bludgeon....I ditched the thread because it was starting to turn into a "lets bash America" party, which was far from my intent. I posted that thread to say I'm proud to be a part of a country that is made up of peoples of all nations, all races, and all walks of life. I'm proud to be part of a country that shows compassion when it's needed, and bares it's teeth when it has to. I'm glad I don't have a king or a dictator, that I have a form of control over how I am governed and the freedom to say I disagree in public without fear of reprisal.

To the detractors out there, please stop confusing the American people with the American government. We know there's some bad policies in place, but we can't change things overnite like a dictatorship or a monarchy can...we live in a democracy where change is sometimes slow to come because it comes at the will of the people at regular intervals called elections. This American is hoping things will start to change for the better come November.