no theory. no point to make. just want to send condolances to anyone here who may have lost a friend or family member in this tragedy. i watched the news from the relative safety of liverpool, UK. it all seemed too surreal then, but it's starting to sink in this morning seeing the daily papers. it's just too horrific.

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I LIVE!

To Clinton critics: He was every bit as ready as any Republican to resort to international violence.

To Clinton defenders: He was every bit as ready as any Republican to resort to international violence.

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What others say about boorite!

Whenever I call to give blood, the line's busy. In the meanwhile, I'll settle for giving cash.

https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation-form.asp
http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=p/gen/relief-outside
http://s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea/paypage/PKAXFNQH7EKCX/102-8373389-1450513

The Amazon site says they've raised over $350k so far! That's quite something. You can actually see the number increase as you reload the page.

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The what mentioned above is total fiction. Please don't take it seriously!

For how many people have died because of this and considering that there were airplanes involved with so many different types of people aboard, I think I can safely say it would be hard for people not to at least be distantly related to someone who died (or is missing). I know that I lost two cousins in there. I want to have faith and believe that they're part of the ones alive down in the basement. But I'm a little out of faith right now and feeling slightly hysterical.

The worst part is that I have two older brothers (this is the only way you're going to get me to reveal my age to you; I am 17) who are both old enough to be drafted if perhaps we do have a war. One is married, but that won't save him because it's going to take even more months of waiting for his wife to get her naturalization now (she's Polish).

On another note, do they still need blood? I've heard they do, I've heard they don't. And I find it confusing because it seems that blood donors are always needed, even when there isn't a tragedy.

Ok, I'll shut up now, just wanted to say my peace, thanks.

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Mediocrity at its most average.

First off, LadyJ, I'm glad to hear you and your mother are okay. I can't imagine what that might have been like for you waiting and for your mom going through that.

Policial "blame": Who knows. At this point who cares? But there *are* some Republican cronies taking advantage of this and saying "well, looks like education and the budget are secondary. See why we need more military spending and a missile system?" What I don't get is what would the military have done to prevent this? What could a missle defense sysem done to prevent this? We need more spies. The big thing I heard about the lessening of our intelligence/spy network was that a big cleaning out was done in the late 70s of alot of the spy network, so that really hurt us. These terrorists (especially Bin Laden) are good at using non-electronic communication (couriers with ZIP disks I heard). Our lower and weaker spy numbers (due to the purges of the late 70s) hurt us here, because that's the best way to get intel from these people. So let's yell at Jimmy Carter. :)

On that note I think I found my calling. I'm going to go become a spy.

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"Fascist Clay was my most favorite totalitarian boxer!" - Indie Rock Pete from Diesel Sweeties

[quote]
But I'm a little out of faith right now and feeling slightly hysterical. [/quote]

I'm so very sorry for your pain. *big hugs* I feel vaguely guilty coming out of this so well. Personally, my faith in humanity has been bolstered tremendously by the way that the citizens of NYC responded. My mother is alive because her coworkers risked their lives to keep her safe.

[quote]The worst part is that I have two older brothers (this is the only way you're going to get me to reveal my age to you; I am 17) who are both old enough to be drafted if perhaps we do have a war. One is married, but that won't save him because it's going to take even more months of waiting for his wife to get her naturalization now (she's Polish).
[/quote]

I wouldn't worry about this. There's no such thing as the draft anymore. No one has to register for selective service. Unless your brothers do something nutso like enlist, they'll be fine.

[quote]
On another note, do they still need blood? I've heard they do, I've heard they don't. And I find it confusing because it seems that blood donors are always needed, even when there isn't a tragedy.
[/quote]

Yes, blood donors are always needed. The part that's confusing you is that the blood banks are turning people away right now because they're swamped. They'll be less swamped and no less in need of blood a week or three from now. Remember your desire to help then. In the meanwhile donate money to those links, or donate cookies and juice to the blood donation centers, if you like.

