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I, too am a conservative. I'll cite the same reasons as you, and add that I'm a realist. I think the government has messed up everything they've tried to run, bogging it down in bureurocracy (I know, I mispelled that) I think the government needs to be limited to providing for the common defense, and as little else as possible. This was the original position held by the original Liberal, Thomas Jefferson, who thought the people should be at liberty from governmental control. This is what I believe in.

i believe that we all have a responsibility to help those less fortunate then ourselves.

the fact that the government does not do a good job taking care of these people does not mean we should stop trying.

the represenatives and senators are more interested in their own personal agendas. we need to replace them one by one.

every time services for the mentally retarded, like closing the places that cared for them, by cutting funds, and creating a class of homeless people, the crippled, the simply
unfortunate that have fallen on hard times, we become less civilized.

during the great depression, many towns set up shelters, mostly tents, to care for the people on
the road looking for work, or a better place to live. the towns people fed them and gave them a
temporary respite, from their travels.

i know the government does a lousy job of using it's funds, but we have made slavery unacceptable and that took thousands of years, we have all but wiped out the plague, we have found a way to prevent polio.

i'd like to keep trying to improve what we are as people.

I believe we all individually and collectively (mostly as a church) have a responsibility to care for those less fortunate than ourselves but the Government does NOT. It's been proven over and over again that private organizations do a far more efficient job of ministering to the less fortunate and needy than the government does.

oh, and I'm the worst kind - I'm a conservative, but still try to fool myself into thinking I'm a liberal moderate.

COMMIES!

Oops, sorry.

I'm a conservative Libertarian. Politics in this country has been an endless parade of this idiot, then that crook, followed by this socialist, then that religious whackjob. The two-party system has a strangle-hold on this country, and they're not letting go for anything--not even their own obsolesence. Sad thing is they're taking all of us down with them.

LMAO Robby------ wacked ! i'm definatley the opposite of that ! give me a gun.
And for the city to condem buildings that some have worked there whole lifes to payoff and own....to have the city condem it for "no reason" other than walmart needs more space for thier parking lot....not even right , but it does happen.and that's a "family minded" store...HA !
conservative here.....where ever they accept gay's to be married and give them full benifits.....that's where they need to go ! teaching my kid there's a differance between "boy"s and "girls" don't need to here about my two daddy's or my mommies......you get one of each around here !! that's the way it's been done for centuries . no some homos want "special" privliges..........yeah right ! produce a kid !!!! ( like a woman does) then we'll reconcider our thought about special rights for "fellas" and "girls" too! ....ok robby.....let's hear it !!!

Alright Ethan, you are officially the second member of chonerism. You can take any title or position you want, just not my title which is "the high monk of nirvana".

choner

al'Thor abused me as a young man! I'm suing the chonerist's for every last penny! If it was a tight fit, they're not gonna aquit!!

I refused to be labeled as liberal or conservative based on narrow issues such as gay rights, abortion, taxes, guns or any other topical issue of the day.

I grew up in a middle class home until the age of ten when my parents divorced. Then I became a member of the welfare society for the next 7 years. Life sucked but we got by. I spent 21 years in the service of my country in the USAF. Partly because of a sense of duty and partly because I felt I owed a debt for the previous 7 years of my life.

I believe we should have a strong military that is paid a decent wage and with benefits at least equal to their civilian counterparts. And that veterans benefits should be fully funded.

I worked hard for my money and I still do. I believe we should all be taxed at the same rate (eliminating all of the tax loopholes and excuses) and that the IRS should be closed down. Set a rate, pay the tax and move on.

I believe a womans' body is her own and if she doesn't want to carry a baby she has the right to toss it away.

I like guns and think everyone should be issued one at birth and taught how to use it.

I believe that who you decide to have sex with is a personal choice. I don't think anyone should be fired or descriminated against because they enjoy the company of the same gender. The thought of gay marriages doesn't really bother me.

I don't think that reciting the pledge of allegiance (including the word god) is a violation of the constitution. Observing a moment of silence at the beginning of the school day so that those who want, may pray silently also isn't a violation of the constitution.
I don't think children should be required to pray in public school.

