Strange Famous

Would be interesting to see, with people trying as much as possible not to argue the case, and simply state their position

1 - do you support the right for gay couples to legally marry?
2 - do you support the death penalty?
3 - do you believe that freedom of speech should be absolute, or are their some limits on what people should be allowed to say?
4 - do you believe that part of the role of taxation is to redistribute resources more equally?
5 - do you believe that people should be forced to learn the official language of a nation if they want to emmigrate to it?
6 - do you believe that prayer should be prohibited from schools?

__

My answers

1 - yes
2 - no
3 - freedom of speech should have some limits
4 - yes
5 - yes
6 - no

__________________
"Do not tell lies, and do not do what you hate,
for all things are plain in the sight of Heaven. For nothing
hidden will not become manifest, and nothing covered will remain
without being uncovered."

The Gospel of Thomas

aberkok

Interesting.

1 - do you support the right for gay couples to legally marry? Yes.

2 - do you support the death penalty? No.

3 - do you believe that freedom of speech should be absolute, or are their some limits on what people should be allowed to say? This is going to be impossible not to discuss.

4 - do you believe that part of the role of taxation is to redistribute resources more equally? Yes.

5 - do you believe that people should be forced to learn the official language of a nation if they want to emmigrate to it? Yes, but this shouldn't be retroactively applied to existing citizens (the example I'm thinking of is elderly citizens of Chinatown here in Toronto... extremely important to the city, but if they can't speak English... well what the hey?)

6 - do you believe that prayer should be prohibited from schools? Yes.

__________________
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host

1 - do you support the right for gay couples to legally marry?
2 - do you support the death penalty?
3 - do you believe that freedom of speech should be absolute, or are their some limits on what people should be allowed to say?
4 - do you believe that part of the role of taxation is to redistribute resources more equally?
5 - do you believe that people should be forced to learn the official language of a nation if they want to emmigrate to it?
6 - do you believe that prayer should be prohibited from schools?

My answers

1 - yes, but I would be more comfortable if the question was "all legally aged couples"
2 - no
3 - freedom of speech should NOT have some limits (Who would you trust with the authority to define the limits?) Yelling "fire!" in a theater is endangering public safety by false alarm....
4 - yes
5 - no
6 - yes, if initiated, encouraged, sanctioned or required by public school personnel or other school authorities. I would not object for "quiet time" periods alloted during the school day.

The questions I added qualifiers to are vague, aren't they?

ottopilot

edit

MSD

1 - do you support the right for gay couples to legally marry?
Yes

2 - do you support the death penalty?
No

3 - do you believe that freedom of speech should be absolute, or are their some limits on what people should be allowed to say?
Freedom of speech is absolute, but if someone's speech brings direct harm to others, they should be held accountable for that harm.

4 - do you believe that part of the role of taxation is to redistribute resources more equally?
Taxation should fund services that are best provided by the government. The postal service, the military, police, fire, etc. Free education and providing basic needs to those who are unable to provide for themselves (but not those who are simply unwilling) is acceptable with strict oversight to ensure that money is not wasted; allowing people to become productive members of society will put money back into the system. Taxation should benefit society as a whole, not penalize anyone for being successful.

5 - do you believe that people should be forced to learn the official language of a nation if they want to emmigrate to it?
Not for permanent residence, but it is reasonable to expect people to have at least remedial knowledge of the language before becoming citizens.

6 - do you believe that prayer should be prohibited from schools?
Freedom of religion requires that those who wish to pray should be given a place to do so either individually or as a group without distraction from the activities of those who do not.

Baraka_Guru

1 - do you support the right for gay couples to legally marry?
2 - do you support the death penalty?
3 - do you believe that freedom of speech should be absolute, or are their some limits on what people should be allowed to say?
4 - do you believe that part of the role of taxation is to redistribute resources more equally?
5 - do you believe that people should be forced to learn the official language of a nation if they want to emigrate to it?
6 - do you believe that prayer should be prohibited from schools?

My answers

1 - yes; gays deserve the same right to build their families as they see fit
2 - no; there should be no system for destroying human lives
3 - no; freedom of speech ends where hatred begins
4 - yes; partly, equally, and sensibly
5 - yes; not knowing the official language could be a barrier to success, and it's official for a reason: it is often language of law and legislation
6 - no; practicing one's religion is a right (on an individual level)

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

highthief

1 - Sure

2 - Nope

3 - Not quite absolute but close - I'd lean away from absolute where children and public safety are concerned.

