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In addition to 9-11, the Florida election debacle was a seminal moment for me. Actually, the Hillarycare scare was also. I was real scared they would succeed. I will always be thankful for Phil Gramm for how he stood up to that monster.

I appreciate your comments. It's easy to sink into pettiness online. It's nice to be able to step away from that abyss and share honest thoughts and perspectives. It takes two to make that happen. Thanks for that.

I am glad that you are passionate about America and our future. It is possible to strongly disagree even while sharing the same goals and ideals. Look at Patrick Henry and James Madison, two great American patriots and statesmen. Look at their debates on the ratification of our Constitution. Great minds can disagree.

Unfortunately, we have people like Kennedy and Leahy et al sullying the water with their bile. Only thing I would ask of you is to consider the temper of your words. Criticism is good and right, but do so judiciously, or shall I say, graciously, and I believe the result will be better, and the unwanted effects fewer. Not just in terms of decorum and civility, but in terms of whether you carefully raise concern while affirming goodness, or whether you spread alarm and subversion recklessly. Something to consider. I hope I do not condescend in saying my peace on that. Good day.

Those are well and good faith critiques of my style, and I am constantly working on it to improve. I do appreciate the criticism. I receive many kind Freepmails that encourage the 'fight', so I hang around hoping that one of the many lurkers who did not come here via the CBN or 700 Club website, might learn that our ideas are not uncommon. In your case, you are an actual active member of the Mainstream Right who still is an honest broker on this site. It is in my interest to win you to our critique so civility and honesty is the better tactic.

I think in the early days of this current mess, I appealed to Mainstream Rightists to caution those who wielded the anti-Semite branding iron that it was an unacceptable debating tactic. It fell on deaf ears, and just about everyone of my side of the spectrum simply stopped posting.

I was hardly an ideological warrior prior to this mess, but as I watched group think set in and blind loyalty to the state replace the skeptical think of old FR, it was hard to stay civil. Indeed, ensuring 'fights' became a useful tactic in exposing the undercurrent of phoniness that separates honest American conservatives from simple caricatures of militarists.

In the meantime, I have met far better thinkers than I on this site who love liberty, their homes, their wives, and worship Christ as best they can. During these dark times, it is best to rely on things we can be sure about rather than say, David Kay.

My critique has always been on the advisors around Bush who let him down in pursuit of their own agenda. I think if you start reading posts in a different light you will see that many put the agenda far ahead of Bush.

Go Red Sox, God Speed Liberty, best to you and your family.