Articles written by Gary Betts - Page 2

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About me - Gary Betts

I'm a Canadian living in London, Ontario. I have written several short stories and two novelettes, but never tried to publish them. I have had letters-to-the-editor published in The Londoner, the London Free Press, the Toronto Sun, the New York Times, the

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Politics, News & Issues > Political & Economic Theory Understanding democracy: 7 of 72
What do Americans know about democracy? The word democracy is derived from Greek roots and literally means "rule by the people". Yet the United States Senate, created in 1787, had its senators elected by state legislators. It was not until 1913 that the senators were elected by direct popular vote. The President of the Unite... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Christianity (Other) Are homosexual acts natural or sinful?: 6 of 59
Human homosexual acts are definitely natural. Homosexual behavior is very common in the animal kingdom, of which humans are a part. Dr Bruce Bagemihl, a biologist and researcher, in a 1999 study found close to 1500 species showing homosexual behavior from primates to gut worms. Dr Bagemihl also wrote a book, 'Biological Exub... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Constitutional & Contract Law The right to own guns in America: Safeguarding Constitutional rights: 4 of 39
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of a package of ten Amendments known as the Bill of Rights, ratified by the states by December 15, 1791. The Second Amendment simply reads, "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, ... More..
Sciences > Sciences (Other) Top ten greatest inventions of all time: 4 of 38
This is my list of the top-ten greatest inventions of all time: 1) Agriculture would be my number-one pick. It enabled mankind to settle in one place to grow crops and domesticate animals. Farming led to the formation of settlements and eventually cities. 2) The plow has to be one of the greatest inventions ever. Agriculture... More..
Sciences > Psychology What a smile can do: 2 of 19
Smiles, since the down of mankind, have had a calming influence among people. Especially strangers. When two strangers meet in a dubious situation and one smiles, the guard of the second is let down and he smiles, too. You don't have to speak the same language or be from the same culture to recognize a smile as a sign of pea... More..
Politics, News & Issues > War in Iraq A look at the Blackwater controversy in Iraq: 2 of 19
It's about time all private security companies are held responsible when they break the law in Iraq. The most serious incident occurred on September 16, 2007 when security contractors with Blackwater Worldwide, a U.S. company, who were guarding a U.S. embassy convoy in Baghdad's Nisoor Square, shot and killed 17 Iraqi civili... More..
Sciences > Ecology & Environment What are the causes of mass extinction: 1 of 9
Extinction is the death of every member of a species. Mass extinction is the death of several species in the same time period. There have been several mass extinctions since life first evolved, but scientists have a difficult time explaining the causes because the time periods involved. From 65 million years for the last one... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Constitutional & Contract Law Should a woman have the right to choose abortion?: 54 of 428
I am pro-life, but I believe there are circumstances where a woman should be allowed a legal therapeutic abortion: To save the life of a pregnant woman. To preserve a woman's physical and mental health (such as rape). To terminate a pregnancy that would result in a child being born with a congenital disorder that would be fa... More..
Sciences > Sciences (Other) Visualizing infinity: 3 of 23
I can not only visualize infinity in my mind, but I can also actually see infinity with my own eyes. When I look up at the sky on a clear night in the countryside, I can see a multitude of stars. Some are our neighbouring planets, just a short distance away. Some, however, are millions of light years away. The light we see n... More..
Society & Lifestyle > Social Values & Norms Why lying is so acceptable today: 1 of 7
I would not say that lying is an acceptable practice today, but lying is tolerated. Everyone knows at one time or another when they have been told a lie. But usually that lie is tolerated with no questions asked. The lie is not accepted, but it is tolerated. We know that some major retailers have lied to us, but we say nothi... More..