Well Rob, although I disagree with the premise of your message, I'd say for you it is restrained and borders on being courteous - Congratulations although it wouldn't surprise me if your typing fingers are bloody mess cause I'll bet you were biting them well beyond the nails as you tried to surpress yourself from engaging in an angry onslaught! CONGRATULATIONS YOUR LEARNING!!...however

The author of the thread below that you replied too was not referring primarily to this board as far as the hatred being expressed but to some other boards - one in particular I'm sure

I concur with most of the authors thoughts - The American people DESERVE what they get and if they get what Dubya and the FAR RIGHT FUNDAMENTALIST CHRISTIAN COALITION perceive what America should be, they may be in for some surprises.

What are the last couple lines in our National Anthem ....

O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

..... How many have laid down their life's to protect America so that it would remain "Land of the Free".

To me that always meant ALL Americans should be treated equally - Not just some - ALL Americans with none being excluded because of who a majority at the time or even a loud minority think should be excluded.  Majorities change but our forefathers carefully drafted a constitution ensuring that certain rights were absolute - now for the first time in the history of the United States dubya and his right wing fanatics wish to Amend the constitution with the FIRST AMENDMENT EVER ADDED TO IT TO DENY A RIGHT AND EQUALITY TO A PARTICULAR SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION.

Furthermore ROB I definitely quality as to who you think should be able to speak out on America but it appears that while we both served, what we were defending appears too be two different AMERICAS - I was sworn to defend this country and uphold it's Constitution and perhaps one of the MOST IMPORTANT GUARANTEES IF NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT GUARANTEES IN THE CONSTITUTION IS:

To me Rob that MEANT ALL AMERICANS - NOT JUST VETERANS!! Furthermore it means not just AMERICANS who are citizens - it means that FREEDOM OF SPEECH exists FOR ALL WHO RESIDE WITHIN AMERICA'S BORDERS. It's fine to disagree with someone but to basically tell them to shut up unless they meet YOUR criteria of who should be allowed to speak out on America is absolutely the opposite of what so many of America's finest have given their life's for to defend.

As for me I'm disgusted with America, I think that the Social Net that has been carefully built to protect all Americans over the past 40 - 50 years will be torn asunder by the Far Right in power now. I believe that the rights that most Americans assumed were there's not to be interfered with by local, state or the federal government will no longer be inviolate - especially those of Women, as for Gays who just recently have seen signs of equality and able to enjoy some of the freedoms of the heterosexual population, they will see a significant reversal as already occurred in many states.

So with my disgust and one who no longer has the strength nor the inclination to fight the battle that I participated in during the 60's and 70's, I'll do my utmost to just stick my head in the sand and ignore America for now and hope that it's change of direction will not affect me personally. If it does then yes I will most definitely will emigrate.

LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT - Oh how many times I heard that during the 60's and 70's! As I and millions of others protested and tried to change WHAT WAS WRONG IN AMERICA and there was plenty wrong - Vietnam a war that should have never been was being fought by an Army that consisted of a huge majority being DRAFTEES and most of those young men came from poor households and if you look at the statistics you will find that of the 55,000 who died unnecessarily in that conflict a huge disproportionate share compared to % of the population were BLACK because they came from poor families and in those days college was a dream far beyond the reach of most. The middle class and above were able to get deferred simply by enrolling in college or many other deferments that the poor were unable to obtain.

In the America of the 60's and 70's and before Blacks were still treated as second class citizens or worse. As for gays until 1969 we were too intimidated to even make a peep...So you may be one of those whose attitude is LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT - at the time with youthful exuberance my attitude was LOVE IT AND CHANGE IT IF IT WAS WRONG.

But alas, I am no longer the youth I was and no longer have nor care to demonstrate the strength necessary to right the wrongs - so if necessary I'll find another geographical plot of land where I can be comfortable.

Believe it or not Rob there is a whole world out there besides America and there are MANY countries out there where EQUALITY exists and the term means just what it connotes.

Once again though Rob, I do wish to congratulate you on your restraint - I know you have a problem with Anger management and you have demonstrated definite progress in thinking about how you are going to say what you want to express instead of just reacting.

<:) just a duck - a VETERAN duck who does not expect to be treated MORE equal then any other HUMAN BEING who resides in America just because of that service.