The more I talk to people my own age...

[Ryan Stewart]

the more I think there should be an exam before you are allowed to vote.

Fuck, nobody knows shit about the government or how it works. We are talking about college educated kids so you cant blame race or poverty. I think it would be for the best for everybody because I doubt the bulk of the "moral majority" would be able to pass it either.

This rant is brought to you buy a stupid article some chick found on CNET about how "supposedly" Bush just signed in a law making it a federal law to flame people on the internet using an alias. Well everyone got on the hate bush bandwagon despite the fact that the bill was unanimously passed by the senate and a landslide in the house.

What makes it even funnier is the article is a complete fraud. 5 minutes and you can find the section of the bill and there is nothing in there that the article refers to and it just extends anti-harassment laws to include the internet.

/rant

[bkelsey86]

when i used to go to UTSA in san antonio like fuckin everyday in my politics class i would get in arguments with the stupidest most ignorant people.....most college students don't know shit about anything anyways....

[Tvan]

yea we're all pretty much idiots.

[Jand3rson]

I purposely don't vote for anything other than president, because I honestly feel that I don't know enough about most politics to be casting a vote. It may seem ignorant to some, but I find it wiser to not cast a vote for something that I'm not well enough informed of, than to just vote because I can, and not know why I'm doing it. I've never been too invloved with politics. Maybe someday that will change, but for now, I choose to stay away from it. Most of the time, it just does nothing but start/inflame arguments. I'm the kind of person that is on both sides of the fence when it comes to a political party. I find good and bad points made by both sides, and tend to agree with a lot of things that both sides have to say.

[Ryan Stewart]

That is the funniest thing. People only focus on the prez.

Learning about and voting in local elections is the most important. Its where you have the larger voice and will have the largest impact on your life. Its also the easiest to understand. Smoking bans, tax hikes, whether or not taxes are spent on roads or renewing a downtown district. Those are simple decisions to make.

My new goal is getting a new school board in Kansas. Creationism my ass.

[AdironRider]

You sound like my dad.

[Jon325i]

It is alarming just how many folks don't know much about politics/civics/policy.....whether its national or local. It seems a lot of them really don't research the facts, they simply buy into whatever their local (or national) news source reports like its biblical scripture.....and we all know how accurate the media is (hello recent mining tragedy).

And if there is any one area of politics one should educate themselves on and vote in is at the local level. This is where you see the impacts of the decisions immediately. That's not to say national elections are irrelevant....they are important too but the impact of those outcomes takes much longer to trickle down to where it directly impacts you and/or your livelihood.

Jon

[Beej '86 325es]

I think the problem is the general laziness of most Americans. Most are so desperate to jump on a bandwagon without doing any research themselves.

That's why I'm glad those people are always willing to share their opinion with you, but too lazy to take a half hour out of their day and vote.

[chuckybob]

been researching this cause you tipped my curiosity...


section 113 of house resolution 3402 (the disputed bill:)

"(a) In General- Paragraph (1) of section 223(h) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 223(h)(1)) is amended--...

`(C) in the case of subparagraph (C) of subsection (a)(1), includes any device or software that can be used to originate telecommunications or other types of communications that are transmitted, in whole or in part, by the Internet (as such term is defined in section 1104 of the Internet Tax Freedom Act (47 U.S.C. 151 note)).'."

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c109:6:./temp/~c109rQ9FNu:e91030:

subsection c of subsection (a)(1):
"(C) makes a telephone call or utilizes a telecommunications
device, whether or not conversation or communication ensues,
without disclosing his identity and with intent to annoy, abuse,
threaten, or harass any person at the called number or who receives
the communications;"

http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:eTgHNQ2YpkMJ:www.fcc.gov/Reports/1934new.pdf+section+223(h)(1)+of+the+Communications+Act+of+1934&hl=en&client=opera

making the full, now signed into law terminology something to the effect of:


"(C) makes a telephone call or utilizes a telecommunications device, includes any device or software that can be used to originate telecommunications or other types of communications that are transmitted, in whole or in part, by the Internet (as such term is defined in section 1104 of the Internet Tax Freedom Act (47 U.S.C. 151 note)), whether or not conversation or communication ensues, without disclosing his identity and with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any person at the called number or who receives the communications;"




and now comes the part where i get to say a hard-earned "LAWL. TEH IRONAY."

[hamann318is]

People are stupid about politics? No way. This must be a newsflash I have been missing out on. ;)

Just tell them the lobbyists run the country. The end.

[Tvan]

Who are lobbyists? ;)

[StereoInstaller1]

Who are lobbyists? ;)

Secret group of people paid to influence our lawmakers.

One of them is named Bob. Kill him if you see him; you will get a gold star.

On your forehead.


(secret agent) Luke

[Bokes]

i should run for president....................................... of Togo.

[Ryan Stewart]

and now comes the part where i get to say a hard-earned "LAWL. TEH IRONAY."

The funny part is the wording they are complaining about was there in the original bill from 1934. All this administration did was extend that to include communications softwares used via the internet.

They are saying that this law now includes all internet communications but I would expect a precedent would have to be set re: the phone communications. If someone said you suck on a Blog it wouldnt hold up. That would be akin to me calling up all my friends and saying you suck. Without direct communication its hard to call it harassment.

[Bokes]

i think it has to do more with people trying to find out personal information on the internet, and continually harrassing people through email (mainly spam maybe?). i'm probably not right, but thats the idea that i got.