http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/ 2026-04-17T09:13:33+00:00 http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/ http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/lib/tpl/dokuwiki/images/favicon.ico text/html 2023-11-26T16:49:40+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/abortion?rev=1701046180&do=diff Abortion (Topics: Society & Culture | Back to Home) I cannot think of a more deeply personal, contentious issue that is part of the national dialogue than the question of abortion. It has been with us forever, dating back to the earliest days of recorded history. It is mentioned in the Rāmāyana, an ancient Indian text from roughly 2500 years ago. The Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle wrote about it. Abortion appeared in English law in 1803 and the United States in the 1820s. And the debat… text/html 2021-12-17T19:32:27+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/airports_and_train_stations?rev=1639798347&do=diff Airports, Train Stations, Bus Stations and Public Ports (Topics: Administration & Security | Back to Home) The security expert Bruce Schneier coined the term “security theater” to describe countermeasures designed to provide the feeling of improved safety while doing little or nothing that actually helps. His classic example is the airport. Airline passengers are now protected from people with bombs and weapons because they all have to go through a security screening. And at first glance, this… text/html 2021-12-17T19:41:46+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/antitrust_and_monopolies?rev=1639798906&do=diff Antitrust and Monopolies (Topics: Private Sector | Back to Home) The word “big” is at the heart of many important questions. How big can one person get? One institution? One company? Clearly too big is a problem. We all remember the awful reverberations through the economy because there were firms that were text/html 2023-10-11T07:49:38+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/artificial_intelligence?rev=1697035778&do=diff Artificial Intelligence (Topics: Science & Technology | Back to Home) There is a legend of a man named John Henry, a laborer who worked on the railroads. His job was to hammer steel spikes into solid rock, making holes for dynamite charges. Henry was the best at what he did, working harder and faster than anyone else. text/html 2021-12-17T19:35:36+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/autonomous_vehicles?rev=1639798536&do=diff Autonomous Vehicles (Topics: Science & Technology | Back to Home) The entire landscape of America was changed by the invention and proliferation of the automobile. Cars meant that more people could live farther from where they worked. Cars made suburbs possible, which is where most of us live [1]. Before the automobile, few people traveled much farther than they could walk. Cars are the modern embodiment of American independence, and were a huge driver of the American economy through the bulk … text/html 2024-03-07T12:19:10+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/campaign_finance?rev=1709842750&do=diff Campaign Finance Reform (Topics: Administration & Security | Back to Home) I could give you a big explanation about all the various ways that money gets into politics. Direct donations to candidates, donations to the party, donations to advocacy groups that support text/html 2023-10-31T20:42:47+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/capitalism?rev=1698810167&do=diff Capitalism (Topics: The Economy / Private Sector | Back to Home) There are lots of words that people use incorrectly these days. Capitalism is one of them. One definition of the term is this: Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. text/html 2021-09-28T16:19:56+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/central_banking?rev=1632871196&do=diff Central Banking (Topics: The Economy | Back to Home) There's an old joke about a couple of people living in a oppressive regime: Farmer: So you have your money in the town bank. What would happen if that bank were to fail? Friend: Ah, well if that happens, the deposits in the town bank are insured by the regional bank in our provincial capital. Farmer: But yes, what if the regional bank were to fail? Friend: Well, the deposits in the regional bank are are insured by the national bank in o… text/html 2021-12-17T19:36:54+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/climate_change?rev=1639798614&do=diff Climate Change (Topics: Science & Technology | Back to Home) A guy gets a call from his doctor. “What's up?” he asks. “Hey, the reason I am calling is to see how you're feeling,” says the doctor. “Me? I feel great overall. Super productive, lots of energy. But now that you mention it, I am having occasional migraines. And I've checked my temperature, and I do seem to be running a bit out of my normal range. Like I said, though, I am doing great overall. text/html 2024-02-28T07:48:01+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/corruption?rev=1709135281&do=diff Corruption (Topics: Administration & Security | Back to Home) Is our government corrupt? That's a little like asking “is the food in your home unsafe?” The answer is maybe. Corruption, like spoiled food, is rarely something happening everywhere at once. Instead: text/html 2021-09-28T16:16:36+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/cost_of_living_and_wages?rev=1632870996&do=diff Cost of Living and Wages (Topics: The Economy | Back to Home) You hear this phrase in the news or when thinking about moving: the cost of living. That is, how much money do you must spend to live a reasonably comfortable life. We understand what this