Talking Turkey: Ten Myths Conservatives Believe About Progressives

I want to recommend reading Sara Robinson's article "Talking Turkey: Ten Myths Conservatives Believe About Progressives" (see the link at the bottom). I share for you here the myths. She does a great job of explaining why these myths are false. Remember that what you see here are the myths, not the truths. You must read her article for the truths about these.

1. Liberals hate America.

2. Liberals want to leave us defenseless in the face of evildoers around the world.

3. Liberals hate the free market.

4. Liberals hate our troops.

5. Liberals are a bunch of elitists who hate decent working- and middle-class Americans.

6. Liberals are against "family values."

7. Liberals want to raise our taxes.

8. Liberals are Godless—and therefore, amoral.

9. Liberals don't believe in personal responsibility.

10. Liberals are wimps.

http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2008114825/talking-turkey-ten-myths-conservative-believe-about-progressives

A Native American Source of Inspiration

Part of my ancestry is Cherokee. My paternal grandmother, Ruth, was born on the Sisseton-Wahpeton Reservation in South Dakota a long time ago. As part of my sobriety program, I subscribe to daily meditations from White Bison. If you are looking for inspiration, I recommend this source. Here is one I like. Contact information is at the bottom of this post.
...................................................................................

Elder's Meditation of the Day - November 23

"We're sitting on our blessed Mother Earth from which we get our strength and determination, love and humility-all the beautiful attributes that we've been given. so turn to one another; love one another; respect one another; respect Mother Earth; respect the waters-because that's life itself!"

--Phil Lane, Sr. YANKTON SIOUX

Our entire point of view can be altered by making one change to align with the principles of the Great Spirit. Let's say we decide to become respectful. As we become respectful, our attitude will change. We will automatically draw into our lives knowledge about the other principles of the Great Spirit such as love, appreciation, trust, beauty, peace of mind. By focusing on these principles, we will let go of selfishness, self centeredness, self pity, dishonesty and fear. You focus on respect, you get respect; you focus on love, you get love; you focus on the Red Road, you get peace of mind.

Great Spirit, let me learn the lessons of respect.

Contact us:
White Bison, inc.
6145 Lehman Drive Suite 200
Colorado Springs, CO
80918

E-mail us:
www.whitebison.org
info@whitebison.org
Phone : 719-548-1000
Fax : 719-548-9407

Adoptions from the Heart (A Real Pro-life Option)

I support the right of women to control their own bodies and to make the choice they believe to be right when faced with an unwanted and unplanned pregnancy. Sometimes some so-called "pro-lifers" seem to throw out "alternatives" like they are easy, simple, and easily accessible. I just happened today to find this interesting program. It is a program that does not seem to be wedded to any extremist agenda. In fact this program has some sets of prospective parents who are not traditional. I welcome this.

So, if you find yourself with an unwanted pregnancy but choose not to abort (remember, this is your choice), you might want to take a look at this organization:

http://afth.rtrk.com/
...

Catholics United

I grew up Catholic. I left the church and eventually Christianity decades ago. But I always have some affection for Catholics. It was in part for me part of an ethnic identity. Although my ethnic heritage is mixed (Portuguese, Cherokee, French, English and more), my father's first language was Portuguese. I remember fondly our family going to Portuguese Catholic celebrations and feasts.

So, I sometimes notice what is going on with Catholics, especially progressive and thoughtful Catholics. Catholics United is one of those organizations that caught my eye in this recent election. I have already posted content from one of their campaigns on how we can do our best to reduce actions against life. I think most Americans are like me. I support the right to choose, believing that a woman's body is her own; yet I experience qualms about this matter.

It is so easy to see so-called "pro-life" groups as caring only about "the unborn," ignoring the "already born." There are so many issues of lost lives (war, capital punishment) and of life quality issues (poverty, malnutrition, lacking health care). Those are usually ignored by the so-called "pro-life" groups.

Catholics United is a notable exception. They genuinely care not only about life after birth but about reducing the conditions that lead to more not less abortions. I encourage all who truly want to reduce abortions and to care about the quality of life after birth to visit this web site:

http://www.catholics-united.org/

Faith and Public Life

I am a strong supporter of the separation of church and state. I oppose any effort towards establishing a theocracy here. I do not regard our nation as a Christian nation. I support the right of all to choose their faith or to aver they subscribe to none. Even more I look forward to the day when we can elect a non-Christian as president.

