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Wow! What a story! I was raised in an evangelical fundamentalist home by conservative Republicans. My parents weren't really political, but mostly just good Christians who taught me more by their example of love and compassion for others than anything they said. When I was young I found a book in their library called, "I Found God In Soviet Russia," by John Noble. He lived in Russia with his family and because of their politics they were imprisoned in the concentration camps. It made a tremendous impression on me. I guess my life was so idyllic that I wanted to know more about the world, because I knew that it wasn't this way in other places. I went on to learn about the Holocaust and in learning more and more about socialism and fascism, I learned to appreciate my country -- more and more. Also, when I grew up in the 50's, it was a different America. Even when JFK was elected, my parents honored him as their president. I long for those days -- when, despite differences, love of country came first. I hope and pray that the country is moving in that direction again.

Arnold said something to the democrats in the CA legislature recently, and I'd like to think it applies the anti-American left: There's a train that's on the move, and you have three choices: you can either get on the train, watch the train go by, or stand in front of the train, and you know what will happen if you do that." (I paraphrased it as best I could, but you get the point.)

My family is depression era, 2nd generation American, FDR democrats. They still have the perception of conservatives in general, and republicans in particular, of being the elite rich. That paradigm has changed. Most of the republicans I know are either self employed, self educated, or otherwise people who came through life up the ranks on their own. Most of the liberals I know are either involved in public employment of some sort, social welfare of some sort, big labor, or some other sort of big nannyism. Or professional victims. Fortunately, a big influence on me ironically is my fathers view on welfare. It is simply this, people need to work for a living, period! Public aid should be only for the disabled or aged. And he hates Ted Kennedy! When he ran for president in 1980, he just shook his head "he will never be able to hold a candle to his brothers".