is: we need to be able to cover your housing, transportation, food, clothing, utilities, and miscellaneous expenses. According to the government, that cost is text/html 2021-12-17T19:35:19+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/cryptocurrency?rev=1639798519&do=diff Cryptocurrency (Topics: Science & Technology | Back to Home) The rise of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum is certainly an exciting but controversial idea. To debate what we should do about this emerging area of our economy and society, it's essential to start by understanding the fundamentals. Here are the basics: text/html 2021-12-17T19:54:01+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/customs_and_traditions?rev=1639799641&do=diff Customs and Traditions (Topics: Society & Culture | Back to Home) In March of 2005 I was in Jerez de la Frontera, in southern Spain. I was there for Semana Santa, the Holy Week, a festival that is practiced throughout the country. There are all kinds of parades and costumes and various other traditions. People have been doing this for generations, with outfits and pointy hats and music. And if you're not from around there, well, it can all seem a little strange. text/html 2024-02-16T15:48:24+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/cybersecurity?rev=1708127304&do=diff Cybersecurity (Topics: Administration & Security | Back to Home) The single biggest immediate threat to the American economy, and the world economy in general, is the fragility and criticality of our digital infrastructure. It may be impossible to overstate this point. At any point, a rogue actor could cause massive damage to the entire country through a network-based attack. text/html 2023-10-03T17:59:07+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/decency_laws?rev=1696381147&do=diff Decency Laws (Topics: Sports and Entertainment | Back to Home) This is an old question. What is the role of the government in policing speech or other activities which might be construed as obscene? Of course, what is indecent is a matter of opinion. Views on nakedness, for example, seem to vary quite a bit [1] [2]. Add in gore and language and we have various rating systems from the text/html 2023-10-31T20:08:29+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/drugs_and_human_activities?rev=1698808109&do=diff Drugs and Human Activities (Topics: Society & Culture » Recreational Drugs | Back to Home) People use drugs for exactly one reason: they have an impact on their bodies. Sometimes the drug is prescribed by a health professional and it makes life possible; sometimes it's acquired at a drugstore and makes allergy season bearable. Some drugs people take because they make them feel good. Bottom line: if it didn't do something we wanted it to do, then we wouldn't use that drug. text/html 2021-10-04T18:06:41+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/elections_and_election_reform?rev=1633396001&do=diff Elections and Election Reform (Topics: Administration & Security | Back to Home) Like many of the challenges in our country, there is widespread concern from citizens about the integrity of our elections. Millions of Americans are suspicious that fraud is dominating our elections. text/html 2023-10-31T20:42:58+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/employee_employer_rights?rev=1698810178&do=diff Employee/Employer Rights (Topics: Private Sector | Back to Home) In summary: This topic is too complicated and needs to be simplified, but it's not clear where to begin doing that. The first step is to dismiss claims that employees (or employers) have too much power. We really don't know that. If anything, the current state of the economy determines who has the most power. text/html 2021-12-17T19:35:52+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/environment_pollution?rev=1639798552&do=diff The Environment and Pollution (Topics: Science & Technology | Back to Home) Stand on a street corner and you'll notice the pollution. Some of it is sound: heavy machinery, car engines, honking. But a lot of it is smoke and smells. What we create goes into the environment, and much of what we create we don't like. text/html 2024-02-18T10:39:28+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/federal_budget_debt_and_deficit?rev=1708281568&do=diff The Federal Budget, The Debt, and the Deficit (Topics: The Economy | Back to Home) What You Need To Know Congress is the cause of and the solution to all of our challenges with the federal budget, the debt, and the deficit. What citizens need to know is this: in our country, Congress decides who can be text/html 2024-05-06T06:49:58+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/firearms?rev=1715003398&do=diff Firearms and Gun Control (Topics: Society & Culture | Back to Home) You can find them in seemingly any home in America. In total, they number in the hundreds of millions. There is a purpose to this technology, and a long and important history---but that's not why we're talking about them. It's because of their inherent danger. Because of the accidents, the suicides, and the homicides. The threat is real, especially to our children. And still, too many of us don't bother to lock them up, those … text/html 2022-03-03T19:02:32+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/foreign_trade_trade_deficit?rev=1646362952&do=diff Foreign Trade and the Trade Deficit (Topics: The Economy | Back to Home) We absolutely have to trade with other countries. We're all on this ship together. And there are three essential questions when we buy things from/sell things across international boundaries: * Are they doing business and running their country in a way we