Free Republic

No you didn't sweetie. You hoped to make a hit-and-run attack, to stroke your own misplaced self-esteem. And you expected that you could make your own sweeping accusations without anyone calling BS on you.

It seems that since you called me "sweetie", you are either assuming I'm female, or just simple minded, or perhaps both. Re-evaluate your assumptions, please. Oh, and don't call me "sweetie".

If this were a "hit and run attack" would I have responded, or even cared what your response was? Would I have tried to explain the original posting, which actually, if you read it, there is not much contrversial about. I simply wanted to remind all freedom loving people that there are folks who disagree with them, who don't deserve to be slandered. Free speech isn't any good unless everyone can use it.

You never did answer any of my questions. If you are having trouble with the questions, perhaps you can ask your Friend friends how they can say they are pacifists, but march with so many groups with such bloody histories, and who continue with their bloody actions to this day?

I'm not sure what you wanted me to say, other than my last post that those are atrocities, indeed, and I would never condone them. Do you want me to go through each one.... "nothing was moral about...." give me a break. I'm not a moron, and I understand the point that there was indeed nothing moral about the atrocities commited by various regimes you listed. To pretend like I have to answer each one of your "questions" is just silly. I've made it clear that I totally find those actions and atrocities repugnant, as would any thinking person.

You want me to ask my Quaker friends why they still march with groups who are associated with bloody and deadly groups, perhaps I will. But I won't pretend to speak for them when I haven't discussed it with them yet. My point originally was just that my friends are good people, and yes, I was offended at the ranting on this board. Every group has it's nuts, and every side can find pictures that support their view of a "debate". People on this board (not necessarily you) have painted all anti-war folks as hatefule and anti-american, but when I look around at my fellow conservatives in this forum, most of what I'm seeing is hate toward other citizens. Citizens of America. If I were seeing informed debate, it would be wonderful, but there isn't much beyond hateful rhetoric and stereotyping here.

I don't know if I can bother with this forum anymore. You might point to that and claim this was a hit and run, but the truth is otherwise, and people who bother to read the whole thread will see the truth.

I understand why most true conservatives have left the halls of the Free Republic. I'm about to join them. I hope I find a place where discussion is more cerebral and less gonadal. I'm glad you have a forum for your type of 'discussion', but it's not what I was looking for. Good luck to you.

Free Speech Forever

No. Shame on you for lying down with the communists and socialists who have MURDERED hundreds of millions of their own people.

No one is lying down with anyone.

Why are they marching under the umbrella of a bunch of socialist and communist groups, then?

My understanding is that this was called by a few groups, and some, whom are also classified as socialist and communist have joined in part. I have seen many rallies and protests of Christian groups that have shared the field with other groups that they disagree with on many issues other than the one at hand, but that doesn't, nor should it stop people from gathering to express their views about the topic at hand, from war, to abortion, to civil rights.

If you weren't so busy missing my point, you might have realized that I didn't express solidarity with their view. I, in fact, gave you no indication at all what my own views on this are. You automatically assumed that because I did not join in your chorus of rhetoric, that I was one of "them".

I'm just expressing an opinion of someone who has Quaker friends. I am offended at your disregard for their following of the teachings of Christ as they feel led to do.

So stop being so reactionary. I would elaborate, but you obviously don't have the capacity to listen to any rational thought without first assigning a category of "us" or "them" to the speaker, and thereby interpreting the remarks as you deem appropriate for their category.

Not only have you missed my point entirely, but you have reacted in a way that only constitutes some shouting about atrocities that I, or anyone I know (particularly not the pacifist Quakers), would never condone; and somehow linking me to the people who have committed them! Talk about useless ad hominem attacks.

I suppose I hoped to find some mature discussion here. I suppose I was hoping for too much. Sad really.

Nonetheless, Free Speech Forever! for everyone.

It's extremely unfortunate that you all are so happy to lump these people in as all being "communists" or "hateful" or just trying to sow bad faith seeds.

Speaking as a North Carolinian, there are a large number of Quakers and a huge Quaker tradition, even of people in and around Fayetteville. While you might not agree with their pacifistic stands, they are getting there from a religious and moral point of view. Also there are many military families who legitimately do not agree with this war, who you should NOT be disparaging, even indirectly. It is hypocritical to do so, yourself.

Stop painting everyone with a large brush that fits your particular liking, and certainly don't take pleasure in the idea that they might be injured for speaking out for their religious beliefs! (as some posters to the forum have done) Just as you would be outraged if a leftist posting site wished harm upon anti-abortion protestors, you should not be doing the same!

Disagree, and even counter protest, but do not "infiltrate" and do not slander large numbers of people, many of whom are good people, that you do not personally know.

Shame on you! Speak your mind openly, but remember to allow others to do the same! Free Speech Forever.