I really must disagree with you, Dale, Dan and Reg methodically, and more importantly, very logically, took apart Marc's incredibly weak analogy.

You really have it in for liberals, Dale. Where does that come from?

I grew up in a household where being liberal meant being for the underdog (minorities, women, homosexuals, the poor). Basically, for those who have been brutally discriminated against and therefore lack a strong voice in the political process. Both of my parents were WWII vets who grew up pretty darn poor. They were beneficiaries of the GI bill and were able to go to college because of it. They travelled a fair amount and saw the inequities out there. My mom was always liberal and it took my dad until his 40s to abandon Roman Catholicism and the conservatism he was raised in. He left the planet at 80 an ardent liberal.

As I look at the range of issues we confront today, I typically, though not always, favor the liberal perspective: the environment, income inequality, access to healthcare, church/state separation, women's rights, and the importance of science, to name a few. Don't get me wrong, I'm a capitalist. It clearly is the economic system that has benefited the most people on earth. And people should be rewarded for their efforts. But it comes with a price, hence the need for a social safety net. I know what you're thinking. there are so many freeloaders. And I of course have a problem with people who unjustly take advantage of society's helping hand. There will always be abuses and we must always be vigilant to punish these people.

Are there loonies on the left? Sure. I have no tolerance for the PC polices/speech code types. I'm not for banning firearms or nuclear power. No house of worship should be forced to conduct a ceremony that goes against its basic tenets. These are just a few examples, Dale, of where I'm not all that liberal. The thing is this, I don't think most liberals are "out there" as you do. The folks I know are pretty darn moderate. You seem to latch on to stories that convey the more extreme, left-wing points of view. I can't recall you doing the same thing with the right wing. The extreme right wing has grown increasing powerful and often represents conventional thinking in the Republican party. They have clearly chased out most of their moderates.

I won't blather on anymore, Dale, but I'd really like to know what's at the heart of your antipathy toward liberals and why do you see us all as so extreme? And do you rail against conservatives ever? And if so, why don't we hear it here? :)

Peter T.