It must be so nice living on a modern-day Fantasy Island. In my opinion, other than being able to spoil major elections in close races, third party candidates will never obtain enough power to exist on their own; the two major parties are just too entrenched in our society.

The failure of third-party candidates is their principled arrogance to effect change in the best way they can and that is by holding the feet of the better of the two candidates' to the fire. A sort of extortion by the threat of a loss of power if you will.

As for "voting scared" that is pure utter bullshit and quite offensive. Most times there is no way to vote ones conscience in a pure fashion. What I find alarming is the appearance of the self-absolution those in the third parties have seemed to given themselves without examining their role as far as the greater good. As an example, take what happened from the results of Nader's campaign in 2000. Look at the subsequent changes that have happened since then. It is quite myopic and selfish to ignore those changes as insignificant as so many third party candidates have seem to have done. The way I see it, Nader should have taken his polling numbers to the Gore campaign people and in good old-fashioned politics show him what was about to happen. In this manner of pragmatic politics he would have been much more successful than not using his true influence and power. And to prove this, look where we are now. ANWAR will most certainly be drilled, the courts will be stacked with extremist right-wing justices, a woman's right to choose is in doubt, young American men and women are headed towards a questionable war, and on and on and on. All disastrous changes finding their roots from the election of 2000.

As for those who believe there is no difference between the democratic party and the republican party, a need exists to look deeper. Sadly it is true both parties chase the same people for funding, but there is a difference. For example, after Bush was elected, the Progressive magazine reported that the FBI/Secret Service paid a visit to a college student who had a poster of Bush in a hangman's noose. It was a political protest poster in regards to Bush's massive number of executions while in Texas. Now, honestly, does anyone out there think this would have happened if Clinton had been on that poster? Look at Ashcroft and the changes he has made in the Justice system. Frankly, when the American populace says in a survey they think the First Amendment is too strong, that gravely worries me.

One last comment. I suggest those who think the environment is unimportant, to pick up the book "The Great Work" by Thomas Berry. It is an excellent book and really puts our need to understand our role with the earth in an understandable way. It's not a long text but very profound.

I would also suggest a magazine called The Sun to all of you. It is a very insightful magazine that shows there is promise of the human condition.