4 - Not quite but I believe there are resources and requirements we all share and the best way to ensure these are shared amongst the populace is taxation (roads, hospitals, education, etc - I won't mention health lest the inevitable argument ensues)

5 - Yes, although understanding that people do not all attain the same level of fluency as one another. An ability to work using that language I think suffices.

6 - Not prohibited, but not mandated either - i.e., if a kid wants to pray, he can do so, but if it is a state-run school public school, I don't want to see a teacher leading the class in prayer. Having said that, we have state run Catholic schools here, and a certain amount of prayer exists - it's a long-standing legal issue

__________________
Si vis pacem parabellum.

djtestudo

Yes. People have freedom of choice as long as they do not violate another's freedoms.
Yes. If you do violate those freedoms to the point where it causes permanent effects, maliciously, you deserve to have your life ended.
Minimal limits involving slander/libel, privacy, etc.
No, it is to fund projects in the government that benefit all of society (infrastructure, defense, education, some social programs).
Forced? No. Encouraged? Yes.

There should be minimal support given to foreign languages within the government, although I would consider helping one learn the new language under education and those limited social programs.
It shouldn't be a required institution, but the choice of those involved.

__________________
"Final thought: I just rented Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine. Frankly, it was the worst sports movie I've ever seen."
--Peter Schmuck, The (Baltimore) Sun

Ustwo

1 - Don't care.
2 - Yep
3 - Minor limits, treason is treason.
4 - Nope, taxation in that manner is theft.
5 - Yep
6 - I assume you mean public schools, and yes. If you want your kid to pray, pray at home.

__________________
Agents of the enemies who hold office in our own government, who attempt to eliminate our "freedoms" and our "right to know" are posting among us, I fear.....on this very forum. - host

Obama - Know a Man by the friends he keeps.

Willravel

1. Absolutely.
2. Absolutely not.
3. Threats of murder aren't reasonably considered to be free speech.
4. Absolutely
5. No, but they're lazy if they don't try.
6. Absolutely, all schools. I'm not interesting in allowing private and yet accredited schools a pass. If you want to pray in school, let it be sunday school.

Psycho Dad

Interesting thread. Abortion and seatbelt laws were left out. but seriously, this is a cool idea for a thread. Kind of a condensed political topic discussion thread.

1 - As the joke goes... gay people deserve to be as unhappy as straight people. Marriage has eroded to the point that it does little if anything to serve civilization. And this has nothing to do with gay marriage. Marriage has been headed down the tubes for quite some time IMHO

2 - Not if there is any doubt as to the guilt. If a suspect is apprehended in the process of a crime with several reliable witnesses, I say drop the use of the word suspect.

3 - Freedom of speech should pertain to protecting people from the government in the way of ideas. Not some asshole that wants to scream fire in a crowded movie theater, spread false information against another person or any of the other reasons that crop up when someone screams FREE SPEECH!

4 - No

5 - Learning the official language if capable is a reasonable expectation of someone wanting to be a part of a society.

6 - Setting aside a time to pray in school is a waste of time. Everyone does not kneel to the same alter if at all. If someone has faith or beliefs that they hold, making it through 1st hour biology without an organized prayer isn't going to bring on a smiting.

__________________
Don't always trust the opinions of experts.

shakran

1 - do you support the right for gay couples to legally marry?[/quote] yes. We should discuss this.

2 - do you support the death penalty? No. We should discuss this.

3 - do you believe that freedom of speech should be absolute, or are their some limits on what people should be allowed to say? It depends on what you mean by limits. We should discuss this.

4 - do you believe that part of the role of taxation is to redistribute resources more equally? Do you mean the intended role of taxation or the end result? (We should. . yep. . .discuss this )


5 - do you believe that people should be forced to learn the official language of a nation if they want to emmigrate to it? No, but the nation should also not cater to those who refuse to learn it. We should discuss this.

6 - do you believe that prayer should be prohibited from schools? I take it you mean public schools? And do you mean faculty-led prayer, or students quietly praying in the halls/lunchroom? We should discuss this.


