Originally posted by GradyPhilpott

Originally posted by Misfit
taking the life of another human is inhuman.

Taking the lives of human beings is an unfortunate necessity when we are dealing with those who can not be persuaded. I would choose not kill cockroaches and mice, if I could negotiate with them to stay out of my house. That strategy has been futile from time immemorial, so we find it necessary to kill the vermin.

Strange attitude, but it clarifies a great deal as to why the US is now under attack......and using a similar logic, has America been persuaded to address their foreign policies?

Doing good across the world hardly justifies doing bad. If the US wants the world to take it as an example of a true democracy, It has to grow up and understand that it's apart of life to take responsibilities for your own actions, and to lead by example.

IMO, The present US admin and a high majority of their supporters strongly believe that they do not have to answer to anyone, I guess it's true to say that "Some are more equal than others".

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott

Taking the lives of human beings is an unfortunate necessity when we are dealing with those who can not be persuaded. I would choose not kill cockroaches and mice, if I could negotiate with them to stay out of my house. That strategy has been futile from time immemorial, so we find it necessary to kill the vermin.

Only one problem with this statement: The US isn't kicking cockroaches out of its house. It's going to the other side of the world and invading someone else's house. So right now, it's probably the Iraqis looking at the US as cockroaches and vermin.

1. I just buried my father in Arlington National Cemetary. He did not trust or believe in Kerry because of his Vietnam protests. He did not trust or believe in Bush as his President. For all of you people out there, regardless of what side you are on to label him as a traitor, communist, or anything else your feeble little minds can come up with, all I can say is kiss my ass!

2. I can trace my family history in this country back to 1629. I do not say this to prove my family is more American than yours. I say this to prove that my family as well as thousands of other families in this country have sacrificed everything for almost 400 years to ensure that what this country stands for is exactly what this country was built to stand for.

The idea that censorship, bigotry, hatefulness, and blind devotion to any one person has become more important than the very concept of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is morally repugnant.

3. I am a veteran, just as my father before me, end his father before him. I have ancestors who fought for the Confederacy as well as the Union.

4. For any person who has fought for this Republic to denounce anyone who fails to blindly follow the party line; who believes that they have ownership on the cornerstone of patriotism you have pissed away your sacrifice and your blood as well as the soul of your country.

5. For anyone I have offended I am sorry. Things are a little emotional for me right now. I just cannot fathom how we have come to this point in our country that honesty, compassion, and belief in the Common Good of our Nation has been superceded by hate, pettiness, and the lowest form of self-flagellation. Regardless of who is chosen to lead our country, we as Americans lose.

Lets just hope and pray that we do not lose ourselves.

I just wish we had another choice as both candidates (IMO) are equally bad choices.

Why the heck couldn't Joe Liebermann have gotten the nomination? He seems rational and I would not be worried if he were running the show. Kerry terrifies me

Maybe Liebermann is just too boring or something. I still haven't figured out why he lost in the primary as badly as he did, but he would have been a much better choice for the Dems this time (again, IMO).

Gardenia

You do have other choices, it's just that people are voting for Kerry as a means of getting Bush out. They fear voting for any other as it may be a wasted vote and they'll be left with Bush for another 4 years.

Its not a great deal different here in the UK, The Labour Party and Conservative Party have always been the main two parties representing a majority of views. As people have become rather discontent with the Labour party our third party of choice, The Lib Dems, has gained in popularity as an alternative to going back to the Conservative party. A forth party has recently gained a percentage of the voting public's support, UKIP (UK Independence Party), unfortunately, the prime reason for their support has to do with the one policy they stand for, removing the UK from Europe, and the fact that they have an ex-daytime chat show host as one of their prominent members, who was sacked for making racial slurs toward Middle eastern people.

Well said, tomcat. Well said.

Tomcat - my deepest condolences on your father's passing.

Seen from the outside, it looks as though each side - Republican and Democrat - is treating the other like an unrepresentative minority and itself as true America. The consequence is that both parties are trying to "morally outlaw" the other - liberals aren't true Americans, conservatives are in the wrong and want to conquer America, etc.

In that context, there is no dialogue possible.