As long as we have defendents placing their hands on a bible to swear to tell the truth then what's wrong with the 10 commandments being displayed in the hallway?

Back to the welfare issue. I believe people should work if they're able. I don't think we should have generation after generation in the same household living off my taxes. Bring back public works programs. If they're drawing a government handout then give them a job to earn it.

Americans are the most generous and charitable people on the earth. I think most charities do good work and are more capable than the goverment at meeting the needs of the people. Stop using my tax dollars for social programs.

Art is a wonderful thing. I don't think the government should decide what is pornograpy or what is not. My tax dollars shouldn't go to pay for the arts anyway. Let those who benefit from the arts pay for them. Charge admission at the national museums.

I support the death penalty. I don't think that minor drug users should be filling our jails while real criminals are being released to ease prison over crowding.

Man, you just got me started!!

have nice day

I'm a conservative because I have faith in each individuals ability to prosper if the government doesn't screw it up for them.

I don't see where in the constitution the government has the right to use force of arms to require anyone to pay for anyone elses baby, abortion, food etc. And if you quote the general welfare clause to me, make sure you read what the Federalist Papers say about it first.

I think liberals and conservatives are flip flopped on abortion. If it's not absolutely clear cut the proper conservative stance is for the government to stay the hell out of it and let us make our own decisions. The same applies to whatever adults do in their own bedroom, or kitchen or whatever. Just keep it private. I don't want to have to explain it to my kids. And this applies to both hetro and homosexuals.

If you think freedom of speech applies to NAMBLA teaching people to abuse children, send them to my neighborhood. I'll show them how I feel about the right to keep and bear arms.

I think one of the basic rights of freedom is the right to succeed or fail as I so choose. I also believe part of freedom is the right to be stupid if I want. And believe me, for most of my 52 years I've excercised this right frequently.

Taxing the rich is the biggest joke in this countries history. #1, there aren't enough rich to pay all the bills. #2 The real rich are smarter then the bozos making the rules and can afford to pay people to find ways to avoid them. Taxes kill the middle class that are trying to become rich. If anyone can find a way to avoid taxes legally this is fine. The IRS makes the rules, we have to play by them. The average American works until the end of May to pay taxes. Tha's very counterproductive. By the way, I am very far from rich.

Could go on forever.

I will not get into Conservative, Liberal etc battle, but pretty much agree with Joe (tailgater) and would point out:
1. Opposed to big government looking out for me and others.
2. I am for tax relief and tax breaks for hiring and adding workers by Companies.
3. I am for Pro Choice.
4. I feel our borders should be patroled by the US Army.
5. Do not like the open border in Mexico.
6. I am against affirmative action...long ago outdated and overused today.
5. Sports teams should be allowed to name their teams after Indians (whoops Native Americans) and animals and any other name that they feel fits their franchises.
6. Hate Political Correctness.
7. Feel that the US is the peace keepers for the world and that needs to change by dragging France and Germany into this with the other countries that back the fight against terrorists!
8. Think the anti smoking police are a pain in the ass.
9. Do not need Government telling me what is good for me and what is bad for my health.
10. I could go on, but feel that this is enough!

You can label me any of the above but Liberal! Rickamaven thinks I am to the right of Rush Limbaugh....I am not and feel that Rush is just another mouthpiece with his own agenda.

Charlie

Yes you are! LOL

Charlie, you're a Libertarian. Go to their site and take the test. I'll guarantee you you're a Libertarian, as am I, but they won’t win, so until they can, the Repubs are the lesser of two evils…

http://www.libertarian.org/

Taxes: eliminate income tax. A 16% sales tax would be unavoidable. Rich folks would pay more because they buy more. Totally fair.

Guns: I like Sweden's idea. Serve in the military, take your gun home. I say take it a step farther: serve in the military to earn your right to vote.

EOE = BS. Race, gender, age, religion, etc. shouldn't enter into it. ARE YOU QUALIFIED? That's all it should be.

Chonerism: if you baptize your pilgrims in beer, I'm there!

Abortion: not wild about using it as a form of birth control, but it's the woman who carries it to term, and (largely) raises it, so let them decide.