I think you should open your topic up to actually discussing it instead of checking off lists. It'd lead to a much more enlightening discussion

Charlatan

1 - do you support the right for gay couples to legally marry? Yes

2 - do you support the death penalty? No
3 - do you believe that freedom of speech should be absolute, or are their some limits on what people should be allowed to say? There already are limits, and I agree with them to a point.
4 - do you believe that part of the role of taxation is to redistribute resources more equally? Yes
5 - do you believe that people should be forced to learn the official language of a nation if they want to emmigrate to it? No
6 - do you believe that prayer should be prohibited from schools? Yes

__________________
"My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars."
- Old Man Luedecke

Plan9

1 - do you support the right for gay couples to legally marry?

Yes. Regardless of sex, everybody should suffer equally.

2 - do you support the death penalty?

Not in the current form. Too slow, too expensive. Go back to firing squad.

3 - do you believe that freedom of speech should be absolute, or are their some limits on what people should be allowed to say?

Nothing is absolute.

4 - do you believe that part of the role of taxation is to redistribute resources more equally?

No. I believe taxes are to be utilized for government-sponsored departments and programs which may or may not directly benefit different socioeconomic classes based on the needs of the given society at a given time.

5 - do you believe that people should be forced to learn the official language of a nation if they want to emigrate to it?

Yes, but how is that enforced? Language SWAT with tasers? We shouldn't cater to everybody. We should have one official language and stick with it.

6 - do you believe that prayer should be prohibited from schools?

No. Equality means expressing whatever you want and that means having to hear the other side, too. Prayer should be kept in school for those that are religious. If your icon for the almighty doesn't match up with the guy next to you? Deal with it. Your god is better, right? Don't sweat it.

...

I'd rather cut my nose off with nail clippers than be elected to lead the US.

__________________
Whatever you can carry.

"You should not drink... and bake."

loquitur

1 - do you support the right for gay couples to legally marry?
Not sure. Civil unions don't make me think twice, marriage gives me a second thought and I'm not sure where I come out.

2 - do you support the death penalty?
In principle, yes. not the way it's practiced in many states.

3 - do you believe that freedom of speech should be absolute, or are their some limits on what people should be allowed to say?
Almost no limits at all. Stuff that puts people in danger should be limited (e.g. "fire" in crowded theater, troop movements or intelligence matters in wartime)

4 - do you believe that part of the role of taxation is to redistribute resources more equally?
No. The purpose of taxes is to raise money so the government can function.

5 - do you believe that people should be forced to learn the official language of a nation if they want to emmigrate to it?
"Forced?" No. But I wouldn't want people to immigrate who can't earn a living, and learning the language is part of that.

6 - do you believe that prayer should be prohibited from schools?
from public schools, yes.

highthief

To be fair, this board has discussed all those topics to death!

__________________
Si vis pacem parabellum.

noodle

1 - do you support the right for gay couples to legally marry? yes

2 - do you support the death penalty? For those I do not feel resources should be wasted on keeping alive. The rest of them damn well better be working to pay a part of their own way.

3 - do you believe that freedom of speech should be absolute, or are their some limits on what people should be allowed to say? Limits in times where public or personal safety is at risk.

4 - do you believe that part of the role of taxation is to redistribute resources more equally? In theory. It doesn't really. I think that may have been the original intent.

5 - do you believe that people should be forced to learn the official language of a nation if they want to emmigrate to it? Sometimes. Depends on how annoyed I am. It kinda makes sense to do so on your own.

6 - do you believe that prayer should be prohibited from schools? Absolutely. Moments of silence are fine. Do what you want in your head.

__________________

ironman

1.- Yes
2.- No
3.- Yes, but there has to be consequences for what you're saying.
4.- No, we all should tax the same percentage of our earnings. Taxing productivity is punishing eficiency.
5.- Yes (I'm guatemalan by the way)
6.- No,

__________________
If I agreed with you we´d both be wrong

Psycho Dad

I think it is interesting the way he posted it. A simple yes or no with a brief explanation without arguments and attacks is unique.

__________________
Don't always trust the opinions of experts.

ratbastid

1 - Yes
2 - I don't know. I want to say I'm against it, but the alternatives aren't good either. I'd really rather be addressing the root causes of crime, rather than dealing with how to react to it after the fact.
3 - Provided no one is harmed in person or property as a direct result of the speech, yes. I'd like it if people could give themselves freedom to HEAR others' speech and have it just be others' speech and not something they have to subscribed to or argue against. I'd very much like there to be a public commons of ideas and expression.
4 - Yes
5 - I think most people WANT to. Volunteer with some ESL students for a while if you really want to learn what hard work means--the ones I know work two or three jobs and THEN come in for their English lessons because they want better lives for their families. It's not a matter of force, it's a matter of making the opportunity to learn available.
6 - Organized prayer yes, although opportunity for spiritual expression should be available.

