I am pro-death too! Killing murders or people who do crimes that are unspeakable, abortion if you don't want the baby; why wait 9 months to give it up, when you can save yourself the vomiting and scarring. Crude way of the position but that to me what it sums it up.

I propose the bringing back of the public executions. Since prisons are overflowing, let's not think about what percent of the prison population actually commited murders and just kill them all like th rats they are[well the ones causing the overflow]!!!!!!!!! Or that fact that maybe some of the prinsoners have some form of a mental disability that goes unnoticed; gas chambers, the leathal injections, the possibilities are endless! It has become more of a need for the fact we can't seem to make any use of them, seeing them on the side of the road picking up litter is just not cutting it, so yea kill them. It's an eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth that we so happily take in as our mantra for justice.

I propose of putting the prisoners in little boxes so the will go crazy and the only thing comforting them is their hopless screams. Hearing the screams bouncing off the walls will be the only satisfactory punishment for crimes that sometimes were not properly investigated. The literacy programs, religious programs poppy cock, it's draining the tax dollars! We can use the money for my needs and my wants and not from some lowlife whose environment gave him/her little to do but only to commit disgusting crimes.

I for one propose that we turn a blind eye to the practices that go on in the prisons and turn it into one big death camp for those who strayed 3x (3 strikes rule) from the law or killed someone. It need more and more "as prisons are overflowing and there are some extremely horrendous crimes committed that deserve death." 

Oh ridding the vile likes of these prisoners of their humanity by killing, I mean execution, will help remove some of the burdern that we just, decent taxpayers have to pay. After the "that" issue is done, who will we target next? The homeless, poor people?

********Disclaimer*************

It's a poorly written prose of satire as a response to the poster of Through the Rye, since I found it funny(?) that death penalty is thought as a solution to overflowing prisons [well one of the solutions, either way it sounded horrible].

Nice post Judith - as you say no-one is going to do our work for us and history has proved that if we are not pro-active, nothing much changes.

I remember in the late 80's / early 90's in London, when we were protesting clause 28 and also trying to get the age of consent for gay men down to 16 that there was some horrendous scaremongering going on in the tabloids. Gay people were the devil incarnate.

I remember being on a tube with some friends on a Saturday afternoon, when the term "bible basher" took on a very literal meaning. One of my friends was a physically obvious bulldyke (6 foot something and built like a brick-shithouse). Anyway, there was an (I would assume) Evangelical (preacher?) on the tube with his bible, (also about 6 foot tall and built like a brick shitter) giving it the hell and damnation speech to everyone (generally trespassing on other peoples lives). He homed in on my friend and words were exchanged - You know how it goes - basically being gay was against God (in other words he was threatened by gay people, or gay himself, who the hell knows, but absolutely nothing to do with God). My friend tried to engage in intelligent argument and suddenly he attacked her. She ended up on the floor while he beat her around the head with his bible ! So, we pulled him off and got out of the bloody tube, dusted ourselves down and carried on with the day. Those were pretty dark times and the media encouraged those sorts of attitudes.

On the flipside - On the grassroots level. London was giving VERY small grants to places such as gay and lesbian hostels for homeless teenagers (my age group at the time). The people that worked in those places were paid a pittance, but I know some who worked tirelessly to fund raise (to make up shortfall in the grant), thought little of working 60-70 hour weeks and were on hand outside of work to those kids at the time all hours of the day and night. I knew both some of my age group who were using or had used these places when they came to London (usually kicked out of home for being gay) AND some of those that worked in that area (a couple had gone through the process themselves so had a full and deep understanding of the issues).

Anyway, not to go on - but the community MUST work hard for itself, be selfless, do not rely on society or the media to play catch up. Poverty is a very real issue for (especially) gay youth. But money isn't the final solution. Time invested makes a HUGE difference.

I'm thinking that at least Canada and Israel both allow out gays in the military. But this is from an article I remember from a long time ago, and I can't track it down, I may be wrong, but I don't think so, and I think that other countries were mentioned as well. Doing some checking, be back soon...

Anyone??

In Norway gays can serve and be open like everybody else. My girlfreind and I live togheter and go to each others off duty events. No problem here! I'm pretty sure that Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark allow gays in the Military. Confirmation please!

I know that Norway had soldiers in unifrom in the Pride Parade last year (cause I was one of them)

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"We're in love. W-we're lovers. We're lesbian, gay-type lovers" - Willow