espn-double standard much??

[brandx]

Wait I'm confused are actually trying to say that you think a white christian guy coming out as a christian in a predominately christian white country in which one of the two national parties attempts to include christianity in it's agenda should be applauded as much as an african american coming out as gay in a country where a party is actively trying to prevent them from equality and a still huge amount of people actively hate that form of sexuality?

I'm sorry man I know you feel like a victim of discrimination because nobody wants to tolerate intolerance but there's different levels of being a minority and Sam hit the jackpot thus deserves to be applauded tremendously. 

Well said, young man.

[GGGG]

Wait I'm confused are actually trying to say that you think a white christian guy coming out as a christian in a predominately christian white country in which one of the two national parties attempts to include christianity in it's agenda should be applauded as much as an african american coming out as gay in a country where a party is actively trying to prevent them from equality and a still huge amount of people actively hate that form of sexuality?

Incredibly well stated. 

Just remember....Chicos always wants to be the victim.  (That's why he has me on ignore.)

[ChicosBailBonds]

Wait I'm confused are actually trying to say that you think a white christian guy coming out as a christian in a predominately christian white country in which one of the two national parties attempts to include christianity in it's agenda should be applauded as much as an african american coming out as gay in a country where a party is actively trying to prevent them from equality and a still huge amount of people actively hate that form of sexuality?

I'm sorry man I know you feel like a victim of discrimination because nobody wants to tolerate intolerance but there's different levels of being a minority and Sam hit the jackpot thus deserves to be applauded tremendously. 

Where do I fell like a victim of discrimination in this situation?  I do feel there is a double standard in many of these things, but that hardly means a feeling of discrimination in this situation.  You want to talk about other topics where there is discrimination, I'm all for it, but you're off base here.

Tebow didn't come out as a Christian guy.  What you are missing here is that he was excoriated by many because he did.  His views, don't count.  In fact, he was often butchered for them.  That was the point.  Thus the double standard.  This isn't really that hard.

[jesmu84]

Where do I fell like a victim of discrimination in this situation?  I do feel there is a double standard in many of these things, but that hardly means a feeling of discrimination in this situation.  You want to talk about other topics where there is discrimination, I'm all for it, but you're off base here.

Tebow didn't come out as a Christian guy.  What you are missing here is that he was excoriated by many because he did.  His views, don't count.  In fact, he was often butchered for them.  That was the point.  Thus the double standard.  This isn't really that hard.

Uh... Tebow got shredded by many for his beliefs and statements. Sam gets shredded by many for his beliefs and statements. Difference is, with Sam in a super minority, there are more vocal defenders. Pretty true for any minority situation across the board. There are people who attack any/every group across the world. And yes, the media is very hypocritical in a lot of ways.

Is everyone coming up with arguments just for the sake of arguing at this point? EVERYONE gets persecuted by someone. The media is stupid. Hypocrites and double standards exist. Can we move on from that terribly repetitive line of drivel now?

[MU82]

Study after study, libertarians (small "l") and conservatives happier than liberals.  I know I am.  

I'm an Independent. I think I'm happy but maybe you better quote one of those dozens of studies for me so I can be sure.

[forgetful]

Mrs. Paul's vs VandeKamp's.    Discuss.   

Are we talking for fish-sticks or fish filets, it's an important distinction.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Uh... Tebow got shredded by many for his beliefs and statements. Sam gets shredded by many for his beliefs and statements. Difference is, with Sam in a super minority, there are more vocal defenders. Pretty true for any minority situation across the board. There are people who attack any/every group across the world. And yes, the media is very hypocritical in a lot of ways.

Is everyone coming up with arguments just for the sake of arguing at this point? EVERYONE gets persecuted by someone. The media is stupid. Hypocrites and double standards exist. Can we move on from that terribly repetitive line of drivel now?

I respect you Jesu, at least you have the stones to admit.  Many here are incapable

[brandx]

Incredibly well stated. 

Just remember....Chicos always wants to be the victim.  (That's why he has me on ignore.)

We've got something good in common!!