Mojo_PeiPei

1. Marriage is more of a religious thing in my book. Civil Unions should be recognized by the state the same as any straight union.

2. I like Crompsins answer. There is no rehabilitation for violent offenders, nor should they be given a second chance for taking a life.

3. I like the response to limits on matters of libel/slander/privacy. Times of war things are different, shouldn't be absolute.

4. Taxes have nothing to do with redistribution in my book. People have the right to earn their own keep and not be penalized for it. Social programs are fine, but that is an issue of taxation and role of government; the government has no right to take money I make and "redistribute" it on some joke notion of "equality".

5. If english was good enough for Jesus its good enough for mexicans.

....

Forced to learn? No. It is laughable that they come to a country where the vast majority of the population knows a language and for some reason said country is accomadating.

6. Prohibited from schools? No. Shouldn't be forced. I went to Catholic school, prayer was always apart of the curriculim for 12 years. In Public schools I don't think people should be forced to pray, or really be burdened by the notion of religion, they could've gone to a different school if they/their parents so desired an enviroment as such.

__________________
To win a war you must serve no master but your ambition.

Sun Tzu

2 - do you support the death penalty? If evidence shows beyond all doubt that a person is guilty of murder- yes, life imprisonment for child molesters

3 - do you believe that freedom of speech should be absolute, or are their some limits on what people should be allowed to say? absolute, no sure how to handle slander suits though

4 - do you believe that part of the role of taxation is to redistribute resources more equally? No

5 - do you believe that people should be forced to learn the official language of a nation if they want to emmigrate to it? Yes

6 - do you believe that prayer should be prohibited from schools? Good question. I dont think prayer should be forced upon those that choose not to. However, freedom should be extended to those who want to pray. Then comes the question of offering time for all religions. Maybe private schools would be a better approach. Once in high school taking any type of spiritual class could be amoung the chosen electives, but again the problem of providing the means for all religions may be considerable.

__________________
To confine our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit.- Stephen Hawking

Plan9

I might have to call partial bullshit on that, bro. Being in an environment where Spanish is almost the primary language (Florida, Texas, etc) doesn't encourage people to want to change or even try to learn English. People come on over (typically illegals) and then neglect to adapt for various reasons. They segregate themselves off from society instead of embracing our diversity and trying to blend in with their neighbors. We turn out society into little ethnic bubbles. It's pretty friggin' bad if you live in a country for 2, 3, 5, 10 years and don't learn a lick. Zero excuse. People talk every day.

I had a Russian citizen in my team in A-stan. Best soldier I've ever had. Kid grew up in bumblefuck Siberia and came to the states to support his new wife and to evade a life of poverty, joining the US Army to gain his citizenship (irony: in his quest to get away from poverty, he ended up in A-stan immediately). He didn't know much of the language when he landed in Florida, but he picked it up quick. I asked him how he learned the complicated mess that is English so quickly and you know what he told me? "I just watched TV." I think motivated people like him want to learn. They should be citizens.

__________________
Whatever you can carry.

"You should not drink... and bake."

telekinetic

1 - do you support the right for gay couples to legally marry? Yes. I believe that 'marriage' has too much legal meaning.
2 - do you support the death penalty? Yes.
3 - do you believe that freedom of speech should be absolute, or are their some limits on what people should be allowed to say? Freedom of speech should be absolute unless it breaks other laws.
4 - do you believe that part of the role of taxation is to redistribute resources more equally? Absolutely not.
5 - do you believe that people should be forced to learn the official language of a nation if they want to emmigrate to it? Once they are there, yes. My uncle learned English in three months watching Seasame Street.
6 - do you believe that prayer should be prohibited from schools? No.