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I am a delicate fucking flower. https://beacons.ai/jesskent

[quote]

I wouldn't worry about this. There's no such thing as the draft anymore. No one has to register for selective service. Unless your brothers do something nutso like enlist, they'll be fine.

[/quote]

Ummm... what? Then why did I have to fill one out when I was 18, or risk being thrown in jail? I'm only 23, remember.

[quote]
Ummm... what? Then why did I have to fill one out when I was 18, or risk being thrown in jail? I'm only 23, remember.[/quote]

I was told that Bill Clinton signed a bill of some sort when he was in office. Don't worry I'm twice as confused as you are.

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Mediocrity at its most average.

[quote][quote]
Ummm... what? Then why did I have to fill one out when I was 18, or risk being thrown in jail? I'm only 23, remember.[/quote]

I was told that Bill Clinton signed a bill of some sort when he was in office. Don't worry I'm twice as confused as you are.[/quote]

So what, does that mean that anyone who signed up for it before he passed that law is still elligable?

As far as I know you still have to sign up but I think that it's some kind of last resort thing. Someone jump in here and save me because I have no idea what I'm talking about....

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Mediocrity at its most average.

I remember selective service PSA's up the wazoo when I was younger, and they stopped all of a sudden and I heard that it was no longer mandatory. Yes, I imagine that if people signed up for it anyway, they'd be among the first called if the draft were ever reinstated. I sincerely hope the draft is never reinstated because then the terrorists would truly have won. They'd have forced us to lose the freedom that makes this country great.

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I am a delicate fucking flower. https://beacons.ai/jesskent

http://www.sss.gov/qa.htm
http://www.endselectiveservice.org/

I'm 23 too, and of course I also had to sign up when I was 18. They don't actually have any way of tracking you down if you don't, but you can be denied certain opportunities later in life, and if they feel like it they can prosecute you. If I'd thought I could get away with not registering, I would have, but I wanted an edumacation. I even wrote to the War Resisters' League and asked if they knew of any alternative options for me, but they pretty much said "no, but join us anyway." I didn't, but now I'm reconsidering it.

The government isn't actually drafting people right now, of course, but they want a list of people who they could draft if a war started, and that's why you have to register.

Here's something interesting: according to http://www.sss.gov/FSconsobj.htm, if you get drafted and want to be a conscientious objector, you have to provide a detailed written justification of your reasons, and you cannot object on the basis of politics! So if you don't want to fight in a war because you don't support its goals, tough bananas. You can only be conscientious as long as the U.S. government approves of your conscience.

Then you have to go to Canada.

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The what mentioned above is total fiction. Please don't take it seriously!

Oh yes -- and when I say "you", I mean "men".

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The what mentioned above is total fiction. Please don't take it seriously!

I could be wrong but I don't think the whole draft issue is much of a big deal anymore. Modern warfare isn't quite as dependent on massive amounts of troops running around on the ground shooting one another like WWII and Vietnam. I doubt you're going to be enlisted as cannon fodder. If you were drafted they'd probably make you a cook or something mundane.

Don't forget, you could always tell them you're gay. Then they'd be sure to toss you out!

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100 pounds of shit in a 25 pound sack.

[quote]I could be wrong but I don't think the whole draft issue is much of a big deal anymore. Modern warfare isn't quite as dependent on massive amounts of troops running around on the ground shooting one another like WWII and Vietnam. I doubt you're going to be enlisted as cannon fodder. If you were drafted they'd probably make you a cook or something mundane.

Don't forget, you could always tell them you're gay. Then they'd be sure to toss you out! [/quote]

True, but I'm sure you've heard over the past couple of years how desperately the army, navy, and air force have been begging people to enlist, right?

I have SEVERAL problems with draft.
Women aren't drafted.
You HAVE to kill, or be killed, even if you loathe it.
You have no choice in the draft, that's against the US ideal.

Another thing, all these people with bloodlust, hating the people in the middle east seem to have never heard of a little American principle that goes something like "Innocent until proven guilty".

