Jerry LeRow

The debate forum was unused for two days, so I though I come up with something new, broad. So: what do you think about the future? What challenges will humanity face? Where will we succeed? Where will we fail? Who will succeed/fail? ... Go ahead. I'm not gonna give some input, rather willing to comment on some of your ideas.

No BLOC anymore? May I ask why?

May I add my mustard to this: I'm from Austria, a small country in europe. We have very strict gun laws and if you have a gun there are heavy regulations (I think that even the police comes by when they like and check whether you store the gun right). Nevertheless, last year we had an incident where one guy shot some people and hid in his house. When the Cobra (like SWAT but more elite) entered his house, they found I think hundreds of weapons. Also some days ago they found another storage of weapons of another guy. The moral of the story: There are so many guns that gun laws don't really make much sense in my eyes. Yes, Governor Cuomo might see that differently, and he and the other guys on his side are theoretically right too, but the bad guys will also get the guns if they want. If that's the case here in Austria (and believe me I don't know our and your gun laws exactly, but I guess ours are far more stricter than yours), it can happen in America too (where there's ~1 gun per citizen). Taking the guns away from the people who only want them to protect themselves and on the other side sending weapons to arabia, from where they again are sent to syria to be used to kill innocent citizens is, in my (closer to Republicans eyes), a very "Democratic" idea, if you pardon that expression. Yes, the tragedies that happened in America (Columbine, Batman, Sandy Hook,...) are sad, and it requires political action. But I think instead of taking the guns away from the people (what in my eyes means taking them away from the wrong guys as the bad ones will always get their guns) there should be stricter background checks. Do not mistaken me, I don't share the view of those who want no restrictions on guns. I think Cuomo's plan is a good idea: www.youtube.com/embed/oc74IY1pAeE He's right in many ways, and yes, those assault rifles should be banned. So summing up my words: stricter background checks, limit the guns (no assault rifles, not more than eg 15 shots), but don't take the normal, hand-held guns away from the normal people who only own them for self-defense. Sadly, I don't think any legislature can control this problem, and that such sad events can't be fully prohibited, as there are so many guns in America it's, in my eyes, not possible any more to control each one of them.

Pretty much. The problem is that the difference between Red and Blue states is a lot like the difference between Coke and Pepsi. One might taste a bit better, but at the end of the day, they're both still rotting your teeth out. Well... both parties are doing a fine job. Just some high representatives of them don't. Also everyone can enter politics, so I think blaiming the DEMs and REPs for every little mistake isn't really fair.

So, basically, Democrat territory. Well, democrats in Texas... http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/july-dec13/texas_07-09.html , http://www.laits.utexas.edu/txp_media/html/part/features/0401_01/turnout.html ... no. Though this discussion was not meant to turn into a blue vs red thread, but to show how the P&W community would vote in this election. I left out the party after the name with a reason; I hoped you know Abbot & Davis, or you look them up, and not make your choice because of their parties, but because of what they've done in the past that affected Texas people.

Why? Economy, people, ... but mainly economy Do you guys wonder why no one takes you serious? Honestly...

From my [european] outside view, Texas is one of the most exciting and important states in the union. As they'll elect a new governor this november, I wanted to test how the P&W community would decide. So, please "vote" in here! [Votes are not public]