Mike in Syracuse

Bravo!!!

Until we can find a way to move policing from reactionary to preventative, it's never going to change. The simple fact is that the only way to deter crime is through swift and certian punishment. Criminals don't believe their going to be caught therefore, there is no deterrent effect. It's precisely the reason why capital punishment doesn't work. If we could catch and execute the scum within hours then crime rates would plummet.

Please don't bother us with such drivel. We're far to busy in Iraq to worry about Afghanistan.

Well what was your point? I'll take my chances with a baseball bat rather than risk this: 5 year-old accidentally shot, killed by stepfather By MIKE GLENN Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle A Houston man shot and killed his 5-year-old stepdaughter early Sunday after mistaking her for a burglar in their northeast Houston home, police said. Agun Ortega Pina, 25, told detectives he reached for his gun about 1 a.m. when he heard suspicious noises inside his house in the 2800 block of Kentucky. Pina, who has not been charged, fired a single shot when the suspected burglar tried to open the bedroom door where he and his wife had been sleeping. It was a case of mistaken identity that turned tragic. The person Pina thought was breaking into his bedroom was actually his stepdaughter, Alejandra Hernandez, who just wanted to be with her parents. Family friend Max Gutierrez spoke with Pina soon after the little girl was shot. "He has a broken heart," Gutierrez said. "He told me, 'I can't believe it. I feel bad.'" Silverio Portillo was staying at the home when Pina fired the round that struck the child in the chest. "I just woke up and Alejandra was right there on the floor," a still-shaken Portillo said through an interpreter. Portillo then helped the parents carry their wounded child to the family's van. "She was alive -- she was breathing," he said. The child was rushed to LBJ Hospital where she later died. Pina was not charged for the fatal shooting and police said the case instead will be referred to the Harris County Grand Jury. Hours after the child's death, a group of shocked neighbors gathered across the street from their small, wood-framed home. They are placing plastic buckets with the girl's picture in area restaurants and businesses to help raise money for the family's expenses. "It's a nice family. The family was very happy," said Sammy Gomez, who lives next door. "We're all friends here." Pina often brought his young step-daughter to the park and let her tag along when he had errands to run, Gutierrez said. Juan Rodriguez, 11, was devastated when his parents told him about his best friend's death. "She liked to play right here in the street," Rodriguez said. "She was like my little sister. She liked to share everything." Neighbors backed-up Pina's fears about criminals breaking into homes in the area. He posted several no trespassing signs on the wall of the home and wrapped a web of steel bars around the ground-mounted air conditioner unit. A motion-detection security light mounted over the gravel driveway flashes on, even during the day, when somebody walks by the house. The girl's parents weren't at home later Sunday and could not be reached for comment. Neighbors said they were staying with other relatives while making funeral arrangements for the girl.

All you'd discover is that they're both multi-millionaires pretending to common people. How many people do you know that own four or more houses? How many people do you know that have owned baseball teams? This isn't about us, hasn't been for a long time.

Thank you for pointing out our collective ignorance. I guess we're lucky to have an impartial person like yourself to explain to us what we saw and how we should interpret it. Please keep it up, I find it very entertaining.

That would have been a FANTASTIC question.

Yes, it tells me that our legal system is completely dysfunctional. You could give everyone in the United States a Glock and crime would likely increase, not decrease.

I agree. I would feel much better if Kerry were strutting around the stage giggling, making jokes and winking at people. I've always wanted a President that acts like he's at a frat party. What a fricken disgrace. Go check your tax returns you dumbass.

U.N. or Halliburton, what's the difference

Ya know what I find really ironic. When you look at the actions of these animals Saddam Hussein looks kinda average.

So your comfortable with paying 50% more for everything you buy? No thanks, I'll find another way to "send a message".

What's worse, beheading foreigners or walking into a public market with 200lbs of explosives strapped to your body? These fuggin people are animals and represent the worst that humanity has to offer. The only way to stop them is through complete and utter irradication. Unfortunately we're too busy nation building to complete the original mission.

Yeah, the message would be as follows: Welcome to the time in history when gas hit $5 per gallon.

WHY DON'T PEOPLE GET THIS!!!!! Al Quaeda doesn't give a rats ass who is President. They want dead Americans and lots of them. Democrat, Republican, Black, White, Asian & Hispanic. They don't care who, they don't care how, they just want to kill as many of us as possible. It's "us" they hate, not individual people. Now they may have a special desire to kill Bush but I don't think they'd pass up a chance at taking out a couple million of us. This war is going to go on forever. I has existeed for what must seem forever in other parts of the world. Bin Laden just brought it home.

Yeah, because Clinton with the first politician to promise to "create jobs". It must be burdensome to be right all the time.

Today America and the coalition are making steady progress toward that vision." Yup, 10 more years and a couple of thousand more dead Americans and we'll have them right where we want them. This situation has gotten so pathetically f'ed up that it's just sad.

Is it possible that Josh Stamer could commit more stupid penalties than Fletcher? I think Coy would make and AMAZING linebacker but is WAY too undersized to take that beating. He'd be dead by the 8th game of the season. Bring back Brandon Spoon

My company I work for is an ESOP. I'm not sure how your company sturctured it's corporate status but it's my understanding that there are number of different ways they can be set up. The main benefit of an ESOP structure is that it is a SUBSTANTIAL tax savings for the company as ESOP's are currently tax free. The drawback is that you return dividends to the employees that are exponentially larger than what you'd pay in taxes. In essence, and ESOP turns ownership of the company over to the employees. While it's not complete control, you get more input as to how the company is run. It's much like be a major stockholder in a corporation. Each year we have annual shareholders meeting and discuss the financial operations. We also get our annual stock certificates. The stocks value is established by an independent auditor and we've done very well. If your company is well managed and financially sound the ROI is 10-20 times that of our 401k. To answer your question, vesting times differ but once your fully vested you will get whatever your shares are worth. BUT, you have to leave or retire OR your company gets sold. The profits would then be shared among the employees. Unfortunately, once you get it, it becomes taxable income . So much depends on how your company is doing financially and that's the risk. Let me just say, I'm very happy with my return and at the current rate of growth, I may retire early

Personally, I would be ELATED if that happens. I truly hope that he does develop into a pro bowler but for right now, that's looking very unlikely. My concern is that Coy's lack of comfort with the position may be costing this team wins.

Coy has been "questionable" to say the least in every game he's played. The dude belongs on special teams and THAT's IT!

I guess J.P. running in the pool would be to similar to Drew's speed on the field..

In the last three games there have been at least a half dozen instances where we've need to gain a couple of yards. In all of the situations the game was on the line. Unless my memory is bad. We've tried to run between Vallarial and Williams each and ever time and have not been successful once. Perhaps we should run left?? It certianly would surprise the crap out of the defense.

And yet they have exactly one more win than we do

But damn sexy