__________________
twisted no more

connyosis

1 - Yes
2 - No
3 - Absolute
4 - Yes
5 - Yes
6 - Yes

__________________
If atheism is a religion, then not collecting stamps is a hobby.

mandy

1. Yes
2. Only for rapists and certain cases of murder
3. As long as it doesn't amount to hate speech or incite violence
4. No
5. People should not be forced to do anything they don't want to...it will be the decent thing to do however to learn the official language of the place you want to immigrate to.
6. No

__________________
The Imagination equips us to see a reality we have yet to create

ratbastid

Well, I'll tell you, I used to think that was the case too. Then my lovely wife started working for a literacy nonprofit that does a lot of work in ESL, and I learned the reality quickly. North Carolina has the fastest growing spanish-speaking population of any state in the country, and--from the perspective of somebody close to somebody inside a service being offered those people--they're hungry for advancement and they know that English fluency is the ticket. There may be exceptions who are satisfied working construction or domestic roles, but in my experience, those ARE exceptions. Everybody wants to do better.

tecoyah

1 - do you support the right for gay couples to legally marry? Yes
2 - do you support the death penalty? No
3 - do you believe that freedom of speech should be absolute, or are their some limits on what people should be allowed to say? Absolute
4 - do you believe that part of the role of taxation is to redistribute resources more equally? Yes...in part
5 - do you believe that people should be forced to learn the official language of a nation if they want to emmigrate to it? Yes
6 - do you believe that prayer should be prohibited from schools? No

__________________
Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. - Buddha

Baraka_Guru

Wow, there are some of you who think freedom of speech should be absolute, or nearly, yet say prayer should be prohibited from schools. Please explain.

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

connyosis

Well I'm seeing it as some sort of mandatory prayer should be prohibited. My tax money should not go to sponsoring any sort of religion. Should someone want to pray for themselves or form some sort of bible group, I have no problem with that.

__________________
If atheism is a religion, then not collecting stamps is a hobby.

Ustwo

I think the bankrupt concept of 'multiculturalism' did a lot to destroy this ideal. Its a much bigger issue in Europe right now, but making English the official language of the US would be a good start here, we need a common link.

__________________
Agents of the enemies who hold office in our own government, who attempt to eliminate our "freedoms" and our "right to know" are posting among us, I fear.....on this very forum. - host

Obama - Know a Man by the friends he keeps.

dksuddeth

I certainly find it interesting that people can find that rights that they agree with or believe in can be absolute, while others can either be written away or simply dismissed. fascinating.

__________________
"no amount of force can control a free man, a man whose mind is free. No, not the rack, not fission bombs, not anything. You cannot conquer a free man; the most you can do is kill him."

highthief

I find it curious that you can't be bothered to state your own opinions while criticizing others' choices.

Fascinating.

__________________
Si vis pacem parabellum.

Martian

This comment is inane. Why would someone support a right they don't agree with?

Anyway, on to my own answers.

1 - do you support the right for gay couples to legally marry?
Yes. Marriage is not simply a religious convention. There are important legal ramifications to being married; every couple should have the same rights. Or see Crompsin's answer.

2 - do you support the death penalty?
No. Unlike incarceration, the death penalty cannot be reversed and I do not trust my justice system that much. To paraphrase, it's better that a thousand guilty men live than one innocent man die.

3 - do you believe that freedom of speech should be absolute, or are their some limits on what people should be allowed to say?
Absolute. "I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to my death your right to say it." There is no spoken word so heinous that it shouldn't be allowed and that includes hate speech and the like. I'm free to choose not to listen, but trying to police people's opinions is a dangerous line to draw.

4 - do you believe that part of the role of taxation is to redistribute resources more equally?
No. Taxation is a way for all of us to contribute to the cost of services and benefits we collectively enjoy. I like having paved roads and hospitals, and I have no problem chipping in my share to make sure I continue to have those things.

5 - do you believe that people should be forced to learn the official language of a nation if they want to emmigrate to it?
Forced, no. ratbastid speaks the truth, though; I do believe that most folks who legally immigrate to another country that speaks a foreign language are likely to take the initiative and do so on their own, since it's in their own best interest. If you're going to go to all the trouble of the immigration process itself, why wouldn't you want to give yourself the best possible chance of success once you get where you're going? If the resources are made available I can't imagine many immigrants would need forcing.

6 - do you believe that prayer should be prohibited from schools?
Define prohibited. Prayer does not belong as part of the curriculum, but if a student decides that he's gonna say grace before eating his lunch every day, more power to him I reckon. Separating state and religion is about not forcing choices on others. Banning religion is forcing a choice and thus makes little sense. Mind you, this also ties into question three, I reckon.

