State of the Forums

Moderator: Stomper

Well after a brief absence, as I took a much needed vacation, I am back to plague the forums!

First and foremost I'd like to direct your attention to this thread: Recognizing Forum Members. Os has come up with a worthy thread to note. The idea here is to rack your brain for memories and insightfulness to produce worthy nominations of people who have contributed in various aspects of the forum. Just a way to single out individuals for their achievements and say THANK YOU! Although I would like to point out that for every "winner" in each category, there are a number of individuals that "could have" won or are worthy of the award. It's so hard to pick any one individual in these categories when we have such an excellent field of members here at PlanetDiablo.

And, of course, the 1st Annual PD Awards. The results of the previous thread can be found here. I'd like to take this moment to thank Os for putting this all together and for accepting the money I stuffed in his pocket. "cough" And who said money can't buy happiness! I spent $49.99 and have been happy for 2 years!

I have had 3 winners so far of the Scavenger Hunt! Yes that number is 3! So there are two spots left - so get out your knapsacks and pick up the clues and items. If you get "stuck" and can't come up with 20 of 25 answers - ask around - collaborate - post a thread! Remember - there are no "rules" to how you acquire the answers other than not asking a moderator! Send your 20 or more answers to me via PM and you too could be a winner. The Scavenger Hunt officially closes on Sunday July 28th. All winners will be announced in the next SOTF and will be notified individually. The "donors" will retain any unclaimed prizes.

And now for my own pet forum news: The Hardcore Forum. Yes it is true, I have lured Madanark into the abyss and he too has fallen under the evil cloud of the Hardcore Addiction. He has in fact offered up a very good thread that catalogues the demise of your characters. Take a moment to read the Obituaries and add your epitaph to the ever-growing list of the dead. I know he talked about this thread last week - but I liked it so much I had to redirect you there again!

For something truly different, check out Worst Charms Found. Let us know which is the worst charm you've ever found and then count yourself lucky as you view the ones that others have found! (Or become the top dog of worst drops!)

And if you ever wanted to see what your chances are at multiple MF runs of Pindy. Check out this simulator brought to our attention by Xisor: The Pindleskin Simulator. Keep in mind though that even the MF modifies your chances - it's still a roll of the dice.

Moderator: Madanark

Fellow Americans and anti-terrorists,

I am writing to you today because Sondan has brought up for discussion the Loss of Freedoms in America. He discusses the apparent strip search of an 80 year old lady at the airport that he believes was a violation of her (and therefore collectively our) freedoms granted by the Bill of Rights. Much excellent discussion ensues in the thread and I congratulate Sondan, a Kansan, for his getting it started.

The Bill of Rights

From reviewing the U. S. National Archives and Records Administration, I provide these "summary excerpts" of this document which was adopted as the first 10 amendments of the U. S. Constitution, ratified 15 December 1791.

• Amendment #1) Religion, speech, press, assembly and petition freedoms.
  
  
• Amendment #2) Militia and arms bearing freedoms.
  
  
• Amendment #4) Unreasonable search and seizure freedoms.

Specifically, "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

• Amendment #6 & 7) Speedy public trial by jury freedoms.

To continue then, we are dealing with amendment #4. Well, unfortunately, as Scipio23 points out, the amendment has the "but upon probable cause" modifier. Scipio23 said, "The 4th Amendment to the Constitution protects citizens from 'unreasonable search and seizure' without 'probable cause.' This means that an agent of the federal government cannot search you (or your property) without have a legitimate reason. This means they must have evidence that suggests that you have committed a crime." This cogent point is deepened in relevance by the lack of probable cause definition. Well, that definition is murky and has been the subject of Supreme Court debates. See these "probable cause" and "stop and frisk" links if you desire to know more.

As many of you who read my ramblings know, I love movies and have seen many a cop show where "probable cause" is equated with the "search warrant". I am not going to debate where opening my mouth under water may kill me. I am no legal, paralegal and as you know a good attorney will argue both sides of any argument. The real quandary as I see it is that September eleven 2001 redefined the liberalness with which the "probable cause" clause can be inferred in airport settings. So unfortunately no matter how sick it seems strip searching an elderly woman the new anti-terrorist paradigm precludes some civil liberties.

Sondan closely paraphrases this Ben Franklin quotation. "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." The sad truth is that despite our attempts to thwart terrorism, despite throwing some liberty out the window, we as Benjamin Franklin notes and Sondan and Scipio23 concur, we will not really be safe. I wonder if Ben ever considered terrorism back then. Blackmail was around but not terrorism. Nonetheless, what I detest most is the fact that persons practicing such freedom violations are abhorrently moronic frequently from an intellectual and moral standpoint. "Yes mam, I must cut that tiny gun charm off your bracelet, no guns allowed you know." It happened.

A second more irritating yet ironic issue is that these same people violating (legally or not) our freedom are forced to afford freedom to persons of olive or dark complexion, black haired men like myself because of political correctness, not wanting to commit racial profiling. Sondan notes, "I am in favor of profiling but I know that it is not legal." I am a Lebanese American but search me and everyone who looks like me if you need to.

Other issues in the thread are the following.

Savior Goumingdong: "Take a look at some of the thigns that were created, homeland security... The new provisions for them give them power outside of the constitution, which means that if they dicide to do anything to you, they can. Citizens are not protected by the bill of rights to this organization."

Bigginnutz provides information on the Arab Israeli conflict.

Finally, to try to answer the query by Sondan: "To me a more intelligent approach would be to ask what the hell could have happened to these Muslim guys to have them hate us so bad?" Some Muslims hate all non Muslims and it is their duty to clense the world of all non Muslims. Fortunately, it is not most Muslims. There was no evil deed per se perpetrated by America that caused this or a sum of deeds. This was going to happen eventually because these people do not want non Muslims, Jews, protestants, atheists, agnostics, catholics, Buddhists to live with them on the face of the earth. Well I am sorry but we are not ready to just jump off yet. I have not yet gotten a hardcore character past level 90! Anyway thanks for your time and God Bless the World. Now back to my real world. "Die; time to die."