Free Republic

I guess we’ll see if this waste of oxygen believes what he says. Hayes has said in the past that he would rather die than live with torment of what he has done. He, like Michael Ross before him, can do everything in his power to speed up the process and make sure there is a speedy execution.

I wouldn’t have any issue with life in prison if they stuck them in a 5’x5’x5’ cell and never let them out of it until they had assumed room temperature.

When I vote, I must vote at the precinct in which I'm registered. My name is on a roster, I have to show ID and sign the roster and the signature is checked against my legal ID. The ballots are padded and each ballot stub is numbered and the number of the ballot assigned to me recorded on the roster. The actual ballot is not numbered so that the actual vote can not be traced to a specific voter. But every ballot , voted and leftovers, is accounted for and maintained in a chain of custody. We don't "find" boxes or bags of ballots days later.

Why this or something similar isn't the National standard is beyond me. The fact that it is not proves to me that the mechanism for cheating is blatantly intentional.

That is how we vote in the suburbs and rural areas. But stringent ID checking is always deemed "intimidation" in the urban areas. Ignore the fact that the poll workers are also city residents, probably of the same party affiliation.

I particularly note the allegation that voters were receiving multiple ballots and not being required to provide photo identification, as required by Connecticut law. No votes from any such polling place should be counted: rather, everyone checked off as having voted should be contacted, and brought in to recast his or her vote (after providing proper photo identification) at a securely guarded location with high level poll watchers and election lawyers from all of the parties on the ballot."

But...but...but...that would be voter intimi-DA-tion.

Shoot, link didn’t show up. Here’s the link:
http://www.wfsb.com/local-video/index.html?grabnetworks_video_id=4405211

The Mayor of Bridgeport also used the Reverse 911 system to advise voters that they could come back and vote until 10:00.

Move over Florida. There's a new laughing stock in town.

What a cluster-screw! Nothing that happens here surprises me anymore.

I’m curious as to how the numbers are so far apart? Does the SoS have access to numbers that the AP wouldn’t? I’m not sure how the tally reporting works.

^^^Yep. Can’t believe we will still have to see Blumenthal’s f’n mug either. :^(

She’s on her way out. She wanted to run for Tricky Dick’s AG position until a pesky little issue about actually having to be practicing lawyer for 10 years surfaced.

This was probably her parting gift for her party and supporters.

Nothing out of the ordinary when the Mrs. and I went at noon. I was actually surprised it was so empty, no one else was there voting while we were there.

There’s still another name listed at our address, I’m assuming it’s a person that lived there sometime prior to us (wonder if they’ve voted in recent elections?) and has been on the list for 14+ years now that we’ve lived there. We tried to get it removed but was told by the SoS’s office that we couldn’t have the name removed, that person had to have their name removed.

As usual, the Dem and Green party sign holders were all toeing the 75’ line as we entered.

I don’t know what to make of it, though. The Dems have a sizeable registered voter advantage, I’m guessing suburban guilt, so it would take a majority of the Indy’s voting R to win it here. It’s far more interesting (read close) than I ever thought I’d see in CT!

Never claimed to be nor worthy of.

Considering many of the responses, honor is in short supply any way.

Thanks dead, I appreciate having a civilized discussion about the issue. The examples of the usual responses can be seen here as well as other ones I’ve read on anonymous comment boards that are a lot less family friendly and I think that is where the issue lies (and pretty telling about the type of people posting those comments).

I think the difference between “Something About Mary”, your parody and Tropic Thunder is a matter of quantity. I actually thought “Something About Mary” was a pretty funny flick. Yeah I cringed when Dillon’s character talked about working with “retards” but his character’s shortcomings were well established, he used it once (or twice, I can’t remember) and the movie moved on. The relationship between Stiller’s and Cameron Diaz’ character and W. Earl Brown’s portrayal of Warren (yes, the aforementioned stereotypical portrayal but not as a repeated source of humor) and the other folks with disabilities was a far more positive on balance. I’m sure your wife’s lib cousin would have found any excuse to be offended by your parody.

All I can say is that I guess your perspective changes when something hits you personally. I was as anti-PC as anyone here before my son was born. I’ll say most of the un-”PC” words weren’t in my vocabulary anyway but I still thought the PC movement had run amok.

Friends and family members, no matter how well intentioned and understanding, really can’t grasp what is like to have a child with a disability (just as I’ll never know what my son will have to deal with on a personal level). My wife and I enjoyed and found a great level of comfort meeting up with other parents who went through the same experiences that we had because they got “it” without having to try to explain what “it” was. While there are some parents who will try to paint a rosy picture from day, most of us did go through a process (and yes, there is a progression of feelings) of having a child that others will and do view as “imperfect.”