[Spotcheck Billy]

My favorite is the delta smelt fish that is preventing farmers in this state from getting water to grow enough crops to feed this nation.  They are really important fish....apparently.

you all waste too much water out in Cali anyway, get used to conserving before the H20 wars begin...

[jesmu84]

you all waste too much water out in Cali anyway, get used to conserving before the H20 wars begin...

Way, WAY OT... http://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/jul/27/water-nestle-drink-charge-privatize-companies-stocks

[mu03eng]

Way, WAY OT... http://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/jul/27/water-nestle-drink-charge-privatize-companies-stocks

Not shocked at all by this, the concept has even been the driving plot of several fictional novels like Clive Cussler's Blue Gold and others.

It's an intriguing policy question....anything that has scarcity and requires cost to extract in theory could be bought and sold in a capitalistic market.  However it is a resource required for life so government has a role but what is that role.

Short term, the worse thing is that not only are companies commoditizing water, but they are branding water in various ways as replacements for the flagging soda brands.  Soda is becoming less popular so they have decided water is the next frontier and the ever stupid public buys into it even though some of the water products are really no better for you than soda is.  I'm all for what the market will bear but see this as a continuing trend of the stupidification(yes this is meant ironically) of humanity.

[GGGG]

I think it is a reasonable question to ask if places like Las Vegas or Phoenix will even exist in 100-200 years.  And assuming they do, what restrictions will be placed on them and how expensive will that make the cost of living. 

[Aughnanure]

Study after study, libertarians (small "l") and conservatives happier than liberals.  I know I am.  

Study after study prove the more education you receive, the more liberal you become.

[mu03eng]

Study after study prove the more education you receive, the more liberal you become.

I think you have to define liberal in what.....social policy, I think that's probably true.  Fiscal matters, I would really question that.

[mu03eng]

I think it is a reasonable question to ask if places like Las Vegas or Phoenix will even exist in 100-200 years.  And assuming they do, what restrictions will be placed on them and how expensive will that make the cost of living. 

Not trying to parse things too much, but I was out to Phoenix for work recently and spent a fair amount of time with the municipal water works and other infrastructure folks.  Phoenix has a 200 year water plan and actually have way more water than they can use.  In fact, water in Phoenix is cheaper than the midwest.  However, they put the infrastructure and policies in place 50 years ago to allow for such a thing.  A lot of places aren't nearly that forward thinking.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I'm an Independent. I think I'm happy but maybe you better quote one of those dozens of studies for me so I can be sure.

From the NY Times, 2012:

"Scholars on both the left and right have studied this question extensively, and have reached a consensus that it is conservatives who possess the happiness edge. Many data sets show this. For example, the Pew Research Center in 2006 reported that conservative Republicans were 68 percent more likely than liberal Democrats to say they were “very happy” about their lives. This pattern has persisted for decades. The question isn’t whether this is true, but why.

Many conservatives favor an explanation focusing on lifestyle differences, such as marriage and faith. They note that most conservatives are married; most liberals are not. (The percentages are 53 percent to 33 percent, according to my calculations using data from the 2004 General Social Survey, and almost none of the gap is due to the fact that liberals tend to be younger than conservatives.) Marriage and happiness go together. If two people are demographically the same but one is married and the other is not, the married person will be 18 percentage points more likely to say he or she is very happy than the unmarried person.

The story on religion is much the same. According to the Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey, conservatives who practice a faith outnumber religious liberals in America nearly four to one. And the link to happiness? You guessed it. Religious participants are nearly twice as likely to say they are very happy about their lives as are secularists (43 percent to 23 percent). The differences don’t depend on education, race, sex or age; the happiness difference exists even when you account for income."

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/08/opinion/sunday/conservatives-are-happier-and-extremists-are-happiest-of-all.html?_r=0


Or here

http://www.salon.com/2013/07/24/extreme_conservatives_are_happier_than_you_partner/

Or here for you women

http://nypost.com/2013/12/27/conservative-women-hold-secret-to-happiness/

Etc, etc.  I found studies from 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013.  USA, Canada, Europe, etc.  Pretty easy to find.