Religion: 'Freedom of' also means 'freedom from,' so it should be taught at home. School should be for learning two things: how to think, and how to do research.

Borders: there are ways to enter this country legally. Number one question: What do you have to offer?

Welfare: abolish it. You need help? Get out there and pick the fruit and clean the motel rooms the illegals aren't around to take care of anymore.

Charity: given more income, people will contribute as they see fit. They do now, even under our oppressive tax scheme.

Death penalty: automatic for rapists, child molesters, murderers, kidnappers, and armed robbers. Optional for lawyers, clergy, and politicians. Okay, maybe not entirely optional...

Drugs: give pot the same restrictions as booze. Free up tons of money and time, but everything else is still bad for you.

Homo's: they're just people. Sure, some of them are weird, but so are some of us. I don't care where they put their appendages behind closed doors. Let them get married, be stable, contribute to society. That's more than most do, anyway.

hey robby, i see you been drinking again right on i think every one should be dunk and have guns and go hunting all at the same time an every one must wear orange hats shirts etc.i think i speak for the whole GREEN PARTY, EVERY ONE LETS HERF!

My response, Part I.


Conservative.

Reasoning: I have spent the last 20 years in the military defending this great country of ours. I have been shot at, wounded and awarded a purple heart, and risked my life in numerous hostile fire zones. Spent months upon month at a time separated from my family, home and loved ones. I have been married and divorced twice and currently pay in excess of $900.00 a month in child support to both of them to support my 5 children. I was cleaned out in both divorces and forced to start over again with nothing. I currently live in a home I paid $25,000 for in a not so nice part of town. I just financed my first vehicle in 8 years because my credit rating was destroyed in my last divorce and it took that long to clean it up. Through it all I have done this on the miserly salary the military gives me. Yet to this date I have never taken a hand out from the government and I never will. I see no point to it. If I can go through what I have and still come out feeling content with my life and feeling as if I have accomplished something then ANYONE can do the same.

I am so damn sick of standing in line at the local convenience store just to see the person ahead of me lay down a bag of chips, a coke, and a candy bar and then whip out their food stamp card to pay for it!! That money is my tax dollars. That money is supposed to go toward putting food on their table to nourish their kids. Tell me where the hell is the nourishment in a damn mars bar? You damn bleeding heart liberals are sending this country down the crap shoot faster than I can keep up with.

If I can make a decent life for myself than anyone can. I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I never had the option of going to collage. Why? Because my grade point average when I graduated high school was too low. Why was that? Because I got my first job when I was 13 years old. I used to get up at 4am to got to work for the farmer down the street. I would milk the cows and clean out the stalls, then go home, shower, and get ready for school. When I got home from school I would go back to work for him until 7pm. I would go home, eat dinner, shower again and pass out from exhaustion in bed and do it all over again the next day. There was never time for homework or extra credit work. I did this until I graduated high school and joined the military. Why did I join the military? Because I didn’t want to work for that damn farmer for the rest of my life. I hate friggen cows!!

This country has lost it’s values. Mainly the value of putting in a hard days work to earn your keep.

Welfare recipients should have to earn the assistance they receive. Even if it’s some single mother of five kids. She can work at home can’t she? The post office can drop off a truckload of mail and after she puts her five kids from five different fathers to bed she can spend her evening sorting mail instead of having friends over for a party. They could give her a computer and have her transcribe documents all day. No need to train her. If I can figure out how to use a computer on my own then anyone can. Why should my tax dollars go to train her in some career? If she doesn’t like that, the farmer I worked for as a teen would be more than happy to teach her how to milk cows and shovel ****!!

I know a girl who is only 17 years old. She got pregnant when she was 15. She lives entirely on government assistance now. I just found out she is pregnant again. I can’t believe her stupidity. As far as I’m concerned if a single mother on government assistance allows herself to become pregnant again she should loose all her assistance. End of story!! If she is too stupid to realize and learn from the mistakes she has made then she deserves NOTHING!!!!!


