Jamie Tyroler
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Re: Reevaluating War Finance Strategies
I agree with Mr. Stiglitz's analysis, but would like to add that the War in Iraq has been an absolute failure in multiple aspects. Not mentioned by Mr. Stiglitz is the costs of repairing the Iraqi infrastructure and needs of the Iraqis to rebuild to some degree. The US is already paying contractors for non-existent public works projects in Iraq that, if anything has been built at all, is in the early stages or construction or the site has been abandoned. Meanwhile, while all this borrowed money has been directed to an ill-advised war in Iraq, those funds are not being used for needed… Read More
October 22, 2008
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Is This Economic Crisis the End of Deregulation of American Business?
The economic meltdown of the 2nd half of 2008 has been blamed on several issues: mortgages for houses that people can't afford, the selling of debt as an investment tool, CEOs making over 500 times the salary of the average employee of their companies, golden parachutes, people buying too much on credit, the United States waging two wars that are paid for by increasing debt to other nations, defense contractors with overpriced no-bid contracts that are not held accountable, etc.Can the United States return to the same business and government practices of little regulation or not? If we… Read More
October 22, 2008
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In the very recent past, there has been quite a few companies filing for bankruptcy or have taken over by a former rival. What businesses are at risk? Will many restaurants go out of business because people have less money to spend? Hotels? Airlines? It hasn't been too long since Sharper Image closed their retail stores. Are other retail stores in danger? Read More
October 3, 2008
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Re: Issues in the gay community
We need to realize that the different communities within the LGBT communities are interwoven. Rules and laws that effect transgender people also have an effect on gay males, lesbians, and any other community. If a city or state passes a law restricting discrimination in the workplace and housing based on sexual orientation - that can be limited to employer, landlords, and mortgage lenders cannot ask a person if they are gay, straight, or bisexual. That does not mean that the prospective employer, landlord, or lender can make assumptions on how an individual talks, dresses, or behaves… Read More
October 3, 2008
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Is it possible to be a spiritual person and be either agnostic or an athiest?
Some people believe that spirituality is exclusively in the realm of religious beliefs. Others feel that one can be spiritual and not believe in some deity or deities. Read More
June 4, 2008
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Re: Rating Democrats and Republicans on LGBT Issues
I am glad that several of the Democratic candidates were willing to go on LOGO earlier this year to discuss LGBT issues, but there are aspects of the LGBT community that many people within the community do not want to either discuss or understand. This is often more true in regards to the transgender community and the unique challenges we present - especially when trying to define lives that do not conform to the traditional male and female roles. The people who need the most legal protections are not those people who look and act "straight" - they are the people who, for whatever rea… Read More
May 19, 2008
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Re: Untying the Gay Marriage Knot
I don't know how accurate the statistics are, but the Rabbi is correct - we should not let these issues divide our society as much as we do. "Gay" or "same-sex" marriage does not lessen heterosexual marriage - it should elevate marriage as a desired expression of love between two adults, regardless of genitals. Read More
May 19, 2008
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Is this a fundamental problem with American Government?
Many people who work for the federal government of the United States earn little to nothing (interns) as far as a salary. For example, for my Congressman has staff members who make less than US$20,000 per year. I don't know how easy it would be to live in Washington, D.C. on an income that is that low. For someone to be a summer intern, for example, that person needs to have the financial support of his or her family. Many working people do not earn enough money to support a child spending the summer in Washington, D.C., even if it is for educational credits. The same would be true… Read More
April 29, 2008
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After the controversies of the 2000 and 2004 presidential election, do you have faith in the accuracy of the American voting process? Read More
April 28, 2008
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Why do we use so much plastic? Read More
April 28, 2008
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The Privatization of Government Services
Is the privatization of government services a good idea? I recently tried to order something online from the Smithsonian Museums and it is currently not possible because their vendor closed without notice. Read More
April 22, 2008
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Is a sense of humor vital to life?
One of the things that I have to remind myself every so often is that life is to be serious to be taken that way. Laughter has been shown to have health benefits.Where do you find humor in your daily life? Read More
April 22, 2008
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Re: Will war between nations ever end?
As long as there is inequality in access to resources, there will be war. As long as someone feels that he or she deserves better than others and is willing to force the issue, there will be war. Read More
April 16, 2008
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Are we living up to Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address"
Abraham Lincoln finished his "Gettysburg Address" with the following:"- that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."How well is the United States living up to Lincoln's statement? Read More
April 16, 2008
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Will Iraq cause major changes to the United States?
We appear to be in this open-ended war in Iraq and depending on who is elected President, we could have troops there for years, if not decades. Since we also have troops in Afghanistan, I'm reminded of what happened to the Soviet Union after spending a large amount of money in Afghanistan. Does the United States face something similar by remaining in Iraq with borrowing money from other nations (i.e., China) and by not having a set goal that equates victory? Read More
April 10, 2008
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In certain cases, acts of violence can be considered "Hate Crimes" depending on where the violent act occurs and who is the victim of the violent act. Usually Hate Crimes have an additional penalty, such as additional time to the sentence. Is this a good idea? Read More
April 3, 2008
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The United States and the Metric System
Why is the United States just about the only nation that hasn't converted to the metric system? Read More
April 1, 2008
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Before the War on Terror, there was/is the war on drugs. Are we winning or losing? Are we even fighting the war fairly? Are whites treated differently than racial minorities? Wealthy treated differently than the poor? Celebrities treated better than the average person? Read More
March 29, 2008
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Animal shelters often have to kill animals because they were considered "stray pets". I know that this might be considered a horrible idea, but why don't zoos use those animals that are about to be killed to feed zoo animals? I know that for some animals are fed live animals, such as mice or rats. Wouldn't large cats, hyenas, wolves, etc. prefer a fresh kill, which allows these animals a chance to respond to their natural instincts? I saw something recently about obesity in zoo animals because they don't get enough exercise. One zoo (possibly more) is weighing the amount of food fo… Read More
March 26, 2008
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4000 U.S. Soldiers have now died in Iraq.
Does this "milestone" make any difference? Read More
March 24, 2008
I am a disabled transgender activist and writer living in Kansas City, MO. I was born in Sedalia, MO, the home of the Missouri State Fair and "Goober Burgers" in 1959. I graduated from the University of Kansas in 1982 with a B.A. in Psychology. I occasionally write for a Kansas City area LGBT paper CAMP (www.campkc.com). Other than taking a lot of medications and hoping for universal health care in the US, I generally sit a lot and occasionally send emails on behalf of various human rights organizations.
