Do you like to read stories?

[Couture]

Then go vote. Apathy is the same as agreement.

 

[wildsweetone]

Apathy is the same as agreement

it is not.

i don't believe the voting here has enough merit; there are too many variables for any specific indication on how well or how poorly a story has been written.

i prefer to let the authors of stories i've read know what i think via an email or PM, and i believe they're comfortable with those kinds of notifications.

 

[Chicklet]

I always vote on the stories that I read, but I also include an email feedback. Sometimes one is more important to the author, but how am I supposed to know which?

Chicklet

ps - by voting I'm letting other readers know that the story is good.

 

[deliciously_naughty]

lack of voting kept a ton of good stories out of the halloween contest...certain categories (group sex/incest) get tons of votes in little to no time while others have a huge problem getting 50 votes over the course of 5 months.

 

[Couture]

I meant go to the polls and VOTE. If you don't vote for stories, they will still be written. However, bad legislation courtesy of Ashcroft and co. could shut down this site and others.

Republican now have complete control of the House, Senate, and legislative branch. This is about the most conservative political climate we've ever had. Hell, even the democrats are conservative.

It's over for now, but let's all be sure to vote for candidates that support individual rights come next election.

 

[wildsweetone]

i think they might have discounted my vote had i travelled to your neck of the woods to do so Couture...

but the trip would have been fun.

 

[BigTexan]

Couture,

I know I'm pissing in the wind here but ...

Neither Ashcroft nor George W. has sponsored legislation designed to shut down sites like this.

Ashcroft is, ahem, more zealous about persecuting (yes it's the word I intended) people that edge anywhere near the line, but it was good ol' "Lets meet in the oval office for some oral sex" Bill Clinton that pushed for and signed the CDA.

People who try to make this a "Republican vs. Democrat" issue are missing the boat. It's true that Republicans are generally more conservative than Democrats but conservatism is not what is at stake here. The real issue is civil rights and in particular the right to freedom of speech.

Democrats are leading the way at dismantling our civil liberties, starting with the right to own firearms. They also have a long history of encroaching on any civil liberties that don't fit their political objectives.

They have passed laws to keep the bible from being discussed in school. Whether you agree with the bible or not, not being allowed to discuss it is an infringement of your right to free speech.

So you see this isn't a truly "Democrats vs. Republicans" battle. This is more of a "citizens vs. politicians" war and the citizens are losing.

So, my recommendation is this. Take the time to learn about those you are voting on. Don't vote strictly Republican or strictly Democrat. Vote for the candidate that has a history or at least a published stand on issues you care about. Don't vote for a guy just because he is in a certain party and certainly don't vote for him just because he is the incumbent.

Not taking the time to learn about the candidates is just as bad as not taking the time to vote.

Anyways, this is my opinion.

BigTexan

 

[karmadog]

Big Texan is right. The laws that apply to 'pornography' have been on the books for a long time. However, this is the first Justice Department since Meese was AG to actually bother with them owing to the difficulty of getting convictions and the enormous cost of such trials.

Also, both parties like to wave the Constitution when it suits there biases, but break out the White-Out when it doesn't.

However, it isn't illegal to discuss the bible. It is frequently taught as literature. It is illegal to promote Christianity in publicly funded schools. That's as it should be based on the First Amendment and the body of the Constitution which sets strict limits on what the Government can do. The Constitution does not cede that right to the gov't.

Never make the mistake of asking whether a right is given to the people by the Bill of Rights. Ask whether the Constitution allows Government to take it away.

 

[SlickTony]

I was rather disappointed to find that in Florida, they'd voted in Amendment 6, which will outlaw smoking in any public place unless it's a bar or something. (That is basically what it boils down to). What this will do is get rid of the Smoking Area in a restaurant.

Now, I hold no brief for smoking. I used to smoke myself, but this particular monkey never rode very heavily on my back; I was down to like, 2 a day, usually stolen out of my husband's pack, when I found out I was pregnant. I quit and I never started back.

OTOH, my husband not only smokes, he likes to smoke, and will probably never quit. One year he quit when he got pneumonia, and I was so glad I offered it up as a praise in church. A few weeks later, damn if he didn't start back. I hate to think of the money he's spent on cigarettes, which come out of the family exchequer, if you please.

Smoke, furthermore, makes our house smell like an old fleabag motel. I don't notice this, because I live in it, but if I go away for a weekend and stay at the house of some nonsmoker, it hits me in the face when I gets back.

Still, Amendment 6 seems to be another indication of the way our individual rights are being eroded bit by bit. Most workplaces are smoke-free already. I have not worked in a place where people smoked since 1989. I hardly ever notice the smell of cigarettes unless I am in the house of a smoker or standing next to one outdoors. If I go to a restaurant that has a smoking section, I honestly don't notice the smoke.

I mean, what's next, our homes? If my husband were to quit, that'd be fine, but we've already got too damn many laws against things as it is.

People who promulgate coercive laws usually mean well.

 

[Whispersecret]

Bravo, Big Texan. My esteem for you grows.

 

[tenyari]

I read stories. I enjoy them when I do.

But I see no need to 'vote'. The whole voting concept is just sillyness.

If I find an author who moves me in some way, I will write feedback.

But vote? Not going to happen. What does a number tell anyone anyway?

As a writer, a number tells me nothing. But a comment about a plot element, character, theme, or even grammar issue is worth gold for me.

Don't vote, if you want to say your piece, say it. Tell the author what you think of their work in detail. A number doesn't get anbody anywhere useful.

 

[tenyari]

Ah... this is about political voting.

Don't see the connection.

But I did vote. I went green party this time around.

The democrats won every election I could vote in anyway. Between the two major parties, they're the lesser evil; but for once in my life I decided it was time to not vote for any evil either way. So I went green.

 

[karmadog]

If you don't vote, you can't complain about what's done.

I like to bitch, so I have to vote. Even if my people win, I can say, 'That bastard/bitch didn't do what they promised!'

If I don't vote, I can't bitch.