approve? text/html 2021-09-28T16:20:26+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/fuel_prices?rev=1632871226&do=diff Fuel Prices (Topics: The Economy | Back to Home) Note: I wrote a blog post related to this topic. The price of gas goes up and down. And the best way to understand why is to look at the main component of gasoline: crude oil. The government of the United States has an office with three hundred people in it devoted to studying these kinds of questions. It's called the Energy Information Administration and they put together text/html 2024-02-17T21:06:53+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/gambling?rev=1708232813&do=diff Gambling (Topics: Sports and Entertainment | Back to Home) Gambling can be very, very bad. For most people, most of the time, it's fun. It's a bit like alcohol in this regard. And the numbers bare it out, about 95% of gamblers don't have a problem. The question is then: text/html 2024-05-06T07:41:05+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/gun_legislation?rev=1715006465&do=diff Gun Legislation (Topics: Society & Culture | Firearms and Gun Control | Back to Home) We have to have laws about guns. We of course one we all know from 1791, the Second Amendment, which guarantees the right to bear arms [1]. But there are plenty more rules from those days which show that early Americans were interested in appropriate regulation as well. These include: text/html 2021-12-17T19:54:44+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/healthcare?rev=1639799684&do=diff Healthcare (Topics: Society & Culture | Back to Home) Here's a statistic which I think every American should know: 1/6th of the American economy is devoted to healthcare [1]. The purpose of sharing this number is for us all to think about scale. It's a big country, and if 1 out of 6 dollars in the country is going to our health, that's a big chunk of our spending. text/html 2024-01-18T10:45:48+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/immigraton?rev=1705603548&do=diff Immigration (Topics: Administration & Security | Back to Home) This is a big topic. To break it down let's start with a definition. From the folks at Merriam-Webster: immigration (noun) - travel into a country for the purpose of permanent residence there. text/html 2021-09-28T16:20:13+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/income_wealth_inequality?rev=1632871213&do=diff Income and Wealth Inequality (Topics: The Economy | Back to Home) Some people have more money than other people. That's wealth inequality. Some people make more money than other people. That's income inequality. By themselves, those statements are not a problem. So what? Some people are taller or shorter than others. Some people have more lyrics memorized than others. That's not all that important. text/html 2024-03-28T18:16:29+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/inflation?rev=1711674989&do=diff Inflation (Topics: The Economy | Back to Home) Something happens when you become an adult. You realize that stuff is more expensive than it used to be. This is an economic concept called inflation, and it's something we all have to know about. Inflation means that the total size of the economy is getting bigger text/html 2024-04-05T09:25:44+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/infrastructure?rev=1712334344&do=diff Infrastructure (Topics: The Economy | Back to Home) “When you build a thing you cannot merely build that thing in isolation, but must also repair the world around it, and within it, so that the larger world at that one place becomes more coherent, and more whole; and the thing which you make takes its place in the web of nature, as you make it. text/html 2022-04-23T13:01:48+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/insurance?rev=1650744108&do=diff Insurance (Back to Home) It's worth a quick reminder that insurance is a product that is unlike almost any other product in our capitalist system. Most things that we purchase we do so for a simple reason: because we want to use them. Also, whoever sold it to us wants us to use it too, preferably to use it up, so they can sell it to us again. text/html 2021-12-17T19:33:15+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/internet_regulation?rev=1639798395&do=diff Internet Regulation (Topics: Science & Technology | Back to Home) It's hard to think of anything that's changed our world as much as the Internet. I'm just old enough to remember a time before our lives were entirely online. These words you're reading are being delivered to you over a network that didn't exist until a few years ago. We're experiencing something together that almost everybody who ever lived could barely hope to understand. text/html 2024-02-22T12:38:18+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/israel?rev=1708634298&do=diff Israel (Topics: Foreign Policy | Back to Home) The story of every piece of land one of conflict over ownership. I'm typing these words in a coffeeshop in northern Hamilton County. I'm leasing it from the proprietor for the cost of a cup of joe. The business rents it from the landlord. And the landlord bought it from someone, who in turn bought it from someone, who in turn got this bit of land where I'm sitting right now from a land grant from some regional provisional government. text/html 2024-02-28T07:48:56+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/judicial_system_courts_laws?rev=1709135336&do=diff Judicial System: Judges, Courts, and Prisons (Topics: Administration & Security | Back to Home) For many Americans, the main experience they have with their government never crosses the justice system. At most we will get a speeding ticket for being in