Interestingly enough, older economists and production experts are cautiously steering clear of supporting such dire announcements. This leaves us with only the inexperienced speculators from which to draw the news. What a shame.

In reality, the world may easily have 140 years of oil reserves, if you ask a Saudi oil executive (as opposed to speculators not directly involved in the exploration and extraction of oil). In conclusion, I’ll place my bet on history repeating itself.

http://www.purchasing.com/article/CA6371717.html?industryid=21951

I think we both agree that a little common sense in the law never hurts. Besides laws that are too general and vague about what constitutes a sex crime, which we also seem to agree on, I think the punishment often exceeds the severity of the crime. There are two principle reasons that we justify putting someone in prison in this country: concern for the public good, and a hope of redemption. Alienating and exiling individuals after their jail term is a sign that our justice system has failed. The sex offender registry is a modern day Scarlet Letter and creates a stigma that absolutely ruins a person’s life – even when they have done their time and are working to better themselves.

I am not calling for the cuddling of criminals, and I understand that there are sex criminals who do not deserve to be released at all. I am instead pleading for sanity and rationality in our justice system (which definitely is a bigger issue than just this one facet). Exile is not a solution and only serves to give people a false sense of safety and raise home values in urban areas. Sweeping the dirt under the rug might make the room look clean… but the dirt is still there.

Respectfully,
~Jason

P.S. – Thank you for pointing out the loss of voting rights and gun rights for felons. That was a point I must concede.

This is the same old tired argument I heard in the 60’s and then every few decades since then. I suggest you face reality – even at $5.00/gal gas is cheaper now than it was back in the 1960’s, when adjusted for inflation. Therefore, your premise is flawed based on your erroneous perception. This country thrives as a result of foreign oil… always has, always will… as history has shown time and time again. If we’re not busy refining oil to make gasoline, we’ll be busy refining it to make fuel to power the ethanol refineries, so they can in turn produce an inferior form of fuel.

Let’s face it, folks… there is no oil shortage, and oil prices are at historical lows when adjusted for inflation.

Your premise on the restoration of rights after one has served his or her time is a fallacy. The only real right restored upon completion of said sentence is your freedom of movement. Felons can not own a firearm or vote so the requirement to notify local officials when moving to their community for sex offenders is hardly precedent setting.

You’ll have to forgive me if my heart fails to bleed for those poor perverts and their inability to seamlessly blend into our society. This would just further put our children at risk.

Mr. Walker, if you want to fight for a sex offender cause I suggest legislation to differentiate a teenager and his girlfriend from the sexual predator as you stated in your piece. I heard a story of a man who has to register as a sex offender due to charges pressed by his girlfriend’s parents when he was a teen…he’s been married to that girlfriend for 40 years now. A little common sense in the law never hurts.

Unfortunately the majority of us have chosen to ignore the threathened extinction of much of our most beautiful wildlife or the massive damage we are doing to the environment with our love of shiny,chrome 4×4 disasters. Lets all learn a lesson from this lady and use public transportation more ( gas will be $5.00 /gal soon) while we recycle and learn to enjoy and preserve the overwhelming beauty of nature that still surrounds us.

Believe me, our reliance on oil will KILL this nation.. we have many reaonable energy alternatives. Learn from Jennifer’s wisdom and you will save yourself and our most precious environment!

Likewise, I would like to call for an ordinance prohibiting women with protrusive breasts from appearing in public places likely to have kids (fast food restaurants, parks, movie theaters). Surely the real thing is much more offensive than a billboard depiction! I am getting tired of my kids pointing to amply endowed women and asking me, “dad… what are those big things on her chest?” As is the case with other parents offended by the billboard ad, I would like to raise my children oblivious to the differences between the sexes, and keep them thinking babies come from storks or from third-world countries.

I have already taken measures to ensure my wife only appears in public after duct-taping her breasts as flat as possible, so that she does not offend anyone because of her protrusive growths.

I would like to voice my opinion that the Bob and Tom billboards did not offend me at all. They did not appear to be violating obscenity and decency laws, and I think it was a heavy-handed and inappropriate response to have them censored over the hurt feelings of a prudish minority. Are there not better things that the city should be spending tax payer dollars on?

Also, regarding sex offenders and laws prohibiting where they can live. One of the fundamental ideas behind criminal justice is redemption. Once a criminal has done his/her time, all American rights are restored to the person. Continuing to punish sex offenders after they have served their legal sentences is cruel and unusual punishment and undermines the basic premise of justice. Not all sex offenders are inhuman psychos, many are forced to register due to draconian laws and are treated pejoratively for the rest of their lives for a minor infraction (such as the case of the 17 year old having consensual intercourse with his 15 year old girlfriend in GA recently). Forcing them to live further than 1000 feet from a school, playground, etc.. would completely exclude the entirety of the Boise metro area and cause them to only be able to legally live their lives in exile. What ever happened to forgiveness and redemption in this country?