All that said, I do think that faith is an important and integral part of the private and public lives of our nation and its citizens. I have principles that come from my faith and guide (not dictate) me in the choices I make as a voter and as an activist. For more than two decades faith as a factor in how we engage ourselves in public life has been extremely one-sided, at least in public view and dialogue. For some years now there has been a growing groundswell of people of faith who do not share the one-sided views that have held the spotlight.

I want to encourage my readers to learn more about this growing dialogue and community. Please take a look at this web site:

http://www.faithinpubliclife.org/

Yes, We Can!

Barack Obama is our next president! Hooray!

Dress Code on Election Day: WWJD?

A friend, who is another Deaf American for Obama, asked if I would mind sharing this image he created. I think we all agree that number one on Election Day is casting our vote. I will pull my jacket over the buttons. But this is an amusing and thoughtful take on this matter.

Thanks to Aubrey Sparks for this contribution!

Protecting our votes

There has already been a steady stream of actions in various parts of our nation to suppress voting turnout through some clearly illegal actions, using intimidation and false information. In some places letters have been distributed door to door or mailed saying that due to a higher than expected turnout that Democrats will be voting on Wednesday, November 5th, instead of Tuesday. This is false information designed to keep Democrats from voting. It behooves all of us to be informed. You and I might be clear about our rights as voters, but we may run into others who are not. So, I encourage all to review the following:

For some good basic information:

http://www.protectmyvote.org/
http://www.mypollingplace.com/ and
http://govote.org/

For anyone who is turned away from voting for whatever reason (and do not accept those reasons as valid just because someone official-looking says so), here are a number of hotlines:

National Voter Assistance Hotline:
1-(866) Our-Vote / 1-(866) 687-8683 for English and Español

The ACLU hotline number is (804) 644-8080.

The NAACP number is (804) 321-5678.

SEIU Voter Hotline: 1-877-SEIU-VOTE (1-877-734-88683 ... yes, an extra digit).

Common Cause Voter Hotline: 1-866-MY-VOTE (1-866-698-6831).

Velvet Revolution Voter Hotline: 1-888-VOTE-TIP (1-888-868-3847) .

DNC Voter Hotline: 1-888-Dem-Vote (1-888-336-8683).

Photos of Obama signing I Love You

Here are two photos of Barack Obama using the ASL sign of "I Love You," a Deaf symbol of friendship. I share these for my fellow Deaf Americans & friends. These were passed on to me by Paula Blackburn.

The Truth about ACORN?

I am not a member of ACORN nor a volunteer. I am sympathetic with their aim or organizing people who normally fall outside the mainstream ... people who are poor, minorities, feeling powerless, feeling like they have no voice. I abhor the GOP tactic of working to suppress voter turnout and participation, especially in minority areas. I have participated in petition drives and know that when the numbers are large some ridiculous things will happen. With ACORN's registration drive exceeding one million new voters it is not surprising that some mistakes will occur. The GOP spin on this is abhorrent. In defense of ACORN I repeat here their comments on this and the fact that Senator McCain was a supporter of ACORN in recent times.

"ACORN to McCain: Have You Lost That Loving Feeling?

October 13, 2008

Senator Allied with ACORN as Recently as 2006, Now Turns Cold Shoulder

October 13, 2008, Miami, FL - U.S. Senator John McCain's recent attacks on the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) are puzzling given his historic support for the organization and its efforts on behalf of immigrant Americans. As recently as February 20, 2006, Senator McCain was the keynote speaker at an ACORN-sponsored Immigration Rally in Miami, Florida at Miami Dade College – Wolfson Campus.

The rally, co-sponsored by ACORN in partnership with the New American Opportunity campaign (NAOC), Catholic League Services – Archdiocese of Miami, Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center, Florida Immigrant Coalition, Miami Dade College, People for the American Way/Mi Familia/Vota en Accion, the Service Employees International Union, and UNITE/HERE, was intended to call attention to the need for comprehensive immigration reform.