The issue of gay marriages is fine by me but they will have to wait a few decades for all the other treatment they want to receive. For example, gays in the military? NEVER GUNNA HAPPEN!!! Why? It’s a simple matter of there is no way to house them. Look at it this way. You couldn’t house straight men and gay men in the same barracks. That would be the equivalent of housing men and women together. You can’t house gay men with gay men because that would be the same as the previous. So what are you going to do with them? House them with the straight women? NOT! So I guess you give them all there own privet living quarters? NOT! Forget it, never gunna happen.

Gun control?
Not only should I have the right to own any kind of gun I choose, but I should have the right to shoot and kill any candy-ass idiot who disagrees with that statement. If all the honest people in this world owned and carried guns there would be no more crime! Did you here about the 60 year old man who shot and killed two assailants who FORCED him from his home and took him to an ATM machine to withdrawal money for them to steel? He pulled a pistol form his pocket and shot them both dead!!!!!!!!!! Point proven!!! Two less pieces of crap, low life, government assistance receiving scumbags on the planet. Now just a few million more to go………………………………...............................End of my position on guns.


To be continued…………

I am very far left!

I heard a quote someplace,

"If you’re not a democrat when your 25 you have no heart, if your still a democrat when you are 55 you have no brains”

So I have a few years left by my count HAHA j/j

GIG’EM,

Dan

Crap! When do we gets an edit feature on this board? LOL

Everybody has to believe in something. I believe I'll have a drink. ----William Claude Fields

this is lengthy, but i hope you read it to the end.

i don't "do" labels. i think for myself after finding out as much information as i can, first-hand if possible.

i believe that the united states of america is the finest nation ever put on this earth. being 1/4 tsalagi (cherokee), yes, it sucks that the country was formed as it was. being 3/4 siclian and the grandchild of immigrants, i look forward to the possiblities more than look backwards at what i cannot reach.

i'm alive right now.

i believe that the government which governs best governs least.

i believe that parents are responsible for teaching their children core principles and morality -- not school, not the government, not the television, not harry potter, not even the church. PARENTS. teach. your. children. anything else is secondary, and those other relationships are transitory. a parent is a parent for life.

i believe that too many people too often refuse to take responsiblity for their own lives. MOST people have had it rough in one way or another. "there's a support group for you. it's called 'everybody.' they meet at the bar." -drew cary

you are responsible for your own life -- the good, the bad and the ugly. did daddy beat you? mama didn't love you enough? the kids at school called you fatso? you're not the only one, and others have found a way to cope; you can, too. there are a thousand reasons but not ONE excuse. YOU are responsible for your own life.

"face your fears or forever be their slave" -antonio beltrisi

i believe in supporting the people who serve in our armed forces wholeheartedly. they deserve our daily prayers and gratitude. by the way, homosexuals have ALWAYS served in our military. with honor. you do not know the sexual orientation of the man or woman next to you. your fear, your uneasiness, YOUR problem. learn to cope, and do your job.

on that note, i instantly dismiss the opinions on homosexuality of anyone who does not know personally and very well a good handful of homosexuals. i can spot ignorance at 500 yards, and most of those railing about the queers know only what they've heard about in jokes or on the jerry springer show, which is not too far off from the jerry faldwell show -- both of which are equally craptastic.

i believe that we spend more time looking for reasons to pick on each other and not nearly enough time trying to help our neighbors. one of the things i admore about most BOTLs is that they will drop what they're doing and be the first in line to help a brother (or sister) when s/he's down. we need much more of that kind of spirit in our country and much less ballyhoo and booger picking about who we should make fun of next.

it doesn't take a lot of energy to be a decent human being. give it a try sometime.

i believe that we are the most litigious nation on this earth, and as such we have forgot the meaning of "personal responsibility."

we need to bring back that concept, and we need to let bell bottom jeans die a natural death, already. priorities, people! priorities!

i believe that people opposed to abortion should not have them. and i believe that if you personally cannot become pregnant then you don't have a dog in that race. let it go. wear a condom. best advice my daddy ever gave me was "never f*** a woman you're not willing to marry. for life." amen.

my god is my god. it's none of your business. go worship cabbage on a pitchfork for all i care, but what i do with my spirituality is between my god and me.

