[michaelt]

Lavrenti answered your questions much better than I could.

I was basically wondering if your concerns about what Bush did after 9/11 were more internationally or domestically focused, and/or if you really thought he did a bad job with the country's (and NYC's and DC's) psychology and healing process.

Lavrenti also touched on the waryness we have about newcomers. We have itchy trigger fingers, I'll admit to it too. A welcome could be one of two messages to a newcomer: a true welcome to Free Republic to someone who wants to productively add to the discussion, or a message that we know you're new, and we'll be on the lookout for disruptive behavior.

Since with many people we don't know which one it is, the welcome is cryptic.