Free Republic

Many argue that communism will never be possible because of "human nature". The essence of this false argument is the belief that a communist society would consist of an all-powerful central government that would tell everybody what to do--and would therefore undermine the creative initiative of individuals and the search for happiness. • This argument is based on two false assumptions: (1) It assumes that a communist society will look like the former Soviet Union, or the current China, North Korea, etc (ie: corrupt police states with a feudal-style ruling class) (2) It assumes that people will only work in...

Gas costs so much. I cant afford it. Why want Bush do something? Don't say he can't. His daddy or his handlers could be on the phone in 2 minutes with the Rothchilds and by 1 week, oil prices would be under $20 and gas would be 1 dollar a gallon. You know it and I know it. Why want he? Do you know? Is there sombody we can call? Plaese advice.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Alert Friends of Christopher Candle Light Vigil What: Candle Light Vigil in support of Christopher Pittman and all of South Carolina’s children. Who: Christopher’s young friends who live in Chester, SC and other supporters from around the southeast who are concerned about the persecution of children as adults will gather in Chester for a candle light vigil in support of justice for South Carolina’s children and in support of Christopher Pittman. When: Saturday, March 19, 2005 at 6:30 pm Where: New Hope United Methodist Church 2149 West Chester School Rd. Chester, SC 29706 Background: Concerned citizens...

CHARLESTON, S.C., Feb. 15 - A 15-year-old boy who confessed to killing his grandparents was convicted of murder today, as the jury rejected his defense that the slayings took place because he was under the influence of the antidepressant Zoloft. Christopher Pittman, who was 12 at the time of the murder, could receive 30 years to life in prison when he is sentenced this afternoon. The judge in the trial had told jurors that the teenager could be found not guilty of murder if he was "involuntary intoxicated" by the drug, offering them an option to acquit the boy without...

GUILTY!

CHARLESTON, S.C. — A teenager who shot and killed his grandparents as they slept is "a shy, decent boy" who was led to kill by the antidepressant Zoloft, his attorney said as the boy went on trial. Christopher Pittman, now 15, is being tried as an adult for two counts of murder in the November 2001 slayings of Joe and Joy Pittman with a pump-action shotgun. Their house was set ablaze and the youth, then 12, drove off in the family car.

A teenager who shot and killed his grandparents as they slept is "a shy, decent boy" who was led to kill by the antidepressant Zoloft (search), his attorney said as the boy went on trial. Christopher Pittman (search), now 15, is being tried as an adult for two counts of murder in the November 2001 slayings of Joe and Joy Pittman with a pump-action shotgun. Their house was set ablaze and the youth, then 12, drove off in the family car. Defense attorney Andy Vickery said Monday that Zoloft was to blame. "This is a case about one drug that...

CASES As a psychopharmacologist, I know that every patient responds slightly differently to medication. But it wasn't until I met Susan that I understood just how differently. She'd come to see me because she was depressed, and I'd successfully treated her with a course of Zoloft, a popular antidepressant. But as often happens, Susan's desire for sex had vanished along with her depressed mood. "I kind of miss it, but I feel really bad for my husband, who's getting very frustrated," she said. The sexual side effects of antidepressants like Zoloft and Prozac - the class of drugs known as...

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - Authorities say three years ago, Christopher Pittman, then 12, shot his grandparents as they slept because they had scolded him for fighting. But Christopher's father, Joe Pittman, thinks his son killed because his sense of right and wrong was clouded by the anti-depressant Zoloft. Joe Pittman spoke out against the drug in a Food and Drug Administration hearing early this year. The boy, who had threatened suicide, was put on the drug three weeks before the slayings, and his dose was doubled just two days earlier. Joe Pittman's hands shook as he read his son's confession...

I believe National Treasure implies that Freemasons are a POSITVE influence on our country. Anybody that knows the TRUTH about Freemasonry rather than the propaganda they wrap themselves in will NOT be takin in by the positive portrayal in this movie. Please America, wake up, don't buy into the guys who brought "Seperation of Church/State" to America, model ISLAM as the highest truth (the Shriners), label the Holy Bible as "Furinture" in a lodge, and outlaw the name of "Jesus" in any lodge. I know I will get flamed by 10,000 Masons and Mason supporters on this, but if you...