Senator McCain spoke at the rally attended by hundreds of ACORN members, most of whom were dressed in the red shirts typical of its members. Senator McCain's speech focused on the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act, a bipartisan, comprehensive reform bill, which McCain sponsored with Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA).

Bertha Lewis, Chief Organizer of ACORN, said, "It has deeply saddened us to see Senator McCain abandon his historic support for ACORN and our efforts to support the goals of low-income Americans. Maybe it is out of desperation that Senator McCain has forgotten that he was for ACORN before he was against ACORN; he was for immigration reform before he was against immigration reform; and he was a maverick before he became erratic. We were thrilled to partner with him to help reform the outdated immigration laws in this country, and were pleased to work closely with him on this issue."

Lewis continued, "We expected Senator McCain to support our efforts to give voice to millions of Americans who have never participated in an election before. We are surprised at his efforts to vilify an organization that, until recently, he saw as an ally. Maybe this surprise attack and change of heart is indicative of his state of mind, and the way he would govern."

Senator McCain and his campaign have recently launched a series of coordinated attacks on ACORN, the nation’s largest community organization of low-and moderate-income families.

Ms. Lewis went on to say that, "We are sure that the extremists he is trying to get into a froth will be even more excited to learn that John McCain stood shoulder to shoulder with ACORN, at an ACORN co-sponsored event, to promote immigration reform."

Senator McCain was joined at the rally by Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-FL), Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL), leaders from both political parties, immigrant communities, and members of labor, business, and religious organizations."

http://www.acorn.org/index.php?id=12439&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=22386&tx_ttnews[backPid]=12387&cHash=5706e23a2f

...

Who benefits from their tax plans?

This is the last comparison that I have of the effects of the competing tax plans of Barack Obama and John McCain. Today (Oct. 14) McCain is going to release his new economic plan initiatives--so he says and that might affect his tax plans.

Guest Cartoonist: Matt Borrrris

I belong to a group of minds who seek to be as informed as we can be. We have some exceptional talent. This is from my friend Matt Borrrris.

McCain & Palin are not pro-life

John McCain and Sarah Palin bill themselves as pro-life, but the truth is that they are not. They are anti-abortion and anti-choice. That much is true. In fact Palin wants no woman to have the choice over this important matter in any circumstance. But being anti-abortion and anti-choice does not equal being pro-life.

I am not Catholic, but I love the position of Catholics United. Here is what they have to say in their new flyer:

"The BEST way to combat abortion is to give women and families the tools they need to choose life.

Studies consistently show that when women and families have health care, jobs, education, and other essential supports they are less likely to have an abortion. In fact, more than three out of four women who obtain an abortion say that economic factors were a primary reason for doing so. Instead of helping struggling American families, our leaders have left them to fend for themselves.

Being pro-life is 1 percent talk, 99 percent ACTION.

Being pro-life is not just about what our elected leaders say they believe. It’s about the things they do. During the Clinton Administration, the U.S. abortion rate declined nearly 30 percent without enacting any legal prohibitions on abortion. Under President Bush, this decline stagnated. Even the appointment of two new Supreme Court justices was unsuccessful in making any meaningful progress toward building a culture of human life. For all its talk about being pro-life the Bush Administration hasn’t protected a single unborn child.

Pro-life means ALL human life - WITHOUT exceptions.

How can our leaders say they are pro-life, while starting unjustified wars, supporting torture, opposing expanded health care for children, cutting school lunch programs, and standing by as hard-working Americans lose their jobs and retirement protections? They can’t. To be pro-life is to answer a deep call to support and defend human life at all stages - from conception until death. It means caring for the unborn, for the children, for the less fortunate, and for all hard-working Americans.

Overturning Roe v. Wade will NOT end abortion in America.

All too often, what passes for an authentic pro-life agenda is a candidate’s stated opposition to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision. While legal protections for the unborn are an important part of a pro-life strategy, overturning Roe v. Wade would simply let states decide whether abortion should be legal or illegal. In a post-Roe America, only a handful of states would impose penalties on those who obtain or perform abortions, and women living in these states could still go elsewhere to get an abortion. Overturning Roe cannot be seen as a substitute for policies that can work RIGHT NOW to end abortion, namely supporting women and families."

