I thought little blue dot hit the nail right on the head.

When I was a kid growing up, my grandparents always told me that the Democrats were the ones that would help the poor no matter who they were, and that the Republicans only wanted to help the rich. Granted, that dichotomy is a little bit too simple, but at the same time, I cling to it. So do my grandparents, and so do some voters.

Whatever happened to the Democratic party that spoke out for anyone, anywhere, no matter their politics? Apparently, that's disappearing. Is it coincidental that the only candidate who wanted to address the plight of rural voters (John Edwards) never even won a primary? Unfortunately, I don't think so.

Living out in the West, in my experience, country people are some of the best, kindest, and most honest people I've met. And you know what? They listen to you. Even if they disagree with you, they'll be polite and have a decent conversation. How often do I get the same treatment from rich, yuppie San Francisco liberals? Not often, in my life, I can tell you that.

So before we start pointing fingers and asking who "deserves" to receive help (as if any human being wasn't worthy of a helping hand!), why don't you all think for a moment about how you'd like to be treated as a rural voter.

Finally, I'd encourage everyone to read this article:

http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/2845

It put a lot of things into perspective for me.

Great article!

As a college student, to the remnants of the 60s counterculture, I say this: Thanks a lot for nothing.

The terms "beyond the shadow of a doubt" and "ridiculous rate" were used because someone of your intellectual capacity would probably be incapable of understanding any sort of technical language employed by actual scientists.

I'm pretty sure you didn't read the IPCC's report, Salty3. Why don't you start using that apparently defunct organ called your brain and realize that you are wrong.

Prove to me that all the data in the IPCC's report is wrong. Go through every page, using empirical data you collected, and demonstrate the invalidity of climate change.

We're all waiting.

And sunspots? Seriously? What are you, a Druid priest? Why don't you explain why, if we're about to enter into a Maunder Minimum, the years of 1995-2005 were the hottest on record?

You're so full contradictions I'm surprised you don't implode.

Learn to read. The largest and most comprehensive study on radiative forcing caused by CO2, C4, and other GHGs has concluded beyond the shadow of a doubt that:

1. Global warming is occurring at a ridiculous rate, higher than any rate in literally hundreds of thousands of years.

2. Global warming is caused by GHGs.

3. The release of massive amounts of GHGs into the atmosphere is what is causing climate change, and those gases are being released by humans.

4. Climate change is going to be the cause of disastrous ecological damage.

Seriously. When will you skeptics learn that you're wrong? As in, you're not right. At all. Ever. Period.

http://www.ipcc.ch/index.htm

Go read Workgroup I and II's reports all the way through; after that, go do years of intensive scientific study. If after that, you still think that the IPCC is wrong, come back and talk. Until then, do us all a favor and stop trying to disprove the theories developed by people who are more intelligent and better trained. It makes you look dumb.

If we wanted to stop Climate Change, the Democrats would've nominated Bill Richardson.

God (or Science) forbid that we respect the fact that scientists deal with the physical world, and theologians deal with God. When one tries to interfere with the other (Dawkins, fundamentalist preachers, Michael Behe, et al.), of course there's going to be some clashes.

That's what happens when you stick your nose in something you aren't formally trained in. There's a reason scientists work in labs, not churches, and that the religious don't pray with test tubes.

We need to wake up: religion is not going away, and neither is science. Give each its due, and there is no need for all this "science v. religion" crap that people buy into.

I think that maybe someday the Democrats, the supposed party of the disenfranchised, will wake up and realize that when it comes to helping those who are by far the most marginalized (the poor), they're doing absolutely nothing.

It's a sad day in America where politicians in the most progressive party who run on a platform of true social justice and principle are defeated because of selfishness.

Is there any way you could let us know how to send our condolences to the family or anything? Would it be appropriate to send letters to the school?