Okay, this is the third time in the past hour I've tried to reply to this, but I keep getting told to get off the computer and come downstairs, so I'll try to make this short, for my sake and yours.

First of all, Lock brought up a good percentage of the points that came to my mind, and very well, I might add, but I still feel the need to add my two cents, so I'll just briefly touch on a few subjects.

Please bear with me, as I am quite mentally exhausted at the moment.

Okay, point one: Collar, this is not going towards becoming a flame war in any way, shape, or form. We're not sitting here saying, "wow lewk at that tard collar. she likes obawma. I HATE YOO." We're simply, politely sharing our opinions. I actually think this as been quite mature. I mean, it's not going to be on national television or anything, and I'm sure we're going to slip up and make mistakes, but it's going quite well right now. We're on a nintendogs forum for goodness sakes. And it is good to have a political discussion--a lot of us are going to be voting by the time the next presidential election rolls around.
I was listening to an old podcast of a radio program just a few hours ago actually, and although he was talking about something completely different, the concept still applies. The world today is saying that everyone is sooo intolerant. The dividing line between intolerant and tolerant is not whether or not agree. It's how we act upon that. I can disagree with you and think that you're wrong. Am I be intolerant? No. It's my belief, and I have as much of right to it as you do to yours. It's OK to say someone is wrong! Now if I start throwing punches because I disagree with you, I've crossed the line. So everyone's doing well on that point so far. =)

Point two-distribution of the wealth: Socialism doesn't work. Just one of many examples: In the 1800's, there was a community called "Brook Farm" in Massachusetts. Brook Farm was socialist. All the goods produced were shared equally among the inhabitants. People lost intentive to work, since they were getting their goods anyway. Brook Farm ran out of funding after only five years. It seems as if you're thinking, correct me if I'm wrong, "Hey, the wealthy have the extra money, why not give them extra taxes?" The wealthy worked for it. And the lower class citizens who haven't worked, (I am not saying that the whole lower class hasn't worked, I'm simply referring to those who haven't.) shouldn't get money earned by someone else. I know that sometimes families are working, and life is still tough, (believe me, I know very well.) but that doesn't mean that they should turn to the government to give them money. The pilgrims came to this country and worked from almost nothing, and eventually we got a republic; we got a capitalist economy; we got a money sytem; the list goes on. It wasn't easy; they didn't see immediate results, but they worked for it. They didn't get it handed to them by the government on a silver platter. Which brings me to

Point three: I think that we're becoming much too dependant on the government. What happened to the American dream of a self-made man? I frankly think the government needs to downsize, get back to the Constitution. (+a few ammendments such as the ones that grant suffrage to blacks and women)


I'd really like to get into this more, but I'm beat; I'm going to bed.