For the flyer and more information from this organization, visit:

http://www.catholics-united.org/

The Real Iraqi Surge

We continue to hear from the McCain campaign about The Surge in Iraq. What they and sadly the mainstream media does not bring to our attention has been the real tragic human surge of refugees out of Iraq. The Surge that John McCain likes to discuss worked to bring down some statistical violence, but the stability of that is questionable and internal events already threaten it; little is said about the terrible human crisis to which we have been a major party. I present to you an important piece of information on this and the link to read more.

One in five Iraqis have been displaced.
According to the UN Refugee Agency and the International Organization for Migration in 2007, almost 5 million Iraqis had been displaced by violence in their country, the vast majority of which had fled since 2003. Over 2.8 million vacated their homes for safer areas within Iraq, while 2 million were living in Syria, Jordan, Iran, Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey and Gulf States. Most Iraqis are determined to be resettled to Europe or North America, and few consider return to Iraq an option. Iraqis have no legal work options in most host countries and are increasingly desperate and in need of humanitarian assistance. They face challenges in finding housing, obtaining food, and have trouble accessing host countries’ health and education systems. Their resources depleted, small numbers of Iraqis have returned to Iraq in the past few months. Most of those who returned were subsequently displaced again.

http://www.refugeesinternational.org/content/article/detail/9679

One of the strengths of the McCain-Palin campaign

Watching news coverage of today's Barack Obama's campaign appearance at the University of Miami (Florida) where he focussed on issues important to women and families, I saw the moment where a group calling themselves something like "Blacks against Obama" raised signs about abortion and gay marriage and interrupted Senator Obama's speech. He was courteous to them and they were escorted out only after their refusal to quiet down.

Only once recently have I seen this at a McCain or Palin appearance. That was a moment at the RNC when a few protestors brought out their signs during Senator McCain's speech. They were quickly lead out of the hall. But since then the campaign staff has been very adept at keeping out dissenters and anyone who might ask tough questions of either of the two members of the Republican ticket. They will not be distracted by real dialogue or tough questions. They will avoid all challenging venues. They will shut down all inquiries and investigative procedures that threaten their electability.

Yes, they are very good at this. This is what they will bring to Washington, D.C. if elected. American citizens will speak only if asked to speak (see "deference").

Watch for a constitutional amendment to rein in the First Amendment under a McCain-Palin administration. Or would it be a Palin-McCain administration as she uttered yesterday?

Have you had your beer with George?

I must begin with saying that I do not drink. But I use the subject header because some say that part of George Walker Bush's appeal in the 2000 and 2004 campaigns to many people was he seemed to be the sort of guy they could imagine having a beer with. Certainly not Albert Gore nor John Kerry. Now some seem to be saying that Sarah Palin is appealing because she knows as little as they do. The Bush Doctrine? What is that? Hey, she answered Charles Gibson's question as well as most of us could, ergo, we like her.

Now, how many of you have had your beer with George? How many of you will actually attend a Palin barbecue? Or are we going to elect knowledgeable and effective leaders this time?

One of the slimiest ads ever

One of the slimiest ads ever has been released by the McCain-Palin campaign, telling one of the most base lies ever. Please read the Fact Check finding and then look at the great You Tube video. Here is the first part of the Fact Check item, their link, then the video link.

"Off Base on Sex EdSeptember 10, 2008

A McCain campaign ad claims Obama's "one accomplishment" was a bill to teach sex ed to kindergarten kids. Don't believe it.

Summary

A McCain-Palin campaign ad claims Obama's "one accomplishment" in the area of education was "legislation to teach 'comprehensive sex education' to kindergarteners." But the claim is simply false, and it dates back to Alan Keyes' failed race against Obama for an open Senate seat in 2004.
Obama, contrary to the ad's insinuation, does not support explicit sex education for kindergarteners. And the bill, which would have allowed only "age appropriate" material and a no-questions-asked opt-out policy for parents, was not his accomplishment to claim in any case, since he was not even a cosponsor – and the bill never left the state Senate.
In addition, the ad quotes unflattering assessments of the Illinois senator's record on education but leaves out sometimes equally harsh criticism directed at McCain in the same forums."

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/off_base_on_sex_ed.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH0xzsogzAk
...

Defend community organizers!

Please read the following and then act to defend community organizers.