Glad you are independent, smart choice.  After being a registered Democrat for a time in my youth, then a registered Republican for a time, I have long kicked the parties to the side for the last 15 years.  Been wonderful.  My wife is still a diehard Republican, so we get the mailings and crap, but she can sift through the nonsense.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Study after study prove the more education you receive, the more liberal you become.

I must be the exception.  When I left MU, I was liberal and a Democrat.  Then I added two graduate degrees and became more conservative and libertarian in my views. 

Of course, studies also show the LEAST educated people are also liberal.  Roll out the graphs...tells a more complete story, of course this is based on party not based on ideology so it is slightly different.

2000 Election


2004 Election


2008 Election


2012 Election

[ChicosBailBonds]

you all waste too much water out in Cali anyway, get used to conserving before the H20 wars begin...

The wars began well over 100 years ago on H2O out west.  Not sure how we are "wasting" water our here, but I suppose any interpretation could work.  I'm seriously considering putting in artificial grass.  Three neighbors on the street have done so in the last year.  It's a hassle to mow the lawns anyway and I refuse to hire illegal labor to do it, so that might be an option.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Uh... Tebow got shredded by many for his beliefs and statements. Sam gets shredded by many for his beliefs and statements. Difference is, with Sam in a super minority, there are more vocal defenders. Pretty true for any minority situation across the board. There are people who attack any/every group across the world. And yes, the media is very hypocritical in a lot of ways.

Is everyone coming up with arguments just for the sake of arguing at this point? EVERYONE gets persecuted by someone. The media is stupid. Hypocrites and double standards exist. Can we move on from that terribly repetitive line of drivel now?

I guess I would like to see some examples of Sam being shredded in the media for his beliefs and statements?  It's so toxic and so glowing hot, it won't happen.  Tebow, on the other hand, got killed left and right because it's open season to rail on Christians.  If you can find a number of examples where the MEDIA rips on Sam or Collins, I'm all ears.  I suspect if you were to do an honest comparison of the two, the assaults would be much higher on one side than the other.  

[ChicosBailBonds]

Interesting opinion piece.  If Tebow were gay, all would be forgiven.  He has a point.

One is celebrated, one is not.  Why can't both be celebrated?

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/blogs/david-whitley/os-if-tim-tebow-were-gay-all-would-be-forgiven-20140515,0,5939828.post

[GGGG]

I guessed I just missed all those who mocked Tebow for his Christianity.  I saw that he was mocked for being over-hyped.  I'm sure some people mocked him for being a Christian, just like some are going to mock Sam for being gay, but I think people just got tired of the hype machine for him as a quarterback...because he by and large sucked.

[Aughnanure]

I guessed I just missed all those who mocked Tebow for his Christianity.  I saw that he was mocked for being over-hyped.  I'm sure some people mocked him for being a Christian, just like some are going to mock Sam for being gay, but I think people just got tired of the hype machine for him as a quarterback...because he by and large sucked.

Exactly. It was ESPN being freaking annoying and shoving him down everyone's throats for 3 years. Not his Christianity.

[4everwarriors]

What if Tebow was a gay, Christian, terrible QB?

[Galway Eagle]

Well if it hurts that much to see a white Christian torn up then he can look for the support of another one of the millions of other white Christians who aren't getting torn up.  If Sam gets torn up there's not exactly millions of out black gay men.  

I'm with sultan I'm sure he got mocked but I think you're acting like he's Obama on Fox News while in actuality he just annoyed a few people with the religion.  Bottom line is a public figure is gonna get torn apart no matter what.  But to say someone who's part of a super majority deserves the same sensitivity as a super minority just seems wrong on all sorts of levels.

[GGGG]

Further thought...

There are a lot of very Christian players in major sports.  Curt Warner and Derek Fischer are two off the top of my head who were fairly open about their faith but were by and large not mocked for it.  I think that is exactly what we want from gay athletes.  That they can do their job, but be open about who they are and not have it be that big of a deal.