__________________
I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept
I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept
I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head
I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said

- Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame

Rekna

1 - do you support the right for gay couples to legally marry?
I say remove the legal definition of marriage and make it a religious definition. Then create civil unions that all currently married couples have. Thus everyone has a civil union and if a church wants to marry couples they can. In absence of this yes allow them to marry.

2 - do you support the death penalty?
Only in extreme circumstances where the crime was very bad and there is absolute proof of guilt (a much higher burden than beyond a reasonable doubt).

3 - do you believe that freedom of speech should be absolute, or are their some limits on what people should be allowed to say?

There should be few limits, that is one cannot plan crimes and claim it was freedom of speech. For the most part spoken words should not be considered a crime.

4 - do you believe that part of the role of taxation is to redistribute resources more equally?

Yes, taxes should help benefit society as a whole and part of creating a good society is keeping poverty to a minimum as poverty breads crime.

5 - do you believe that people should be forced to learn the official language of a nation if they want to emmigrate to it?

No, but they should be encuraged, and there should be programs to help them learn the language. If an 85 year old grandma immigrates with her children forcing her to learn the language could be a very big burden. Same with disabled and others. If the programs were there to help them learn most would learn as it would be in there best interest.

6 - do you believe that prayer should be prohibited from schools?

School sponsored yes. Individual prayer, no. If a group of students want to pray among themselves at recess why should the school stop it? Banning prayer is just as bad as enforcing prayer.

dksuddeth

I criticized noone, I simply stated my observation on the willingness of some people to go from 'no right is absolute' to 'some rights are absolute'.

why would someone feel they are in a position to know whats best for others? I may not like it that some rights actually exist, but it's not my place, nor anyone elses, to tell you that that particular right really isn't all that important, simply because that's how I feel.

in other words, ALL rights are important, whether you agree with them or not. The second anyone starts mitigating rights because they don't agree with it, any right then becomes a target to be whittled down and removed.

__________________
"no amount of force can control a free man, a man whose mind is free. No, not the rack, not fission bombs, not anything. You cannot conquer a free man; the most you can do is kill him."

Willravel

Dude, answer the questions. This obviously isn't framed as a thread for attacks or argument. The premise is simple: answer the questions.

Baraka_Guru

In another time, in another place, it would have been my right to beat my wife when she complained about my right to force my children into working as chimney sweeps.

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

The_Jazz

1 - do you support the right for gay couples to legally marry?

Yes with the caveat that no church nor church official should be forced to perform such a marriage. If a church won't recognize the marriage, they should not be forced to.

2 - do you support the death penalty?

No. Neither courts nor judges nor juries are perfect. Sometimes innocent people are convicted then found guilty later. Capital punishment is retribution for the victims and their families, not to deter or punish crime.

3 - do you believe that freedom of speech should be absolute, or are their some limits on what people should be allowed to say?

No right is ever "absolute". It doesn't matter what the right is, but there is always an exception. Always. For freedom of speech, for instance, libel and slander immediately spring to mind. The government has the right and duty to protect me from, again for instance, Cynthetiq from calling me a gay pedophilic canibal who prefers his little boys with a side of gravy. In an absolute world, that's in bounds. We do not live in an absolute world.

4 - do you believe that part of the role of taxation is to redistribute resources more equally?

Since this is phrased as an absolute, no I don't. Some resources should be redistributed more equally, but certainly not all. Some resources should not belong to those who want them (Arizona, get your stinking eyes off our Great Lakes water). Should the poor get special assistance? Generally yes.

5 - do you believe that people should be forced to learn the official language of a nation if they want to emmigrate to it?

I don't agree with official languages to begin with, especially in the US, so no. Every immigrant I've ever met has been able to deal with English at least on a basic functional level. They have to if they want to work or learn here. If you're truely going to emmigrate, learning the language would seem nothing less than prudent.

6 - do you believe that prayer should be prohibited from schools?

All prayers all the time? No. Official prayer required of all students? Yes. Groups of students praying together? No. Groups of students led by school employees? Yes.

How about the half dozen or so of you that felt the need to pass judgement on everyone else's opinions share your own? If you don't want to share, you don't belong in this thread.

__________________
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - B. Franklin
"There ought to be limits to freedom." - George W. Bush
"We have met the enemy and he is us." - Pogo

dksuddeth

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"no amount of force can control a free man, a man whose mind is free. No, not the rack, not fission bombs, not anything. You cannot conquer a free man; the most you can do is kill him."