"In her acceptance speech last night at the Republican National Convention, Vice Presidential nominee and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin said, "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a `community organizer,' except that you have actual responsibilities."

Nominally, her words were an assault on Barack Obama's early career as a community organizer on Chicago's south side. But the impact reaches farther than that and is a direct affront to the thousands who have dedicated their lives to making America great.

Community organizing is the heart and soul of American democracy. We are privileged to live in a country where people with the energy and passion to dream of a better world can put in the sweat and shoe leather to build social movements from the ground up. Indeed, if it weren't for the sacrifice of organizers, we wouldn't have many of the opportunities we take for granted today -- from the 40-hour work week and the minimum wage to protections for a woman's right to choose and the right of African Americans to vote.

In fact, Sarah Palin would never have been able to take the stage as the nominee at a national political convention if it weren't for community organizers of the past who dreamed of, fought for, and won the right of women's suffrage.

Americans dedicate themselves to public service in many ways, and everyone who gives of themselves for the betterment of our nation -- from small-town mayors to community organizers -- should be recognized and honored for their valuable contribution.
Tell Governor Palin to apologize for her remarks regarding community organizers."

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/community_organizers/?r_by=807-748349-esU19px&rc=paste
...

POW: Training to be president?

I forget who first characterized Rudy Guiliani's race for the GOP nomination as being based on sentences with the construction of "a noun, a verb, and 9/11," but it was brilliant. Now as many have pointed out, when John McCain feels cornered with a question, his response seems to be similar ... "a noun, a verb, and POW." His POW experience was an ordeal. As David Letterman pointed out last night on his program, John McCain should have called it a day after hs long service in the US Senate, preceded by his ordeal in Vietnam. Call him a hero. Build a statue. Just don't run for president.

Now, another Vietnam POW has come forth in a brave video to tell his story and share his thoughts on what it means to be a POW, run for president and the real John McCain. I encourage all to view this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KjsEs46C70
...

"Accomplishments" of the Bush-Cheney Administration

I received an email today that does a great job of compiling a list of the "accomplishments" of the Bush-Cheney administration. I want to share them with you.

· Misleading about Iraq's WMD
· Implying a connection between Saddam and 9/11
· Launching a war that's killed 4,150 Americans and wounded more than 30,000
· Challenging Iraqi insurgents to attack U.S. troops: "Bring 'em on"
· Granting no-bid contracts to Halliburton in Iraq
· Failing to respond to Hurricane Katrina
· Hiring unqualified crony to run FEMA
· Praising crony's performance: "Brownie, you're doing a heckuva job"
· Neglecting reconstruction of New Orleans' homes and levees
· Promising American troops would be greeted as liberators
· Declaring "Mission Accomplished" and later blaming the banner on troops
· Cherry-picking facts about WMDs in Iraq, then blaming the CIA
· Promising the Iraq war would lower gas prices
· Claiming the Iraqi insurgency was in its "last throes" in 2005
· Allowing Osama Bin Laden to escape
· Launching a war that's killed countless Iraqi civilians
· Using Terri Schiavo for political gain
· Attempting to alter Constitution to allow discrimination against gay people
· Wiretapping our phones without court order
· Fighting to privatize Social Security
· Stealing the 2000 election (remember Katherine Harris, voter purges, and the Supreme Court?)
· Concealing the pre-9/11 Presidential Daily Briefing entitled "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S."
· Ignoring security at nuclear plants after 9/11
· Battling the wall between church and state
· Enforcing abstinence-only programs in public schools
· Doing too little to halt genocide in Darfur
· Trying to slash funding for PBS and NPR
· Rejecting the Kyoto Treaty to stop climate change
· Giving tax cuts to the rich in a time of war
· Failing seniors with the costly Medicare prescription drug benefit
· Suppressing the vote in the 2004 elections (remember Diebold and long lines in Ohio?)
· Swiftboating John Kerry
· Outing CIA agent Valerie Plame to retaliate for truth about Iraq's WMDs
· Telling the 45 million uninsured Americans to just go to the emergency room
· Spending $341 million a day in Iraq
· Neglecting wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Medical Center
· Allowing Afghanistan to fall into chaos, with the Taliban and al Qaeda regaining control
· Pressuring PBS to carry pro-government propaganda
· Paying columnists like Armstrong Williams to promote government policies
· Creating fake news reels to promote the controversial Medicare law
· Holding prisoners without trial at Guantanamo Bay
· Covering up torture at Abu Ghraib
· Breaking the Geneva Conventions
· Appointing extreme right-wing Supreme Court Justices John Roberts and Samuel Alito
· Forcing the Patriot Act into law
· Firing federal prosecutors who failed to accuse Democrats of voting fraud
· Turning a budget surplus into massive budget deficit
· Letting more than a million homes go into foreclosure—the highest rate ever recorded
· Watching as bank failures surge
· Setting the record for most days on vacation by any president in U.S. history
· Losing 2.7 million manufacturing jobs
· Presiding over Enron scandal—the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history
· Increasing nuclear threat by withdrawing from Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with Russia
· Appointing John Bolton as U.N. ambassador despite his promise to dismantle the U.N.
· Holding secret meetings with Exxon Mobil, Conoco, Shell, and BP to set energy policy
· Letting gas prices double while resisting fuel efficiency and clean energy
· Pushing to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and off our coasts