a rush. Most of us will never go to court or speak to a judge. In fact, most Americans will never even serve on a jury [1]. text/html 2021-12-17T19:39:50+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/manufacturing?rev=1639798790&do=diff Manufacturing (Topics: Private Sector | Back to Home) It's time to face facts. The manufacturing industry in the United States will never be like what it was. In the 1940s and 1950s, 1 in 3 jobs were in factories. But today it's less than 1 in 10 jobs. And there are two big reasons why this has happened: text/html 2024-02-16T11:35:33+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/mass_shootings?rev=1708112133&do=diff Mass Shootings (Topics: Society & Culture | Back to Home) The presence of guns in our country is an area of powerful, emotionally charged debate. These weapons are used to harm or kill people with alarming frequency. And although not actually that common compared to other types of firearm deaths [1], it's the text/html 2023-11-28T17:46:31+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/maternal_health?rev=1701222391&do=diff Maternal Health (Topics: Society & Culture | Healthcare | Back to Home) I don't know anything about you, but I do know that you were born. From a human womb [1]. Of all of the parts of your life one of the most important is the period of time you spent as a parasite growing inside of a uterus. The health of the person who gave birth to you is an enormous predictor of your health. Their use of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs can impact birth weight and cause birth defects. Their diet is your… text/html 2021-12-17T19:40:44+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/mining_and_minerals?rev=1639798844&do=diff Mining and Minerals (Topics: Private Sector | Back to Home) There's really only one rule when you're dealing with a finite resource: make sure you don't run out before you're ready. This is where we are with all of the natural resources in the world. This is the case for minerals like cobalt and uranium, fuel sources like coal, gas, and oil. There is a fixed amount. One day, we are going to run out. The question is text/html 2022-03-20T11:08:02+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/modernization?rev=1647799682&do=diff Modernization (Topics: Administration & Security | Back to Home) The government does not have a reputation of being especially innovative when it comes to implementing programs or running daily operations. It's hard to know how much this stereotyped is deserved, but there are countless practical examples: text/html 2024-02-15T16:33:51+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/parental_controls?rev=1708043631&do=diff Parental Controls (Topics: Sports and Entertainment | Back to Home) Way back in 1996, we were supposed to get an amazing new technology for helping parents better control what content kids had access to. It was called the V-chip. It was going to be revolutionary. But instead, it was a complete and utter failure. [1] text/html 2024-02-28T07:56:52+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/policing?rev=1709135812&do=diff Judicial System: Policing (Topics: Administration & Security | Back to Home) Here's a profound little thought experiment: what would happen tomorrow if there were no more uniformed law enforcement officers? Everyone would agree that the police are not perfect. Cops make mistakes. Some institutions have bad policies or toxic cultures. There are individual cops that need to be disciplined. text/html 2021-09-28T16:22:11+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/poor_leadership?rev=1632871331&do=diff A Failure of Leadership (Topics: Administration & Security | Back to Home) Good leadership is a bit like baking. It's a easy to talk about but hard to do, and cutting corners will undermine the entire endeavor. We have experienced bad leadership at every level of government for a long time. Not bad people, or bad intentions. Not bad motivations or bad ideas. Bad leadership. text/html 2021-12-20T10:05:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/q_administration_101?rev=1640023555&do=diff Q: What's going on with the government? (Topics: Administration & Security, Q&A | Back to Home) A: It's a bit of mess (but obviously still gets things done), and in order to really understand it requires trusting someone to evaluate it---but we don't trust institutions like government so we're stuck in a vicious cycle. text/html 2022-04-11T06:25:50+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/q_and_a?rev=1649683550&do=diff Q&A: Direct Answers to Specific Questions (Back to Home) Politicians have a habit of not answering questions [1][2][3]. This, in my view, is for two reasons. One: they mostly don't want to get pinned down, and two, it's a bad question. (I wrote a whole blog post about text/html 2024-02-18T10:40:02+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/q_children_101?rev=1708281602&do=diff Q: What is the role of each in the lives of children—family, community, and government? (Topics: Children, Q&A | Back to Home) A: Children are part of families first, their communities second, and citizens in their government third. That means that that any role that government has in the lives of children should be minimal and rare, because most of children's experiences should be among their families and communities. text/html 2021-12-20T10:09:36+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/q_economy_101?rev=1640023776&do=diff Q: What do voters need to know about the economy? (Topics: The Economy, Q&A | Back to Home) A: That it's complicated, and despite what you hear we really don't know much about what kinds of