I suspect Walter Shapiro has never owned a handgun or even fired one. They're really quite docile, little objects – similar to matches. True, they both have great potential to harm innoncent people but that potenital can only be realized by someone who chooses to do so or by accident. Mr. Shapiro no doubt means well, but he's no friend of mine or the moderate wing of the Democratic party which I consider myself a part of. The whole gun control argument was won some time ago by thoughtful, reasonable Conservatives and Libertarians. I'm stunned that there's still some who feel altering the 2nd Amendment will lead to a safer society. Luckily, the horse I'm pulling for in '08 is well liked by the NRA crowd but much more importantly, has an immaculate resume. I'm of course talking about the Governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson. But I digress.

While Mr. Shaprio is thougtful, he is not reasonable. His absurd ideas rival those at the other extreme end of this issue. Any Democratic candidate who reignites this old, tired debate will have their ass handed to them in '08. That scares me a helluva lot more than the remote chance of being killed by a handgun.

It's called a 2009 Yamaha Vino Classic scooter (Alpine White)! I purchased it two days before Christmas. $2,290 out the door. Yamaha says it gets 112 mpg, but in real world conditions, I'm getting maybe 98 mpg on my little 4-stroker. I'm not sure yet as I haven't even used a complete tank of gas!

They're not for everyone of course but if you live in an urban area, especially a small city like Charlotte, NC, scooters are perfect. I live 2.5 miles from downtown and my job is actually half a mile closer. Sure, riding a bike would probably be the best choice as that would create zero-emissions but while burning calories is admirable, pedaling in the summer here in North Carolina is no fun! I did just that much of last year.

Anyway, check your state laws. In North Carolina, one doesn't have to register, insure, or pay property taxes on 49cc scooters. Those larger (ie., 125cc and higher), require you to jump through hoops with all the registration stuff. While I wish mine went faster than 38 mph, it's a perfect commuter vehicle for non-interstate travel, plus I can park it on sidewalks and secure/lock it to various unmovable objects instead of paying for parking.

My old '91 Volvo sedan will hopefully see no more than 5,500 miles this year.

Concerning Mark Benjamin's purchase, it indeed seems a bit hypocritical but he says it gets better gas mileage than his old Volvo wagon so that's a good thing. I agree with those of you however who feel he could have made a better choice.

Do consider a scooter for transportation. It would be pretty cool to see our urban areas ultimately overrun with scooters much like Bangkok and Calcutta (without those countries' other problems of course). They are a blast and certainly environmentally friendly!

It's good to see that all charges were ultimately dropped. That was, no doubt, the right decision.

I'm puzzled though. As America's most prominent black intellectual, why was Gates' response to officer Crowley's requests so seemingly pedestrian?

When did Sarah Palin move to Delaware? And why is she attending town hall meetings holding up birth certificates and harassing her congressman?

Connecting battery cables to someone's scrotum and sending electricity through their body is torture. Period. No one would disagree with that. But conducting mock executions or moving the slide back and forth on a 9 millimeter near a detainee's ear gets a little complicated. It's certainly psychological terror but does it compare to physical torture (which one has to believe carries with it psychological consequences as well)? It's all very nebulous.

One thing to remember though, we're dealing with some really dangerous people. Their religion already ordains them as being morally superior to the West. What we do or don't do with regards to forcing information from detainees is totally irrelevant to them. We are on the side of evil in their eyes.

One could argue the very same about us I suppose. Ahhh, religion. That's another conversation altogether.

...the point they raise about considering "special debriefings" with Muslim soldiers is valid. By that, I mean it warrants an open and honest discussion. This isn't the first time this has happened in the U.S. military in recent years. Anybody remember Sgt. Akbar from 2003?

www.nytimes.com/2005/04/12/national/12akbar.html

Look, I realize this is rare but it deserves special attention. Dismissing it as "racial profiling" or being "anti-muslim" is narrow minded and naive. It's really sad that so much death and violence usually follows the announcement, "Allahu Akbar!"

I'm an atheist so I'm not too fond of Christianity either (or any religion for that matter) but Christian Fundamentalism doesn't even come close to the level of violence found with Islamic Fundamentalism. Just ask any Danish cartoonist or Salman Rushdie. Or the family of Theo van Gogh. Or the homosexuals publicly hanged in Iran. Or the female victims of "honor" killings. Or... you get my point.

I hope that those injured in this massacre go on to a full recovery. And what can one say to those who lost a loved one? Jeez, what a tragedy.

I just read your comments after submitting my post. We're are clearly on the same page.

You would think since this is Salon.com, people could have meaningful debate without it getting ugly and evolving into personal attacks. I guess not.

Good luck Ms. Anthropia. It appears critical thinking is unwelcome. Nothing to see here. Moving on.