there does not need to be "mandatory" ANYTHING religious in school. do you really want an atheist to teach your kids about jesus? your preacher doesn't teach your children iambic pentameter or trig; your math teacher doesn't need to re-deliver the sermon on the mount. if you want your kids to "have religion" then quit being lazy and give it to them YOURSELF.

there is no one single picture of what an american looks like. if there were, this would not be america. it would be england or swasiland or russia or costa rica. if you're a citizen, you're an american. and if we don't stop looking for more ways to hate each other, we're going to die in our little bitty separate cubbyholes of culture. try to find a reason to respect your fellow american, not berate him and belittle him.

opinions are like ****. everybody has one, and everyone thinks that his doesn't stink.

as much as is humanly possible, keep your nose out of other people's business. do you value your own privacy? good. protect theirs, too, and we'll all be peachy keen.

take care of people who are not as fortunate as you. if you are blessed with a healthy body, chop some wood for someone who isn't. if you have an extra $20 in your pocket today, how about buying a big mac for that mother and two kids in the car behind you? just do it. it'll make you feel good, and you have no idea just how IN NEED so many people are -- and not because of their own screw-ups. i have no pity for anyone who intentionally screws up his or her life. but i've got a whole lot of compassion for the guy who worked hard all his life and did right by his family and friends and one day finds that his legs don't work and he's out of a job. why? because hey -- yesterday i had compassion for that guy, but today i AM that guy. tomorrow it could be you.

be a mensch.
be a good human being.
do the right thing.
fight for what's important.
let go of petty differences.
believe in something so much you'd die for it.
read more.
smoke more cigars.
give one to a stranger or a buddy.
be kind to those in your circle.
be fair to those outside of it.

when you find someone to love, be it a lover or a brother or a child, be excellent to each other.

god bless,
antonio

I am as far right as you can get. I think that the Federalists papers should be required reading in high school along with the study of the constitution and the bill of rights.

I saw the story below and thought some of the lefty college students would get a kick out of it.

Robert

A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many
others her age she considered herself to be a very liberal Democrat and
was for distribution of all wealth. She felt deeply ashamed that her
father was a rather staunch Republican which she expressed openly.

One day she was challenging her father on his beliefs and his opposition
to higher taxes on the rich & more welfare programs. In the middle of her
heart felt diatribe based upon the lectures she had from her far left
professors at her school, he stopped her and asked her point blank, how
she was doing in school. She answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0
GPA, and let him know that it was tough to maintain. That she had to study
all the time, never had time to go out and party like other people she
knew. She didn't even have time for a boyfriend and didn't really have
many college friends because of spending all
her time studying. That she was taking a more difficult curriculum.

Her father listened and then asked, "How is your friend Mary." She
replied, "Mary is barely getting by", she continued, "all she has is
barely a 2.0 GPA" adding, "and all she takes are easy classes and she
never studies." But to explain further she continued emotionally, "But
Mary is so very popular on campus, college for her is a blast, she goes to
all the parties all the time and very often doesn't even show up for
classes because she is too hung over."
Her father then asked his daughter, "Why don't you go to the Dean's office
and ask him to deduct a 1.0 off your 4.0 GPA and give it to her friend who
only had a 2.0." He continued, "That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and
certainly that would be a fair equal distribution of GPA."

The daughter visibly shocked by the fathers suggestion angrily fired back,
"That wouldn't be fair! I worked really hard for mine, I did without and
Mary has done little or nothing, she played while I worked real hard!"

The father slowly smiled and said, "Welcome to the Republican Party."

robertparrott:

that's a great story, and an example that i really do like. seriously. HOWEVER, what of the student who does the exact same work as the rep's daughter, who takes the same classes, who makes the same sacrifices, who does it all 100% the same way but ends up getting lower grades because, say, her professors just get a bit annoyed at having a butch lesbian in their classrooms?

say these profs don't even understand why they don't call on her so much in classes or why they prefer to just skim her papers and throw a grade on it a little lower than that delightful sunshine-smiled alicia silverstone look-alike lass would get (she just brightens up that whole class with her pepsodent smile! *sigh*). maybe the prof isn't aware at all that he's treating our bull**** friend any differently -- even so, at the end of the semester she gets a B- while alicia snags an A+.