That's what pissed me off when I started hearing people saying how great the US is, and then stating we should kill those middle easterners. FUCK THEM. Since WHEN is partying in the streets a crime punishable by death? You know that when Hitler was reported dead, people in America danced in the streets. If Saddam Hussein, or in fact, all of Iraq, was destroyed, we would do the same thing. People were probably really happy when we blew up Nagasaki and Hiroshima. THESE ARE NOT CRIMES people.
As for you people who say that we fucked over Japan and deserve this? Japan attacked Pearl Harbor first. We threatened Japan twice before the first nuke was dropped. We warned them again before the second, and they didn't give up. The second was dropped because they wouldn't give up. We didn't start it, we ended it.

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Do you want ants? Because that's how you get ants.

Yes, the news channels showed people dancing in the streets. What a manipulative piece of reporting that was! Of course these people were dancing in the streets. Those people have been taught, from the time they were infants, that the US is the evil empire that oppresses them. You show me one good ol' boy who wouldn't do likewise upon hearing that a bunch of Iraqis were blown up.

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I am a delicate fucking flower. https://beacons.ai/jesskent

RIGHT.
We use propaganda. That dancing was probably the result of the EAXCT same kind of propaganda.

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Do you want ants? Because that's how you get ants.

One of the things that the ESS site I linked points out is that with today's military technology, it's going to take a lot longer than before to get a raw recruit to the point where he'd be useful in a combat situation.

I don't really think we're going to get drafted because I don't really think the US is going to war. We do, after all, have nearly every nation in the world on our side here. We don't have an opponent yet, and when we find one, it will probably be a group of individuals, and maybe even an internal one. And I'm really hoping that people calm down to the point where they can see the irony in reacting to the deaths of thousands of Americans by sending thousands more Americans off to be killed.

DX -- you don't actually have to kill or be killed. You can escape to some neutral country or go to prison, both of which might be preferable options. But I agree that conscription certainly gets in the way of one's life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.

On another note, if those figures are accurate, Amazon has collected over $1 million and climbing today from over 37,000 people, at an average rate of somewhere near $28 per person. They raised the maximum donation from $50 to $100 sometime this afternoon. And blood donation centers are now asking people to schedule appointments for sometime in the next two weeks. These things, at least, make me proud of my fellow human beings.

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The what mentioned above is total fiction. Please don't take it seriously!

I still can't believe that this thread has jumped to over 150 posts already...
It almost makes my gut hurt to think I started it, and then to think of HOW I started it :(

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Do you want ants? Because that's how you get ants.

[quote]I still can't believe that this thread has jumped to over 150 posts already...
It almost makes my gut hurt to think I started it, and then to think of HOW I started it :([/quote]

It appears you've been forgiven. At least I know you didn't mean any harm... or maybe I see too much good in people.

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Mediocrity at its most average.

http://www.unknownnews.net/

This news source goes beyond repetitious pictures of tragedy. I hope America remembers to step back and make sure whoever they blame is actually responsible before we hang someone. We shouldn't compound the tragedy.

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"Jelly-belly gigglin, dancin and a-wigglin, honey that's the way I am!" Janice the Muppet

I hope that narrow minded people around the country don't start taking out aggression on people here from the middle east. Look at what happened to so many Japanese Americans right after Pearl Harbor. People want justice done, and some don't care whether or not it's aimed at the right person.

Somewhere in this country there are bound to be pissed off people who will get done boozing at their local bar, stop off at 7-11 for smokes on the way home, and decide to beat the shit out of the guy behind the counter because he looks Arabic.

I've got fingers crossed that people will hold onto common sense.

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100 pounds of shit in a 25 pound sack.

Hate crimes have already started. My boss has a friend from Thailand that some absolutely criminally stupid people called a "sand nigger" and then they keyed his car.I mean, they actually could not even comprehend the fact that he was FROM FUCKING THAILAND.

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I am a delicate fucking flower. https://beacons.ai/jesskent

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: "People are stupid."

I guess this means I've said it 1,275,000 times, then.