We’ll have to agree to disagree on this matter but I do appreciate your point of view. Like I said before, it was one I shared at one point. But people like yourself aren’t where the problem lies (and kudos at your time at the camp).

"The Wayans brothers dressed up as blond chicks is OK? These people are RETARDED!!! They don’t even know what they are protesting about. Typical democrap voters."

Yet another intellectual has weighed in.

Don't be so quick to apply party allegiances either. Even --GASP-- Conservatives can have kids with disabilities and get pissed off when they're made fun of.

I understand what you’re saying, dead. Trust me, I believe actors are worthy of any and all ridicule coming their way. That’s the premise that Stiller is sticking to, at least. IOW, actors are so pathetic that they compare to “retards” but no offense to “retards.”

Using his logic it’d be a fair transfer to Robert Downy, Jr’s character of a white actor getting treatments so that he looks black. Would the movie have seen the light of day if “retard” were replaced with “ni**er”, used repeatedly and Kirk Lazarus was told by Tugg Speedman to “Never go full ni**er.” when portraying a black man? Would DreamWorks release a movie poster “Once there was a ni**er...” featuring Downey’s blackfaced character? Would shirts with the words “Never go full ni**er” show up on CafePress and eBay and most likely in a store near you? After all, it’s all a spoof on over the top acting and in good fun, right? No F’n way.

Outside of the clinical useage and in engine tuning I’ve never seen or heard it used where it wasn’t intended as an insult.

I haven’t seen all of the other movies with actors portraying people with disabilities, but I’ve seen a good number of them. They may have been using the stereotypical traits in their acting but not as a means to denigrate someone as Tropic Thunder does.

Obviously with a son with Ds I took special interest in The Ringer with Johnny Knoxville (even though the Special Olympics involve more than just people with Ds) and admit I was apprehensive at first. But I think he and the film did a great job of turning the preconceived negative stereotypes into a positive by showing that physical and mental issues aside they are a lot like you or I and are (seemingly to the annoyance of some) human beings.

Like I said before, I had an entirely different view on PC until my little guy was born. It has run amok. OTOH there are names (words) that have been taken off the table in our society and I don’t see the difference between their usage and intention.

If it relates to my kid and everyone wants to make it as simple as a PC issue, then I guess I’m guilty. As a Conservative WASP in this vast liberal wasteland that is CT I’m well aware of political correctness and how much of it is a one-way street leading away from me and my beliefs. Count your blessings that you don’t have to personally see how impactful a word can be when it applies to and is used towards one of your children. It’s easy to throw out the PC cry from the ivory tower (I know, I was there at one time), it’s another to be dropped into the middle of the fray.

Apparently I give some of my fellow Conservative bretheren way too much credit when it comes to decency.

Trying to get some people to understand that calling someone a retard is above and beyond a black and white PC issue is about like trying to use common sense with a liberal. Some people will just never get it. Just as there are people who still find it acceptable to use the “N” word and bullies who pick on those they know won’t or aren’t strong enough to fight back.

I’ll leave you all alone to your “funny” little jokes and jpg’s now. At least you all can take comfort in the fact that most of “them” won’t be in a position to defend themselves. I’ll just never be insecure enough to see the humor in that.

You’re right. It’s all in good fun. Besides, “they” are easy targets since they’re often less able to defend themselves. It doesn’t get funnier than that!</ s>

Yeah, because calling our kids or other people retards is perfectly fine, well intentioned and the peak of comedic genious. < /sarcasm>

I was there for awhile with the Mrs. and my kids (I’ve got a son with Down syndrome) and will do the same again. If anyone is that big of an asshole that they feel the need to pick on or insult people with disabilities and think it’s funny, I guess that’s pretty telling and pathetic in itself.

I wonder if I could sell some shirts with a pic of Robert Downey, Jr.’s character with the words “Never go full Nigger” on them? After all it’s the same connection to a character in the movie and it’s just satire and humor, right? I wonder why Stiller didn’t go that route?

I guess common decency is long gone.

Thanks gene. I’m far from a saint myself. Maybe I’m over-sensitive when it effects one of my kids. As an overweight, bald, glasses-wearing, caucasian, Conservative, Protestant (albeit non-practicing) male from the Northeast I’m the butt of many a joke and can take it and have less of a problem when the lampooning targets anyone and everyone (a la Larry the Cable Guy, South Park or Family Guy). When it singles out those with ID it just bothers me since it’s so cowardly.

Thanks again. It sounds like your adoptive mom was a special woman.

So “retard” isn’t meant as a disparaging remark? It’s just a sign of affection?

While I don’t use the terms, I’m not offended by any of the racial and religious slurs (none of which apply to me). Is it just PC run amok or are we better off without those words in every day use?