is that okay?

see, the problem i have with simplistic stories is that life is rarely so clear-cut. the student doesn't have to be a bull****. maybe she's fat. maybe he has bad acne. maybe everyone knows that his dad's the loudest most obnoxious drunk at the college tavern on football night. maybe she's a single mom (and maybe it's because she's a WIDOW, not a welfare-sucking 'ho -- imagine that!).

do i advocate for robbing from the rich to give to the poor? not at all. not by a longshot. but i don't think that life -- real life -- follows nice and neatly along poltical lines. i hear the bitching done by conservatives. i hear the same from liberals. on the far side of either one, i don't know what world they're living in, because it's certainly not mine.

i don't see every single mom on welfare as being a lazy money grubber. i also don't see them as victims of the cruel right wing. people are COMPLICATED. very little is pure black or white in our world.

there are welfare slugs in this country, yet. there are also people who have worked hard all their lives and have been slapped upside the head with health problems or lost jobs. both of them are standing in the welfare line on the first of the month. are they both "leeches?"

my take? i'd just like to see us all try a little -- just a little -- harder to understand people before we slap labels on them and identify them as the cause of the ruination of america. :)

antonio

I think it's very clear that even though there are rancorous debates over this issue or that from time to time, the VAST majority of us are very like minded, except a few who shall remain nameless because I don't want Rick to get embarrassed. There's a quote that applies, "Great minds think alike". Must be a lot of great minds here ;-)

Part II

Cavallo

What party does that you say??? Well the Republican party, that’s who!

Let me explain:

The liberals would say this......

You say-
“i'm just another american wanting to live happy ever after with my wife”

Oh, you think that do you? Well what about the guy who lives next door to you? Don’t you think he wants the same thing? I mean, over-look the fact that he is 150lbs over weight and he smells like some kind of septic tank gone afoul, and for the last three years, that you know of, he has been unemployed. lets NOT look at all that O.K.? Because we haven’t walked a mile in HIS shoes, have we? We don’t know what kind of pain and suffering life has brought him. So with all that in mind, what right do YOU have to live happily ever after with a wife when he has none? Don’t you think the government should raise your taxes so they can afford to develop a program for guys like this? Shouldn’t the government provide your neighbor with all the things, like a WIFE, that you have but he doesn’t?

You also say-
I just want to “play with my dogs”

Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? Oh, but we’re forgetting about the teacher from the elementary school two blocks from your house. He has fallen in love with one of your dogs. You see, he has been “in the closet” secretly seeing your dog when you weren’t looking. Now he wants to marry your dog. I mean, what right do you have to tell him he cant marry “ole Duke” after all, they love each other, and if that’s so who are you to call it wrong??? Now “ole Duke” is gone and happily married to “Mr. Smith” the elementary gym teacher, but wait, there is a problem. “Ole Duke” is feeling a bit sick. They think it may be Parvo. Now the problem is that the local school district doesn’t cover vet bills in it’s health coverage. So Mr. Smith sues claiming he is not a pet he is a “life partner” and he wins the suit. Now your property taxes have to be raised to cover “ole Duke’s” treatment. Now you have a little less money to enjoy that life you spoke of, not to mention you no longer have your dog!

Now then, you also say you want to-
“smoke my cigars”

Now wait just a minute there buster! Don’t you know that tobacco is deadly? We can’t have your second hand smoke drifting down the street and offending the nostrils of poor old miss Jones. After all, her husband died of lung cancer, are you just that uncaring? How dare you pollute her environment with your deadly toxins. Do you think she doesn’t have the right to breathe? Do you really think she wants to go out like her late husband? As you sit there puffing away, she is at city hall petitioning the city council to outlaw all offensive and potentially dangerous odors from the good old town of “(place your town name here)” because she was so persistent about it she made the national news. Then she managed to rally together several thousands of people from all over the country to pick up her cause, the local city council had to call a special session just to hear her and vote on a resolution. Not only did all that cost you, the taxpayer, an extra $500,000, but now you can’t even fart in the wind while your mowing your yard without facing a fine and possible jail time.

