Let me be the first to acknowledge that the level of intellectual debate on Rapid Reply most often resonates on a level on par with those I had early in my college experience.

Oh, I'm not talking about the classroom discussions between professors and fellow students. I'm thinking more about the discussions held in the lounge at Allen Hall on the campus of Dakota Wesleyan University where the debate would center around the latest developments on Days of Our Lives or which Transformer would be most deadly in real life.

Sigh.

Be that as it may, the one thing that many Rapid Repliers have is spirit. They will stick on topics long after others with lesser convictions would have put their computers (and themselves) into sleep mode.

And it doesn't have to be something like the abortion debate. One of the editors remarked just the other day about how surprised she was that the school closure list from the day of the blizzard. Of course, most of it wasn't informational (as in, "Hey, I just heard that Hill City has canceled school for the day). Most of it was a protracted discussion on the merits of even trying to go out into that mess of a storm.

That being said, I embrace the legion of bloggers that come to www.rapidcityjournal.com to share their ideas, their humor, their anger, their information and their questions. They are the reason I still have a job, and that isn't something to scoff at in these tumultuous times at American newspapers.

Do I like everything they say? Not at all. Do I like that they are at least engaged on some level and still reading, trying to stay informed. Oh yeah.

Sometimes, though, I wish they had a little more institutional memory from things that have been printed or commented on in the past. Today, I take a look at a few recurring topics on Rapid Reply that, while giving a slight boost to our overall page view statistics, I wouldn't mind seeing put to bed, even if only a little bit.

Are DUI checkpoints legal?

It used to surprise me that every time we posted the monthly sobriety checkpoint list to the site, an avalanche of Rapid Repliers show up to debate the legality of such tactics by local and state law enforcement.

It turns out they are legal, except for 11 states, most of them in the West. It is somewhat surprising that South Dakota didn't choose to be one of those states that prohibit the tactic, especially considering the Libertarian bent of the community west of the Missouri River.

That being said, the Supreme Court narrowly decided that it is not unconstitutional, even though it goes against the Fourth Amendment. And yes, I know, that has also been posted by Rapid Repliers in the past.

But maybe, if I reiterate that it is legal, maybe, just maybe …

Does anybody know how to spell at all? Does anyone really care?

If you haven't figured it out, if you post something about someone's spelling, or grammar, or Web etiquette (i.e., typing in all caps), it isn't likely to get posted.

It doesn't pertain to the topic, unless, of course, the story is on the state spelling bee or something along those lines.

Hey, I know the spelling is bad. Sometimes, it's beyond bad. And as someone who ran the copy desk here at the Journal for a half decade or so, I have empathy for you folks who decry the abysmal spelling and grammar on the blogs.

But those posts aren't going to make it.

If you're looking for someone to share your passion, check out the Grammar Vandal.

Are teachers any more salary repressed than everyone else in South Dakota?

First all, should we really be arguing such topics? Shouldn't we be able to agree that wages should be better across the board in western South Dakota and that disagreements shouldn't have to end with the all too common Rapid Reply, "If you don't like it, move!"

Now, one of the big problems teachers have in making their case for better wages is that they do it through perhaps the biggest union in South Dakota, and in these parts, unions aren't always embraced.

Another big problem is that they rely on mass media to carry their message, and members of the mass media are generally college educated professionals providing a relatively essential service (you know, that well-informed populace and the whole First Amendment thing) for generally less pay, fewer holidays, long hours and far less stability. If you think tenure will get you any place in the media, take a look around South Dakota.

That being said, teacher salaries do seem to lag behind others in South Dakota. A chart by USD highlights some key salaries throughout the state by profession, as well as by experience and employer type. Teachers don't fare well, and school districts average pay even lag behind nonprofit organizations.

So, there's a case to be made.

And being ranked 51st in the United States (Washington, D.C. is ranked No. 1) certainly helps that case. Many will argue that even the pay is low, the cost of living helps make up for that. And while that is partially true, if you take cost of living into account, the only state that might have a less favorable cost of living index for average teacher pay is Montana.

Check it out, and then have some fun with the salary calculator. And then figure out how much it would cost for you to live in New York City, and you'll have another reason you prefer to live in these parts.

How many people have been killed by cougars in South Dakota?

Nothing sparks a strong debate like a mountain lion killing in western South Dakota. That is, stories of hunters or Game, Fish & Parks officials shooting mountain lions.

The debate on both sides is always vigorous, and good points are generally made before the discussion becomes a bomb-tossing, vitriolic shouting match between two sides that aren't all that interested in being educated on the developing history of cougars in the West.

And it seems that every argument seems to come to a point when at least one - and sometimes several - Rapid Repliers will offer up the question, "How many fatal mountain lion attacks on people have there been in South Dakota?"

Well, the short answer is none.

But that really steals from the subtleties of the topic. The fact is, there are people attacked every year in the U.S. and Canada by big cats. Are there that many? Not considering the population. But it does happen.

If you look at the history on a single Web page, it seems down right scary. But what it comes down to is, there are lions in the Black HIlls. There are people in the Black Hills. Sometimes, the two will meet.

In checking out the attacks in the past several years, I was most taken by an account of a 22-year-old bird watcher in Wyoming who was able to fend off a potential attack by taking the proper measures. And by proper measures, I mean staring the big cat in the face, waving his arms and making a lot of noise, pounding the big cat with rocks and branches, and not turning and running.

This is the kind of person who would make a great Rapid Replier.

The other thing I noted on the cougarinfo.org attacks index is that it included Rapid Citian Ryan Hughes account, including photos of Hughes. In comparison to others attacked on the page and their often gruesome after-attack shots, his story is even more "miraculous."

The Hells Angels are a motorcycle club, not a motorcycle gang

Back when the story broke about a member of the Iron Pigs shooting a Hells Angels member at Sturgis Bar on the last Saturday of the 2008 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, there was a lot of back-and-forth on Rapid Reply about whether the Hells Angels was a motorcycle club or a motorcycle gang.

I will only say this. If a motorcycle group has a rap sheet that seems long even on Wikipedia, I think it's fair to call them a gang.

Now, does that mean every chapter is engaged in the same level of criminal activity as others. No. But after reading about the international mayhem the Hells Angels have been involved in over the years, it's kind of a moot point.