When is the Right Time to Debate?

Certainly, now when we are in the midst of an emergency with reactors in Japan melting down, it is not the time to debate nuclear power safety -- so say the Republicans.

When is the right time?

Is it far enough away from 9-11 in time that we can talk about sensible safety on airlines instead of this hodge-podge of ridiculous steps we talk now that doesn't make anyone feel safer?

Has enough time passed from when the miners were lost at a mine in West Virginia that had repeated and egregious safety violations for years for us to have the conversation about mine safety and regulation?

How about wet land restoration and effective dike building? Has enough time passed since Katrina that we can begin to debate this?

Obviously it's never the right time to have a debate about gun safety, no matter how many public officials or public safety officers get killed!

It's been months since BP created a huge dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico -- can we talk about drilling safety now?

It's been several years since Lehman was closed but now Basel III is recommending minimum capital level below what Lehman had at the time of their failure -- can we talk about that now or is it still too close to the banking bailout?

How many states have to experience their water table being poisoned by fracking techniques before we can debate safety of gas extraction procedures?

How come it's not the right time to debate nuclear reactor safety but it is the right time to reduce funding for tsunami warnings?

Idiots!