To corsicate

A proposal for the Twenty-first Century Political Dictionary*

Corsicate: to fabricate, gather false stories and data, and publish such information in a publication with the goal of smearing, maligning and defeating its intended target. This is done without regard for veracity, ethics, or the harm to the intended target or anyone associated with the target.

Corsinian: behavior in the manner of corsicating (see to corsicate).

Corsi, Jerome: the person who developed the art form of corsication.

(* If there is no such dictionary, there should be!)

Offshore drilling is a really, really, really bad idea

Offshore drilling is at best hyperbole that will not lower gas prcies nor offer the real change we need to make with our use of energy and production. Here is a good list of reasons why:

"The top 10 reasons offshore drilling is such a dumb idea:

10. Offshore oil drilling won't impact gas prices today, and it won't have a significant impact on gas prices in the future.

9. This is nothing more than a money grab by the oil companies - who are already making record-breaking profits.

8. We burn 25% of the world's oil here in the U.S., but we have only 3% of the world's oil reserves. So even if all offshore oil magically came to market today, the vast majority of our oil would continue to be imported, and we wouldn't see price relief at the pump.

7. The current moratorium was put in place decades ago to protect us from the danger of oil spills along our coastlines and beaches.

6. Burning fossil fuels like oil causes global warming, which causes stronger hurricanes, which will threaten the very offshore drilling rigs being proposed, which will contribute to even more global warming.

5. To avoid the worst impacts of global warming, we need to switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy within the next 10 years. The billions of dollars that would be spent on offshore oil drilling just postpones the inevitable transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

4. Oil exploration requires massive seismic testing - which threatens whales and dolphins.

3. Oil prices are set on the global oil market, so American oil is no cheaper than Saudi oil. We won't get a discount for oil drilled in the U.S.2. We can't solve the world's energy problems with the same drilling that created them.

1. Renewable energy is available now, so it's time to walk away from fossil fuels and toward a clean energy future."

The above list was sent to members of Greenpeace by Melanie Duchin, Global Warming Campaigner. To take action, go to:

www.greenpeace.org

Will candidates for president risk our fragile environment?

Will candidates for president risk our fragile environment to win needed contributions for their campaign? Will they endanger our already threatened oceans and air for personal political gain?

I will not contend that corporate donations play absolutely no role in the Obama campaign, but the renewed and improved support from Big Oil for John McCain since his reversal on off-shore drilling (is this an example of flip-flopping?) shows how far he will go. I recommend reading Matthew Mosk's article in The Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/26/AR2008072601891.html

Civility and Discourse in America

I like to join in conversations in some forums, such as those at Topix. The internet gives us rich opportunities to have exchanges between people of a variety of viewpoints. It is difficult often to bridge the divide among these different American viewpoints (far-left, left, center, right, far-right--they are all American). That requires some work. But what makes it more challenging and frustrating are those who join such forums and see it as a chance to hurl epithets at just about anyone they do not like. They reduce good, honest meaningful discourse to vile name calling.

Ironically some of these declare anyone who disagrees with them to be anti-American and traitorous. I call that ironic because using whatever cruel and dishonest device to attempt to silence another person from sharing a viewpoint is in itself against American ideals.