I'm a semi-moderate Conservative with a libertarian streak but I refuse to be pigeon-holed. I was the sole WASP student who helped found the Black Studies course at Beaufort HS in SC. [It was 'taught' by pre-famous writer, Pat Conroy]. I have a strong science interest and proudly say that I like reading good Science Fiction like Heinlein, Bruce Sterling, David Weber and many others.

I am a computer programmer doing Java consulting and I am a strong amateur historian. I am perhaps proudest of being a 57+ gallon Blood Donor [11/13/01] (thanks to pheresis donations). Now 62+ gals (09/13/02), 73g (07/30/05), 76+g (02/04/06), 80+ (12/30/06).[Blood Bank recalculated and put me at 106+gals in 2007] As of 2009, I have been denied pheresis donations as my arms can no longer stand the strain so now the count will only grow by standard whole blood donations (115+gallons) 2021.

As an Army brat, I was raised in several countries and came to see 'Zone Interior' as a special country. There are several things that I love; "High Flight"-Magee, Robert A Heinlein, Rudyard Kipling, "Oh Captain, My Captain"-Whitman, Babylon 5, Shelby Foote and the Freeper "Word For The Day".

A quote that I recently came across echos my belief that government is like fire, a good servant but a ferocious master;
William Pitt;
"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants, it is the creed of slaves!"
I prefer not to be a slave!

In light of the World Trade Center / Pentagon Attacks, the following quote seems appropriate:
John Stuart Mills
"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

Also regard this 3rd stanza from
IN FLANDERS FIELDS
by Lieut.-Col. John McCrae, M.D.
"Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders [New York] fields."

At the suggestion of a fellow FReeper, magslinger, this quote from Robert A. Heinlein;
"You cannot free a slave; he has to do it himself. And you cannot enslave a free man; the most you can do is kill him."