You conflate illegal immigrants with immigrants.

Learn the difference and your first paragraph is pure nonsense. Also, what support do you have for the conclusion that illegal immigration has more negatives than positives? Illegal immigrants in general have a lower crime rate, support businesses, they work hard and pay taxes (which is more than can be said for Trump). Give me some data, ANY data to support your claim.

They "could" have come legally, you say. Well, no, that's the thing, most of them couldn't have. So that's a straight-up lie on your part. Couple that with the incentives the US government gives them to come illegally and why wouldn't they come? Yes, incentives, if the govt doesn't want them they need to take away the jobs, instead they pass rules to protect businesses that hire illegal immigrants.

The rest of your "argument" is mostly nonsense, so I won't even bother with it. WTF does Upton Sinclair have to do with it?

sighs..i hate sifty.
really..i hate you sifty.
make me get all excited that i was gonna be first on something REALLY special...
that's it.i am coming for you sifty!

I totally agree that all religions have a problem, and all cultures have violence, fundamentalists, and other issues, but it's dishonest to say that they are all equal in problems, equally serious, equally harmful, or that the problems are equally widespread, equally ingrained in the culture, and especially equally represented by law and the government.

It's about rates, scale and motivation.

It would be dishonest to claim that there is no difference. Yet that is what it appears to be that's what you're suggesting.

Perhaps when you can draw big old Mo without the fear that someone will come after you, then we can start to talk about how equal all this is.

Oh, come on. You know they all were.

"That your gonna have some ups and your gonna have some downs. Most people give up on themselves easily, you know the human spirt is powerful. There is nothing as powerful, its hard to kill the human spirt. Anybody can feel good when they have their health, their bills are paid, they have happy relationships, anybody can be positive then, anybody can have a larger vision then, anybody can have faith under those types of circumstances. The real challenge of growth, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually comes when you get knocked down. It takes courage to act. Part of being hungry when you have been defeated, it takes courage to start over again."

It wasn't mental, emotional and spiritual growth when he took steroids to initially make his name. Also boinking his maid behind his wives back didn't take courage.

I am not drinking the lemonade on this one.

I fully support messing up ALL instragram food photos! I'm coming for you now, wife!

I would boo him saying that too. I would never under any circumstance vote for that underhanded unethical candidate. Clearly, they were booing his suggestion that they vote for Clinton, not booing Sanders himself. And so we get more misleading information coming from Clinton supporters.
Clinton is a non starter for those that find morals and ethics important. She's proven time and time again to be completely untrustworthy. Not a single 'mea culpa' or even 'I'm sorry' from them over the clearly biased disaster of a 'primary' where the DNC did everything possible to dissuade and hinder potential Sanders voters.
Clinton is also a bully and a demagogue....one that was just caught in ANOTHER scandal, this time for illicitly colluding with her cohorts in the DNC to marginalize Sanders from the onset and deny his supporters the ability to vote for him.
If you supported her from the start, believing the lies she and the DNC fed you, and continue to support her after the truth has come out, you are the problem.
She should be disqualified for what she and Wasserman Shultz did together. Instead, she's already given Wasserman Shultz a cushy job, and a promise of more if she wins.

Oh yeah, and as for the tag...most of Bernie's supporters AREN'T Democrats...something that's clearly been missed by Clinton and her supporters that expect them to vote for her. Dems aren't eating their own, Independents are walking away from Democrats, which means they lose the election.

Thanks DNC, you just elected Trump by cheating for Clinton.

FFS dude, I am not hellbent on coming at you. You're being way more aggressive than I am.

So honestly, I don't know what you're so bent out of shape over. Yeah, I use sarcasm. So fucking what? Sarcasm is a perfectly valid, perfectly "adult" form of expressing opinions.

I also don't know why you're taking this personally. I haven't insulted YOU at all (unless you count that jibe about NZ gardens, which you brought up first).

I genuinely think the USA would be a better place if you all calmed the fuck down about guns, and from my interactions with the pro-gun people, I am genuinely glad that I don't have to deal with that shit. Those are honest reactions.

If I DID have to deal with that shit (i.e. if I was living in the US), my reactions would be a lot less polite.

But FWIW, I agree that we've had lots of positive interactions on the sift, and yeah, I would generally consider you to be one of the smarter people on here, even if we don't always agree on things. So you may consider this the typical non-apology of "I'm sorry you feel that way, but I'm not sorry for arguing my case".

Even if you could buy your own debt it may not save you. Like they said earlier, their record keeping is notoriously bad, someone could still come after you for debt you don't actually owe anymore. You could probably send them packing with enough time and effort but but it might wind up costing you anyhow.
Wonderful system we have here, I could fix it, with a few nukes.

