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...The Death Penalty

Amnesty International has urged doctors and nurses not to participate in executions by lethal injection as it breaches their ethical oath. In a report the group says the cocktail of drugs used is not always quick and painless and can cause "excruciating pain and extreme mental suffering". What do you think ? Can the death penalty ever be humane, or, to paraphrase one death-row inmate, does there come a point when we"pretty it up" so much that it becomes obscene.

Fagbug.com

Next, check out this website and let us know what you think:

This blog is the story of Erin Davies who was the victim of a hate crime. Because of sporting a rainbow sticker on her VW Beetle, her car was vandalized in red spray paint with the words "fag" and "u r gay" placed all over the hood and driver side of her car. Despite immediate shock and embarassment, she decided to "embrace what happened and keep driving her car as it is, in order to increase public awareness about the blatant homophobia that exists in our society".

Her mission -- quoting now from her web site -- is to drive her fagbug on a cross country trip and take it to as many diverse communities as possible. She will be gathering feedback for her fagbug documentary, which will shed light on the intolerance that exists in our society. Erin's goal is to get at least one million people to add fagbug rainbow stickers to their cars so that no one else is targeted like she was. Until that happens, her car will stay as it is!

Is this a powerful way of turning the other cheek ? Do you support what she's done, and what she's doing. Would you buy a fagbug sticker for your car ? Is this empowering a minority or banging a drum that we've, well, just had too much of. Gay men and women have rights these days, the law is on their side so why do we actually need a fagbug.

Let us know your thoughts and we'll put you on air.

Do you believe in the American Dream ?

Finally today one topic we're working on for tomorrow: the American Dream. There's a two day conference taking place in Washington trying to define the American dream. The term was first used by James Truslow Adams in his book The Epic of America which was written in 1931. He states: "The American Dream is "that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement". OK, that's pretty high-fibre -- I always thought the American Dream was about making lots of money, being a success and getting on in life. Have I got this wrong ? Fact of the matter is that the American Dream still by-and-large is only available to white men, in the 40s (plus) and if you're a woman or a person of colour you'll find the American Dream so much more difficult. All the statistics support that.

What do you think the American Dream is ? Is it still (really) open to all ? Has it changed -- afteral, America has changed -- so does that mean where America is heading has changed ? Do people now feel American before they feel anything else -- is there a destructive contradiction between being American, and Hispanic, or Muslim, or Black, or gay. And if you fall into any of these categories can you still attain the American Dream.

What is the American Dream ?

If America is becoming isolationist does the American Dream now mean people want to go there because they'll feel safer ? Or, is the deck still stacked against anyone who's not a white male ?

Tell us what you think about all these stories. You can contact us via all the usual ways.

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Later, Peter :-)