This is Driving Me NUTS

[Holden McGroin]

Originally posted by Elfie
Why hasn't spam been made illegal in the US yet?

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

[Rolex]

Holden is being sarcastic again.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

Go ahead and try to assemble peaceably near a political convention, a presidential motorcade route or site where the president or vice president is appearing. Or try to exercise your right to free speech on a sidewalk. You'll be lucky not to get tasered.

Or ask why "In God we trust" would be on currency, or churches are tax exempt, or why an oath of office is done with one hand on a bible with the words "so help me God" if it were not respecting an establishment of religion. Or petition government agencies that are now indemnified against legal process for redress of grievances. See how far you get.

Spam is not illegal because you have not paid enough in lobbying perks, political donations, fact-finding missions to Aruba or call girls (boys) to get the attention of politicians.

P.S. Seagoon - maybe you should just dump the fax machine and move on. They're so 1980s anyway.

[Holden McGroin]

Originally posted by Rolex
or why an oath of office is done with one hand on a bible with the words "so help me God" if it were not respecting an establishment of religion.

The constitution says the oath of office is:

:--"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."    

The "so help me God" ending is traditional, not mandated by law.

Theodore Roosevelt did not use a bible in his oath ceremony.

[M36]

http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-800-713-7907

and

http://www.junkfax.org/fax/profiles/Travelcomm.htm

[trax1]

Originally posted by Seagoon

I'm tempted to actually start calling them (since its an 800 number) and just start talking to or evangelizing their operators every day. It seems obvious they want to have a long-term relationship with me and won't be dissuaded, and I've been resisting them for too long. Perhaps if I spoke to their operators for hours and hours it might help our relationship? What do you think?

- SEAGOON

I say bug the hell out of them, just keep calling them and calling them and calling them, and let them know this will continue until you remove me.  And BTW for future refrence, when you see any kind of spam with a removal number, or removal email address this is a trick, if you respond to them asking to be removed it lets them know that yours is a valid number, or email addy.

[Seagoon]

Hello Rolex,

Originally posted by Rolex
Or ask why "In God we trust" would be on currency, or churches are tax exempt, or why an oath of office is done with one hand on a bible with the words "so help me God" if it were not respecting an establishment of religion.
...

P.S. Seagoon - maybe you should just dump the fax machine and move on. They're so 1980s anyway.

Just a quick note, because many Americans don't understand this.

All non-profit organizations, religious or otherwise, are tax-exempt. This includes Mosques, Synagogues, Churches, as well as the ACLU, NOW, People for the American Way and so on. However, Pastors, including this one, pay taxes just like everyone else.

Additionally, its worth noting that in Europe, many nations not only tax-exempt churches, but several nations still have tax-supported churches such as Germany and Britain - and that despite the fact that a much higher percentage of Europeans are openly atheist or non-religious. The first amendment was crafted in part to eliminate the possibility of one church becoming "established" and state supported as they still are in Europe.

Regarding faxes, I'd love to get rid of them, but you'd be amazed at how many businesses, services, and government institutions still use them and how often they want something signed and a copy faxed (not scanned and emailed) back to them or how often people want to fax me signed documents. I agree that it's sooooo 80s and I'm like "gag me with a spoon" when they ask. Then again the Teletype stayed on in business for many years after it should have been replaced by newer technology.

- SEAGOON