THIS guys is a phony?... Come on... you couldn't be more genuine.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/05/politics/donald-trump-taco-bowl-cinco-de-mayo/index.html

He asked him calmly and respectfully "has there been a law change" and the officer said "yeah, you can't ride your bikes on the boardwalk", which was a lie, the law had not changed and you CAN ride your bike there.
Once the cop LIES to try to trick you out of your rights (like the right to ride your bike on the boardwalk), there's no reason at all to be respectful, he's a douchebag powertripping liar and should be treated as such.
The one who's a dick is the uneducated officer, not the teenager who knows the law. If you are enforcing the law, you had damn well better know what it really is and not just make shit up as you go along. If someone educates you on what you should already know, it's no excuse to start being a smarmy douchebag, which is exactly what the officer did with his "OK, you wanna go that way, we can go that way" which was a clear threat, and his "so, did you get your law degree on facebook" derision, which was funny seeing as the kid knew the law better than he, so where did he get his training in the law, his chosen profession, a cracker jack box? WTF asshole?!?
And he repeatedly asks "where did you get that", but if he had a brain, he would know where laws and statutes are found, and since he quoted it by number (yes, the wrong number) it was clear he was intending to be quoting the legal statutes, not just some internet theory.

No, the officer was absolutely wrong. He didn't tell them you can't ride fast, he said "you can't ride bikes down here, f you could pass that (erroneous) word along, that will keep people from complaining to me...and I won't come talk to you." which means 'do as I say and tell your friends to do it too, or I'll come harass you (and lie to you about the law you haven't broken)'.

It's a lovely day in Ballarat
I'm kicking back, thinking of you
I hear that you've been poorly
I am sorry that you're feeling blue

I know what it's like when you feel a little shitty
You just want to curl up and have an itty-bitty doona day
But a lot of people here really miss ya, Georgie
They really think you oughta just get on a plane
(Just get on a plane)
We all just want you to...

Come home, Cardinal Pell
I know you're not feeling well
And being crook ain't much fun
Even so, we think you should come

Home, Cardinal Pell
Come down from your citadel
It's just the right thing to do
We have a right to know what you knew

Couldn't you see what was under your nose, Georgie
Back in '73 when you were living with Gerry?
Is it true that you knew but you chose to ignore
Or did you actively try to keep it buried?

And years later, when survivors, despite their shame and their fear
Stood up to tell their stories, you spent year after year
Working hard to protect the church's assets
I mean, with all due respect, dude, I think you're scum!
And I reckon you should...

Come home, Cardinal Pell
(Cardinal Pell)
I know you're not feeling well
Perhaps you just need some sun
It's lovely here, you should come

Home, you pompous buffoon
(Pompous buffoon)
And I suggest do it soon
I hear the tolling of the bell
And it has a Pellian knell

I want to be transparent here, George, I'm not the greatest fan of your religion
And I personally believe that those who cover up abuse should go to prison
But your ethical hypocrisy, your intellectual vacuity, and your arrogance don't bother me as much
As the fact that you have turned out to be such a goddamn coward

You're a coward, Georgie
(You're a coward, George)
Come and face the music, Georgie
(Face the music, George)
You owe it to the victims, Georgie
(You owe it, George)
Come and face the music, the music
Hallelujah, hallelujah
If the Lord God omnipotent reigneth
He would take one look at you and say:
(One look at you and say)

"Go home, Cardinal Pell
I've got a nice spot in hell
With your name on it and so
I suggest you toughen up and go

"Home, Cardinal Pell
I'm sure they'll make you feel wel-
Come at the pub in Ballarat
They just want a beer and a chat"

Come home, Cardinal Pell
(Cardinal Pell)
I know you're scared, Georgie-Poo
(Come home)
They have a right to know what you knew

Your time is running out to atone, Georgie
I think the Lord is calling ya home, Georgie
Perhaps he could forgive even you
If you just let them know what you knew

Oh, Cardinal Pell
My lawyer just rang me to tell
Me this song
Could get me in legal trouble

Oh well, Cardinal Pell
If you don't feel compelled
To come home by
A sense of moral duty
Perhaps you will come home and frickin' sue me

@newtboy. Of course you are entitled to your opinion.

I disagree with you 100%. It is not okay to hit.

That guy had a lot of options and he didn't take any of them. I agree with you that not everyone has the skills to hold it together in situations like this.

Just because people fail at taking other options doesn't make hitting back the right thing to do.

It. Is. Not. Okay. To. Hit.

Of course if someone is coming at you, you might have to strike to KEEP THEM FROM HITTING YOU. Retaliation, though, is not a "moral" response. It is a failure of maturity and coping skills. It is the failure to take a step back to protect yourself.

Stand your ground sucks with guns or fists.

I took a self defense class years ago. I was taught skills that are potentially damaging. I was also taught to use my words to de-escalate.

I do not think it is good to say it is okay to hit and say it is "morally" okay.

We want to be the change, right? So say no hitting, mean it, and have understanding when someone hits anyway. It isn't about perfection. It is about a goal.

Well. We have traded our points of view a couple of times now. I'm certainly not going to change my mind. Would you like the last word?

Yeah, I don't get the whole right wing reaction to the refugees... aside from hatred of anyone that isn't their particular brand of Christianity. I mean, John Oliver barely touched the main point that it is far easier just to get a visa and come in. You'll be here much sooner and with less hassle. Refusing them and turning them away is more fire power for ISIS, the Taliban and others to radicalize more young Muslims, as they can point out "see, they don't even want peaceful Muslims, they are against us all, join us and fight them".... which is of course one of the stated goals of ISIS anyhow.