That must have been very hurtful to have a mother still insisted on her death bed, dyinig from alcoholism, that her loving and concerned daughter was a liar and a traitor.

Denial is the very basic nature of the disease as in most addictions. These situations are so sad for the alcholoic and for the family members and friends.

The 12-Step programs have done a world of good for family members alcoholics and other addicts who won’t get help. No one can change anyone else but at least familiy members and friends can get the help and support they need when their circle includes and alcholic or addict.

I agree with Mr. Wow that it is childish for these men to bash Carrie Prejean. These men could have logically and respectfully explained the reasons they think her beliefs are wrong. Bashing a person doesn’t change anyone’s mind unless it’s to line up on the side of the one being bashed.

To state that Carrie Prejean should have been fired for not representing ALL of America makes no sense. 

We have Pro-Choice and Pro-Life. We have Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and so on. We have Religious and Non-Religious citizens who think Gays and Lesbians should have the right to marry. We have Religious and Non-Religious citizens who think that marriage is between one man and one woman. Some people support the Obama Administration and some people oppose the current Administration. Some Americans think we should not be at war in other countries and other Americans say it’s vital to protect  human rights in other nations.

There is no possible way to represent ALL of America with so many opposing views.

If Carrie Prejean was fired for just not doing her job as Miss America, then that’s her own fault.  However, if she didn’t perform her job because she felt pressured since her beliefs didn’t line up with those of some people in the Miss America organization, then that is religious discrimination.

Donald Trump did publically support her for stating her own beliefs though.  I guess it’s up to the courts to decide what really happened.

Senator Kennedy was a great loss to our nation.  He was proud of his diplomacy in being about to cross the aisle and work with those who were adamantly opposed to his legislation at first.

He would have found a way to get at least some start on health care reform going and WITH the support of most of our representatives as well as the American citizens.  That was Senator Kennedy’s particular talent.

The loss of this magnificent negotiator is a huge blow to all of America.

Oops didn’t mean for the quotes to be around my comment about his comment. lol 

I’m still laughing so hard so I’m gonna use that as the excuse for my mistake. hehehe

On a lighter note, keeping clear of mule droppings and urine was difficult, too.

ahahaha  That made my day.  I needed a good belly laugh. Thanks John.

It seems like all of this could have been avoided if Ms. Albaghdady had told Judge Callahan that she did not wish to remove her headscarf because she wore it for religious purposes. 

If he indeed needed her to remove it for identification clarity, then he could have told her so at that time and I’m sure she would have willingly complied since she was in court to change her name and as such, identity is an important part of the process. 

Looking at that picture, I don’t see how he could need her to remove it for identity but then I’m not a judge so I don’t know exactly what criteria they have to use to establish identity.

I don’t understand the argument about the nuns being brought up here. Did I miss something or was the French nun in court to change her name as well and would need to remove her head covering for identification purposes?  I thought she was in court over a criminal charge of some kind.

Also, we have to understand that the nun habit is a world wide known symbol of a religion that people who are not nuns do not usually wear.  However, the headscarf is not as clearly declarative of a religious symbol.  Not all women who wear head coverings do so out of religious purposes.

That was probably the biggest part of the misunderstanding here, which  could have been very quickly cleared up if Ms. Albaghdady had just told Judge Callahan that it was indeed a religious symbol for her.

If nothing else, this should teach women, who do wear a religious symbol that could be ambigious, to speak up to a judge about it being a religious symbol and it will teach judges to ask if it is before just demanding their removal.

This is America and we have a huge melting pot of a lot of different cultures here. We all need to be more sensative about raising not only our awareness of the differences, but the people of each culture need to take responsiblity for educating those of us who don’t know their culture instead of just taking offense that we don’t know everything about them. 

I think this law suit should be dismissed since neither party was ‘right.’ Ms. Albaghdady didn’t uphold her responsiblity to speak up. She is assuming that he is a biggot and that he should have known. Judge Callahan didn’t uphold his responsiblity to ask if the scarf was a religious symbol and to explain the reason he needed her to remove it if that was indeed necessary.