interventions help or hurt. This may be the most important general knowledge topic text/html 2024-02-18T10:46:43+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/q_elderly_101?rev=1708282003&do=diff Q: What is our collective responsibility to our elders? (Topics: The Elderly, Q&A | Back to Home) A: We owe our very existence to the people who came before us. To our ancestors, to our veterans, and to the people who are still with us. Our elders helped build the world in which we live. As they age, they need our help, and we should offer it. text/html 2021-12-20T10:13:21+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/q_market_101?rev=1640024001&do=diff Q: What is the role of the free market? (Topics: Private Sector, Q&A | Back to Home) A: It is the main driver of opportunity in our country, but we have to continue to work on the rules of the market by understanding our values. Today, there are probably both too many text/html 2021-12-20T10:08:57+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/q_research_101?rev=1640023737&do=diff Q: What should be the relationship between the government and scientific research? (Topics: Science and Technology, Q&A | Back to Home) A: The track record is mixed, and our evaluation and conflict of interest mechanisms need tons of work, but some level of government support for basic research is a good thing. text/html 2024-02-28T07:49:41+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/q_society_101?rev=1709135381&do=diff Q: What does the government have to do with society and social issues? (Topics: Society and Culture, Q&A | Back to Home) A: The government should support the social institutions that a society values, and discourage trends and behaviors that the society doesn't value text/html 2023-06-12T09:31:03+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/q_sports_and_entertainment_101?rev=1686587463&do=diff Q: Should the government be involved in sports and entertainment? (Topics: Sports and Entertainment, Q&A | Back to Home) A: Maybe a little, to help provide some support and protection for the people who work in these fields as well as the audiences---but that's about it. text/html 2021-12-02T09:32:48+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/race_and_history?rev=1638466368&do=diff Race, Ethnicity, and American History Let's turn back the clock for a moment. Think of the United States, not in the 21st century, but in the 19th century. The 1800s. When we were a brand new country, fresh off of a revolutionary war, trying to find our way. text/html 2021-12-17T19:51:35+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/race_relations_racism?rev=1639799495&do=diff Race Relations and Racism (Topics: Society & Culture | Back to Home) As I write these words, our nation struggles daily with the legacy of race. We connect it to violence in our streets and to discrimination in our institutions. We cite race as a factor in almost every aspect of our public lives and we also deny it is a factor. Some even claim that race doesn't exist [1]. text/html 2023-09-27T12:56:33+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/recreational_drugs?rev=1695844593&do=diff Recreational Drugs (Topics: Society & Culture | Back to Home) Until very recently in human history, recreational drugs were a part of everyone's life. People discovered natural substances such as plants, roots, and leaves, that could be used for a variety of medicinal and pleasurable ends. We ate flowers, drank extracts, and applied oils to our skin. Undoubtedly, the most successful recreational drug was discovered through a process we now call text/html 2023-11-28T17:50:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/sex_and_gender?rev=1701222655&do=diff Sex and Gender (Topics: Society & Culture | Back to Home) Just recently, I saw an albino squirrel darting across a fence line. The creature itself is not rare, but the complete lack of pigmentation is striking. Where we expect to see a brownish coat with dark eyes is instead replaced by bleach-white fur and piercing red peepers. It is a sight to behold. text/html 2024-03-28T18:17:10+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/start?rev=1711675030&do=diff Hello, voter! Here's something you already know: it's not easy to find out what a politician is thinking. Most repeat a “stump speech” over and over again. If they do talk to reporters, they give scripted answers to controlled questions. Even the websites of candidates may list a few issues with little more than a text/html 2024-04-05T09:15:39+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/taxes_and_taxation?rev=1712333739&do=diff Taxes and Taxation (Topics: The Economy | Back to Home) Where to begin? Taxes may be the least understood and most broken part of the entirety of modern life. And there are three big problems: first, we don't like paying taxes, second, taxes are ridiculously complicated text/html 2023-02-25T13:00:06+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/terrorism?rev=1677358806&do=diff Terrorism (Topics: Administration & Security | Back to Home) Of all crimes, “terrorism” may be the hardest to understand. Ordinary unlawful activity is defined by what it is. Theft is taking something which belongs to someone else. Murder is intentionally ending someone else's life. Driving through a red light is doing what the traffic regulations say you cannot do. text/html 2021-12-17T19:31:05+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/the_constitution_and_the_law?rev=1639798265&do=diff The Constitution and the Law (Topics: Administration & Security | Back to Home) The whole of our country is built upon a concept called the rule of law. We have written documents that