My Soapbox Iowa State University, birthplace of the Atanasoff-Berry Computer, the first electronic computer. Why such allegiance to the Cardinal and Gold? I got my BS from ISU in 1991. My wife also has a BS from ISU (but went to grad school at the University of Kansas). Our huge cat is even named after the largest Residence Hall in the country, Friley.
National Rifle Association
Not everything done or espoused by the NRA necessarily reflects my opinions, however, this seems to be a time in history where personal responsibility is an unknown concept. Firearms are not the cause of violent behavior. The radical left has given up the notion that today's children can be taught right from wrong, or that some individuals are just too warped to be allowed to roam free in our society. Their goal is to control an item rather than to educate a generation. The NRA is the last line of defense against such a narrow minded view.
VOTE
300 million people in this country, half of which are eligible to vote, and roughly half of that bother to vote. What a sad role model our country is when it comes to democracy. We proclaim it to be our right to vote, demand that we not be restrained from casting a vote, and then a good portion of the electorate chooses not to bother exercising the right and instead whines about the outcome. Or, worse yet, those too hasty to follow instructions or too arrogant to ask for assistance at the polls insist upon derailing elections through court action because that's easier than properly filling out a ballot. The solution will be painful, but more funding towards a uniform balloting system may be required. And, the courts need to set a precedent as to when the count is final.