I hope Jayce is not further victimized by having the courts force her to grant visitation rights to Garrido.  Those poor children went through a tremendous ordeal as well and I hope they’re going to get the help they need to adjust as much as they can to have a more normal life. 

I can’t even begin to imagine how hard this is going to be on all three of them as well as on her mother and step-father as they try to re-build a life together.

LW1 - It’s possible that the new boyfriend is just different than the former boyfriend and you’re having a hard time with her breaking up with someone you considered a wonderful guy.  Maybe the new guy isn’t all that bad.

Like someone posted above, it’s not unusual for people in the throws of fresh love to be joined at the hip for a while.  They’re exploring each other and getting to know one another. I think it’s time for an attitude change and a look into your own heart that maybe just maybe you aren’t giving the new guy much of a chance.

It’s amazing how our own outlook becomes so different if we change our attitude.  If after really giving the new guy a chance, you stilll preceive him as a judgement-spewing hydra, then just let your friend know that you want girl time with just the two of you.

LW2 - Is your dad really a homophobe or is he just having the usual reaction that fathers have when they are faced with the fact of a gay child?  Give your father time to adjust.

Be as loving to him as you have always been and he will see that he has not ‘lost’ a child, he just has the opportunity to know you better now that he knows what’s in your heart.

America has lost a great man and a wonderful politician. His tireless endeavors on behalf of the American people will be a great loss. 

My condolences to his family and friends and to the entire nation as we morn the loss of one of our best citizens.

I thought this particular posting was about the Cash-For program.  I didn’t realize that I had to include my complete disgust of every single program of waste that former administrations subjected us to as well. 

Read my posts above.  I clearly state that I have never just sat back and been satisfied at ANY government waste.

If you need me to state it more clearly and with some specifics then I will.  I emailed, wrote and contacted my representatives about those bank and insurance company bail outs, about the contracts being awarded to rebuild the Gulf Coast without the bidding process, about the excessive money given to the Former Vice President’s company to do various services in the war zones, and there are many more wasteful projects that I wrote and emailed my representatives about. 

I don’t appreciate waste anywhere INCLUDING disregarding the chance to have the Cash-For program at least partially fund itself. If this program can be partially funded by recycling those clunkers then it is financially irresponsible to throw that away.

If the ‘they’ who ‘don’t get it’ you are referring to is supposed to include me, I’ll have you know that I wanted change, but it looks to me like all we’re getting is the same old government. 

I thought with a new party in power and with a President who was supposed to be different than any other President we’ve had in recent history, we’d get a new direction for the country.  More accountability. More transparency. Less politics. More working across party lines like was promised. I don’t see it happening.

I never ‘sat on my hands’ as someone put it when the waste was going on before either. I’ve written letters, sent emails, and stayed in contact with those who are supposed to represent us whether they were my candidate of choice or not.  I’m not about to start sitting on my hands now and see the change that we all hoped and dreamed would take place just go down the tubes without putting up a fight about it.

If we ran our households the way the government runs our country, we’d all be homeless. 

Instead the government has the taxpayers to fall back on and keeps insisting on spending more and more and more and more and then insisting that they have to raise our taxes to cover all that wasteful spending. 

That’s not economic recovery. That’s disastrous. That’s not change.  That’s the same o’ government waste at work.

90% of America has had to tighten our belts.  We’re making less money, getting our hours and benefits slashed at work, or getting laid off and can’t find jobs.  But the government isn’t doing anything to reign in the spending. They are still throwing away money and calling it ‘economic stimulus’ so a few people can take advantage of their programs while the rest of us have to fund that with higher taxes.

I’m getting attacked and labeled ‘Republican’ because I said that if there is a way to have that program at least partially fund itself, then we need to do so.  That’s just basic financial responsibility and good sound economics.

I guess basic economics is hard for some people to understand.