JCliffordCook - whereIstand.com

The Pledge of Allegiance should not include the phrase "under God," because it was put in for explicitly religious purposes and as such should be removed. (Religion and Government)

author added — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 13:28:52 GMT

I can't believe that Sarah Palin thinks that the Founding Fathers wrote the Pledge of Allegiance. Actually, the Founders saw no reason to write a pledge, and if the lack of a pledge is good enough for them, then it's good enough for me. Using a pledge of allegiance to the country to push Christianity on children is tacky.

There is no convincing evidence that a higher being exists. (Religion)

author added — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 13:25:33 GMT

There is convincing evidence that people WANT to believe that a "higher being" exists, but there has never been one shred of evidence that proves the case. Given that billions of people have been trying for thousands of years to find that proof, I think it's safe to say that this God character is just a character.

Congress should not issue a second round of the 2008 stimulus checks. (U.S. Economy)

author added — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 13:22:00 GMT

The first round of stimulus checks didn't work. Now, most Americans don't even have enough money for back to school supplies for their kids - and we're further in debt to China.

The U.S. should not allow drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. (ANWR). (Oil Dependence)

author added — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 13:20:25 GMT

Look - it's called a wildlife refuge for a reason. If the Republicans want to go drilling there, let them pass an act of Congress renaming the place the Arctic National Oil Company Refuge.

The U.S. should have signed the Kyoto Treaty. (Kyoto Protocol)

author added — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 12:53:18 GMT

Years have passed, and the inaction supported by Palin Republicans has been repudiated by science, and by widespread disasters.

The use of birth control is not equivalent to abortion. (The Abortion Debate)

author added — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 22:05:58 GMT

No, they're not equivalent, any more than sticking a spade into the ground is equivalent to mountain top removal coal mining. The scale is almost unimaginably different.

Sarah Palin was not a good choice for John McCain's vice presidential candidate. (John McCain-Sarah Palin)

author added — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 17:53:49 GMT

Sarah Palin is an ideological extremist who is clearly in the pocket of Big Oil, inexperienced and untested, running as the 1st in line to succeed to the Presidency with a presidential candidate who likely would not survive his first term in office. The pick of Sarah Palin shows McCain's lack of judgment.

The President should not order domestic warrantless wiretaps to combat terrorism. (NSA Surveillance Program)

author added — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:26:44 GMT

A warrant is proof that a wiretap is needed to deal with criminal behavior. If the government can't provide proof - even 72 hours after the fact as the old FISA allowed, they shouldn't be allowed to spy on Americans - period.

Congress should not lift the ban on offshore oil drilling. (Oil Dependence)

author added — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:17:30 GMT

While people are filling the gas tanks of jet skis at 1 to 5 miles per gallon, no, we don't need offshore drilling. If there's really a supply problem with gasoline, let's ban jet skis, producing an instant increase in the gasoline supply, not an increase that will come after 15-20 years, as would happen with offshore drilling.

The American news media did not appropriately handle coverage leading up to the war in Iraq. (News)

author added — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:11:50 GMT

Journalists accepted government assertions at face value, and ignored evidence that contradicted the idea that a rush to war was necessary. Independent small media did a much better job covering the issues before the war.