Reg,

I had no idea of the personal ties you had to some who volunteered/enlisted to go fight in the Middle East. I can understand why someone would want to get involved after what happened on 9/11 but talk about bait-and-switch! Iraq?!?! The Bush administration did a great job of whipping up the general public into (for too many) an unquestioning frenzy. Biggest example of mob-mentality in my lifetime and I was hoodwinked along with the rest of them.

I remember around that time, it was either Memorial Day or Veterans Day and the pastor of our church had all the vets stand to be recognized one Sunday morning and publicly thanked for their service. I look at that now and wonder 'hmmm...what would Jesus think?' Would he really be so appreciative of us being recognized for our agreement to kill our enemies rather than love them? I never questioned it at the time. Images then of Jesus draped in an American flag didn't disturb me then as they do now.

The media can play such a large role in shaping our opinion. I watch FN now and just roll my eyes at so much of what is said there. It's especially disturbing knowing that no small percentage of the population is blindly following along, not questioning, just agreeing and going out and passing the propaganda along. I recall a phone conversation I had with my then 84 year old mother a couple years ago. She commented, "I really hate that man". "Who are you referring to" I asked. "Obama...I just hate him". This is so unlike my mother to speak about anyone like that but FN is on all day and all night at her home. Whenever I call I have to wait for her to turn the TV down so she can hear me. It never fails. I'll try and explain for her some of the good things he's been trying to do but she'll have none of it.

I have no way of knowing but my guess is that Pat and Marc each get a fair amount of their political content from the right-wing-scream/smear machine. I was especially confused when Marc commented that he didn't like to involve himself with the overly religious types but yet he appears to be fully in the camp of the T-party. There are no more fervent religious types in our politics today than those in that crowd in my opinion.

I listened to the Lord Haw Haw tapes then went online and read some more about him. Very interesting. I'd never heard of him. Thanks for that.

Yes, I think the overall message of faith is a good thing but it's become so far removed and co-opted by men for their own selfish reasons...in today's world that would be mostly men on the right. I'd like to think we'll see a moderating of this hard-line, fascist approach to governing sometime in the near future but there's nothing on the horizon that gives me hope. I'm afraid it's only going to get worse before it gets better. The question is, what will it take for it to get better?

"Wherever we went, Kevin, and wherever we got it was an even exchange and opportunity. I learned long ago that you can't tell people things most of the time, they have to discover it on their own and they only do that if they are looking."

This is so well said. Thanks, Reg.