Looking back, Mark and Cheryl Miller would have done a lot of things differently with their 13-year-old son, Matt. They probably would never have left Lenexa, Kan. They would have sent him to a different school, and they certainly would have chosen a different therapist. But most of all, they wouldn't have given him Zoloft. ''It's not a pleasant thing living with the thought that you had a hand in your son's death,'' Mark Miller told me recently. ''Making him take those pills was done out of love for Matt, but it was still the wrong thing to do.'' We...

Drugs Linked to More Suicides Among Children, Unpublished Analysis Says Six months after the Food and Drug Administration withheld an internal finding that antidepressant medications were associated with an increased risk of suicide among children, a second staff analysis has arrived at the same conclusion. The agency has not publicly disclosed either report, despite growing pressure from critics and Congress. Agency officials say they do not plan to discuss the data until a scheduled meeting in September, which would come nine months after British authorities warned physicians not to prescribe Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa and similar drugs to depressed children, and...

Live Convention Video, 7 - 11 p.m. ET• Sen. John F. Kerry• Max Cleland• Kerry's daughters, Alexandra and Vanessa Kerry• former Green Beret Jim Rassman• Madeleine Albright• Sen. Joe Biden (Del.)• Wesley Clark• Rep. James Clyburn (S.C.)• Sen. Joe Lieberman (Conn.)• Rep. Ed Markey (Mass.)• Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald (Calif.)• Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D.C.)• House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.)• Rep. Louise Slaughter (N.Y.)• John Sweeney, President of AFL-CIO• Gov. Mark Warner (Va.)

John Edwards once claimed he was channeling the soul of a dead baby before a jury in a medical malpractice case. But if that seems in poor taste, consider the depths to which the tort lawyers' friends in Congress will sink to preserve maximum latitude for lawsuits. Exploiting the families of suicide victims? Fair game, it would seem. ... You get the idea: the usual Republican administration serving big business shtick. But remarkably, the House GOP couldn't summon the courage to defend itself and allowed passage on a voice vote of a Hinchey-sponsored amendment that would strip $500,000 from the...

WASHINGTON, July 24 — The Bush administration has been going to court to block lawsuits by consumers who say they have been injured by prescription drugs and medical devices. The administration contends that consumers cannot recover damages for such injuries if the products have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. In court papers, the Justice Department acknowledges that this position reflects a "change in governmental policy," and it has persuaded some judges to accept its arguments, most recently scoring a victory in the federal appeals court in Philadelphia. Allowing consumers to sue manufacturers would "undermine public health" and...

HAMPTON - Gloria Dion wants her money back after being subjected to what she calls the worst Jewel concert ever. Dion, along with her two daughters Nicole and Kaitlin, went to last Saturday’s 8 p.m. Jewel concert at the Hampton Beach Ballroom Casino. The singer performed two concerts that evening at the Casino. People who saw the first said Jewel was at the top of her game and said it was a "rocking show." Those who had tickets to the second show saw something quite different, according to Dion. "People were literally walking out of the show," she said. "As...

Pediatricians and family physicians should not prescribe antidepressants for depressed children and adolescents because the drugs barely work and their side effects are often significant, Australian researchers have concluded. The researchers analyzed data from five published trials of three antidepressants, Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil, in depressed patients under age 18. They found that the drugs offered only a "very modest" benefit over placebos. At the same time, the drugs carry significant risks, the researchers said in their report, published in today's issue of the British medical journal BMJ. "If the drugs were highly advantageous over placebo, then you'd live with...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Patients on some popular antidepressants should be closely monitored for warning signs of suicide, the government warned Monday in asking the makers of 10 drugs to add the caution to their labels. Although the Food and Drug Administration's investigation into the possible suicide connection initially focused on children given the drugs, its warning is aimed at both adult and pediatric use of the pills to alleviate depression. It isn't clear yet that the drugs actually do lead to suicide, the FDA stressed. After all, depression itself can lead to suicide. But until that is settled, advisers to...

Suicide Caution Sought for Antidepressants 47 minutes ago Add Health - AP to My Yahoo! By LAURAN NEERGAARD, AP Medical WriterWASHINGTON - Patients on some popular antidepressants should be closely monitored for warning signs of suicide, the government warned Monday in asking the makers of 10 drugs to add the caution to their labels. Reuters Photo Related Links • Antidepressants Health Advisory (FDA) Yahoo! Health Have questions about your health?Find answers here.   Although the Food and Drug Administration (news - web sites)'s investigation into the possible suicide connection initially focused on children given the drugs, its warning is...