Lastly, I can’t believe you also want to, and I quote, “give a brother or sister a hand when i can as we all roll on down the road.”

Well, you know we just cant have any of that. I mean who the hell are you to pick and choose who you help? You are no where near qualified to make that call buddy!! No, what we will do is to appoint a special counsel to study this issue. We just cant have local churches, individuals, and privet groups deciding who to help and who not to. I bet you would all just help people like the widow Jackson. I mean just because she feels like eating a meal once in a while is a necessity for her you all seem to think she actually needs it! But you seem to forget old “wino Bob” What about him? Who’s gunna give his $1.25 to buy his next bottle of thunderbird? You have no right, and lets face it, your just too damn stupid to figure out who “really” needs help and who doesn’t need help on your own. That’s why the state of (place your state name here) is going to raise the sales tax 2% and spend the next five years studying this whole issue in an effort to come up with a “life plan” that allows all poor people to receive the things they need to feel happy and content. How do you like that????



To be continued…………………………….

kc: well, first off, you're talking about some extreme fringes of the left and calling it mainstream. that's the kind of thing we could ALL of us do less of. it's the same as lefty laroo coming along and categorizing the republican party in general as being a bunch of little hitlers.

even so, point taken.

i know a lot of guys who count themselves as conservative and republican. i think the world of them, and they've always been great to me, even though my views can and do differ quite a bit from theirs.

at this point, there is one major issue that i can't get past. i've seen so much queer bashing going on -- and that is not at all okay with me. first off, the examples of gay folks put out there are nowhere close to reality. my brother is gay, folks. and it really just lights my fuse when gays are referred to as being little more than freaks, disease carriers and even animal-****ers. i can't even put into words how that pisses me off.

my brother, man... he's a truck driver. cross country, long hours, hard work. i've gon on runs with him, and i can't tell you how many times he's stopped to help someone on the road -- woman with a flat tire? no problem. he pulls over and changes it for her. hitcher in the rain? hop in; we'll take you to the next truck stop anyway. accident? he's out with his first aid kit in one hand, cell in the other calling 911.

he looks a bit like burt reynolds. balding, mustache. wears flannel shirts, jeans, his old cowboy boots. smokes a nice cigar from time to time, otherwise it's marlboros on the road. he's also got a harley and rides when he can with a local motorcycle crew made up of folks from former hell's angels to bikers for jesus.
he was married once, has a daughter who he took good care of all the way into and through college. she's in law school now; he's paying for much of it.

he's a good guy. takes care of the old man who lives next door, has him over to cook out, have a beer, listen to the old guy's war stories, helps him change the bandages on his legs from an old injury at the stone quarry where he worked after the war.

you wouldn't point and stare at him in public. he doesn't fit the stereotype (and i don't know many gay folks who do, to be honest). he's invisible to those who make fun of the limp-wristed, lisping girly man stereotype. but it's a kick to his head when the jokes get told, when someone talks about shipping all the queers off to their island and nuking it.

you're talking about my brother like that. not you personally, but the big, ambiguous "you" who snicker at the jokes and think he wants some "special" rights.

all i want to do is live my life without the government sticking its nose into the most personal, private aspects of it. i want to sit in my backyard and grill a big ol' steak, wash it down with a cold one and light up a toraño 1916 cammy. thing is, that's pretty much what my brother wants, too.

and i'm sorry, but even as i agree on many points as you conservative-id'ed folks do, i can't get on board with any group who would so actively try to make my brother into some kind of sick, freakish criminal who doesn't deserve to be treated like a human being. that is the one sticking point for me. it sickens me to hear people talk like the do about "the homos" and "the queers." i have to wonder if those folks have ever KNOWN a homosexual -- known him or her well, known more than one, more than five?

i just can't see how anyone who knew my brother would want to degrade and humiliate him like that. he wants the same things i do, but because i'm in love with a woman, that's okay for me -- but he needs to be shipped off to some island and nuked out of existance?

can't get behind that. sorry.

antonio

Sheesh! You guys must be some great typists!