when they had their period.

If
You don’t know
Who has nukes
And who does not.

BLAME YOUSELF!