explain how we have chosen to live and work together, what we agree we should do and what we should not do, and how to best make decisions in the future. text/html 2024-03-28T18:24:37+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/the_d.c._dormitory?rev=1711675477&do=diff The D.C. Dormitory (Topics: Grab Bag | Back to Home) Here's a totally wild idea. Let's build a dormitory in D.C. It will be a building that houses all 535 members of Congress and they will be required to live there while in Washington. We can have a cafeteria and a meal plan. text/html 2021-09-16T18:23:04+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/the_economy?rev=1631841784&do=diff The Economy text/html 2021-12-17T19:39:22+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/the_media?rev=1639798762&do=diff The Media (Topics: Private Sector | Back to Home) It's hard to think of any sector in private industry that is more misunderstood than the media. The way people talk about news and entertainment [1] organizations often shows just how inaccurately those groups are perceived. What many of us think about them is simply false. text/html 2023-11-28T17:49:05+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/the_minimum_wage?rev=1701222545&do=diff The Minimum Wage (Topics: The Economy | Back to Home) Most people know we have a minimum wage in the U.S. It's $7.25 an hour (more in some states and cities), and if you have an hourly job under most circumstances, you must be paid at least this amount. Beyond that, there's a lot of confusion. Some facts: text/html 2023-10-03T17:41:25+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/the_olympics?rev=1696380085&do=diff The Olympics (Topics: Sports and Entertainment | Back to Home) Every two years, the world gathers in a host city to watch the Summer (or Winter) Olympic Games. Most countries provide financial support for their teams through taxpayer funding. Surveys indicate that the people of most nations are in favor of their taxes funding Olympic teams as well text/html 2023-11-17T13:02:25+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/the_united_nations?rev=1700254945&do=diff The United Nations (Topics: Foreign Policy | Back to Home) The UN has gotten a bit off track since 1945. The preamble to the United Nations Charter opens with: “We the peoples of the united nations determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind. text/html 2024-03-07T12:35:10+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/thing_of_value?rev=1709843710&do=diff "Thing of Value" - Campaign Finance Reform (Topics: Administration & Security | Back to Home) To show just how far campaign finance reform is from the viewpoint of the average American, a great place to begin is with the phrase thing of value. This is a phrase from election law (and in fact many places in the law) which is so vague as to be almost meaningless. The two words mean exactly what they say: text/html 2021-12-17T19:41:21+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/trade_unions?rev=1639798881&do=diff Trade Unions (Topics: Private Sector | Back to Home) Here's one particularly strange part about how Americans understand business: people working together to advance a shared goal is a good thing or a bad thing, depending on what you call that group of people. text/html 2024-03-07T18:42:38+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/undebatable_positions?rev=1709865758&do=diff Undebatable Positions On lots of topics we can take different sides. It's easy to do this with a specifics: would you rather have a new city park or a new bypass on the highway? And sometimes the topic are divisive, but people still have different opinions. text/html 2022-04-01T13:42:53+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/unemployment?rev=1648845773&do=diff Unemployment (Topics: The Economy | Back to Home) When people talk about the “unemployment rate” it sounds simple: the percentage of people who are not currently working. But that's not at all what it is, and we need to think about unemployment in a more comprehensive way. text/html 2021-09-28T16:22:25+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/unifying_the_country?rev=1632871345&do=diff Unifying the Country (Topics: Administration & Security | Back to Home) America is divided. That's not news to any of us. I can cite statistics or news reports, but what is obviously and devastatingly true does not require further proof. We are fighting with each other today more than we have been in living memory. text/html 2023-10-31T20:42:12+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/video_games?rev=1698810132&do=diff Video Games (Topics: Sports and Entertainment | Back to Home) There is ongoing interest in the government's role in regulating video games. I don't see this as being different than the discussion of any other form of government regulation of free speech. Namely to say: for the most part, people can make their own decisions about what speech they want to experience and that's good enough for virtually all situations. text/html 2023-11-10T17:25:53+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://issues-dev.robbyslaughter.com/doku.php/youth_athletics?rev=1699665953&do=diff Youth Athletics (Topics: Sports and Entertainment | Back to Home) Young people need to learn about leadership, about teamwork, about the thrill of victory and the frustration of defeat. They need to learn what it means to work together and determine how to integrate different skills in different areas to achieve a common goal. This is what youth sports can do for children and adolescents, and it's why youth sports are one effective way to help build the future of our country.