Here’s your daily recap of the best feedback we got from YOU today. Continue the conversation below. And remember, keep it brief, and keep it clean. Thanks!
On Tax Day 2009, American Morning viewers offered various opinions on the “Tea Parties” being held throughout the country.
- Bill: Please report on the organizers of the "tea parties". If these are the same people who stood silent or cheered while Pres. Bush borrowed and spent us into bad trouble, please point out their intellectual dishonesty
- Mary: The "tea parties" are not a Republican outrage, This is a "grassroots movement" of many kinds of people who are totally fedup with the trash that radical Washington is "dishing out"! It is evident that CNN is "in the tank" for Obama, yesterday, today and tomorrow, but this time people are not going to believe your false reporting on these "tea parties"! I hope that this event gets the message to the baffoons in the White House!!!! We, the people have had it, UP TO OUR EYBALLS!!! We are not going to take it ANYMORE!!! And the Obama Administration think they are going to stop these "tea parties" with more lies on the media? And they call us "radical right", because we are trying to stop corruption? Give me a break – no socialism, no markism, no communism in AMERICA!!!
- Wendy: I noticed that CNN branding "Tea Parties" as a republican project. I'm a Dem and attending today. This is about "Too Big Govt". I was very critical of Pres Bush in the same manner. I' enjoy CNN but seems you now always put every debate in Dems v Repub context. The world is not that simple
- JR: I'm wondering if there are any actions being taken to stop these tea parties from polluting American waterways. I'm concerned about the impact dumping large quantities of tea in the waterways will have on the ecosystem.
How do you feel about the first viewer’s (Bill’s) statement, wondering if the “Tea Party” protestors are the same ones who gave President G.W. Bush carte blanche to “spend us into bad trouble”? Are the “Tea Parties” just the Republican Party’s attempt to rebuild its party or is this truly a “grass roots” movement meant to protest “big government,” as the two center viewers’ (Mary and Wendy) remark? And what about the environmental concerns the last viewer (JR) expresses? Let us know what you think. Did you participate in any “tea parties” today? Share your experiences with us.
The drug debate continued with Senator Ron Paul supporting marijuana legalization. Opinions diverged, as those in favor supported the idea of increased tax revenues, while those opposed cited addiction and “gateway” drugs as their reasons to keep it illegal.
- Tom: Could not agree with Mr Paul more regarding decriminalizing marijuana, even legalization if necessary. The former DEA agent's argument is sophistry as illicit drugs are ALREADY EXCEEDINGLY easy to get and is done now in a dirty underworld. I will take any future endorsement for president from Ron Paul very seriously and in fact wish he would run again.
- Craig: Ron Paul is so far out on left field it is scary. He does not know what it is like to be an addict or have a son who is one. Legalizing drugs does not solve the problem of getting our children at an early age to recognize how bad drugs are for them. My son is 31 and has spent 11 years dealing with pot and cocaine and it has nearly ruined his life. Had it not been for a caring family he would have been in jail, would not have gotten thru most of college to be a chef, which he still has not been able to accomplish due to drugs, He loses jobs he likes and employers that like him because of his cocaine and pot. Anyone who thinks this stuff is good for you, is nuts. Drug dealers at any level need to be harshly dealt with and Americans as a whole must start taking this country and their youth back from the drug dealers of this country and not look the other way as it is something they can't help with. Pot for many of these kids is an entry drug to Cocaine and heroin which are addictions that don't go away and which come back and drive you crazy that you have to give in and then you risk or lose all that you have gained back from the last fall. It amazes me that our advertising and music and technology industry can influence kids to buy this and wear this but we cannot get them and others to influence our youth of why drugs are bad for them. Also, treating those on drugs no different than anyone else that has a health problem.
Where do you stand on the idea of “gateway” drugs? Do they really exist, as the second viewer states, or is a natural drug like marijuana simply an “herb” to be used for medicinal and recreational purposes? Do you believe rehabilitation and recovery should be emphasized rather than allowing for legalization? Give us your opinion.
Finally, viewers took issue with “pork” spending being characterized negatively by CNN. Those writing in felt that such projects provided all citizens with benefits and should be reviewed accordingly.
- Jason: Please stop characterizing the way that Congress funds vital infrastructure projects as "pork". Building things like the DC metro, NY subway system, National Highway system, require earmarked funding. Have you read the studies that were done by DOT to determine whether or not the so called road to nowhere is necessary or not? I get sick of the media just nitpicking every single little piece of the budget apart. The 200k for tattoo removal is less than 1% of total earmarks. Having tattoos removed can actually help people get jobs if you think about it. Also, sometimes your network spins it so it seems like Dems spend more. The breakdown is as follows for the current budget. Per member 10.9 million per Republican and 11.4 million per Dem. While they do spend a little more they have 100 more members in the House than the Rs.
- Jim: Once again people are making comments about something they know nothing about. If they think swine odor is not a problem, they need to take a trip to one of these areas. It is a major problem in areas where swine are being raised. There are two options, one is to invest in trying to eliminate the problem, and the other is to eliminate pork from our food chain. Oh there is another option, we can turn over the business of raising swine to Europe or Asia, and we know how well that has worked for this country in other areas. How foolish one can appear; when they speak about something they know nothing about.
The viewers above are both in favor of “pork” projects. What do you think about their arguments that these projects are only a small part of the budget and that all citizens benefit from them? Let us know how you feel about such earmarks.