The integrity, moral condition, quality of life, unity, and even the basis for the justification of the existence of the United States of America, are daily diminished by millions of its citizens and others in it who behave the way they do on a daily basis; from the Oval Office to the slums.

Jack, I do not really care about proving anything to you. I am just annoyed that someone like you, who claims to have such extensive knowledge, can so comfortably make the illegitimate and unsupportable claim that democrats tend to be good and republicans tend to be bad. It is such a ridiculous thing to claim.

If he had pressed the issue, he could have gotten his wish, to be jailed for an extended period, without committing violence. He could have, if he really wanted it. He could simply have published his views more actively, forcefully, and a little more obnoxiously, which would have gotten him either jailed or shot. For example, he could have promoted widespread support for the Underground Railroad, and publicly announced that he volunteered to participate in a slave rebellion. I am not saying he should have, but that he could have. It is one thing to imagine that one wishes something, but often a different thing to be faced with the imminent possibility of obtaining it.

The biggest liar? Oh, you mean Pelosi.

Thoreau spent one night in jail.

In a real sense, without hyperbole, for very many people in Cuba, to be in prison is as if to be in solitary confinement, while to be at home is as if to be in prison. There is no leagl access to the Internet, very few telephones, and it is illegal to watch TV programming from the United States, or to listen to radio from the United States, or to read newspapers or magazines from the United States. There is a list of regulations and conditions that make life in general prisonlike for millions.

You got that right, Jack. If opposing corruption in government is the highest form of patriotism, it is also a great way to ruin yourself. I recomment it highly.

He was head of a division of the Justice Department?! Yikes! (I wasn't going to rate the quote, as it is arguably demented, but since it is demented, I give it the thumb.)

Mike: I answered your question earlier on the page dedicated to one of today's other quotes. Constitutional? Yes. Weapons related? See my answer on the other page. Straw man? I have gone into court clutching at a straw...

Oh, Joe, I had forgotten: Until fairly recently I had sent letters to several government agencies, including the White House and the CIA and the people "in charge" of the Cuban transition problem, criticizing the government's handling of the Castro problem and stating clearly that I intended to participate in an invasion of Cuba to overthrow the Castro regime. No response. I must be a dangerous nut-case, huh?

Joe: I tried to get arrested for protesting without a permit, for disobeying a police order to leave places where I was lodging complaints (twice), for disobeying police orders to move farther away from a voting precinct while carrying signs (twice), and I really can't recall now the other two uninteresting incidents. When I worked for the postal service, I sometimes said openly on the workroom floor "The worst thing I could do to anyone here would be to let them live, as then they would have to keep working here, which is punishment enough for anyone." The inspectors came one day and asked whether I had said this, and I answered that I had said exactly that. Then they asked what I had meant, and I said that I had meant exactly what I said. Later, I was removed from employment, for stating that "I could have strangled" my manager, but a year and a month later I was reinstated with back pay and benefits. After all, I did not threaten to strangle anyone. I could have.

Why, Joe, all you have to do is send a letter of complaint to the Council on Foreign Relations, the Federal Reserve, the IRS, the US Attorney General, and the White House, and all your complaints will be resolved. :-)

Although such acts are tyrannical, even more blatant acts of tyranny are committed daily. Could anyone inform me as to the figures with respect to actual detainees under the Military Commissions Act or other violations of habeus corpus? Or as to where I could find those figures?

Juries and witnesses can be bought, rights rescinded, law enforcement officials lie at will, in reports and under oath, and judges rule as they please. Welcome to America, where tyranny comes from above and below and from all sides.

Even when laws remain silent, a crime is a crime. Right, Archer?

Although I am in favor of reform, I have serious doubts regarding my capacity to accomplish it. I suggest, comment, try to explain, and even ocassionally set an example, but my powers of persuasion are inadequate. It does not stop me from expressing my opinions. What I can't figure out is why we take each others comments personally, unless our self-esteem is so low that we actually care about the half-baked, misinformed opinions of complete strangers.

Reston is not sure about what Reston is talking about.

Nice try, Reston, but I would not grant them control over her body. I would only protect her fetus from being murdered. Anyway, their color wouldn't make a difference.

I own two guns, Joe. Why? What has that got to do with my disagreement with this quote?

When I wrote "...Joe's inability to imagine that someone who disagrees with this quote must be a socialist" I had actually meant to write "...Joe's inability to imagine that someone who disagrees with this quote might NOT be a socialist." Talk about Freudian slips. Well, Joe, that must mean I really AM a socialist, right? I mean, who would know better than you, Joe? Happy now?

Interesting.

"It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is." --Bill Clinton

Whatever you say, Jack. Clinton is a saint, a hero, a legend, a philanthropist, a tireless advocate for the rights of Waco' children, and a really great interpreter of the verb "to be"(it depends on what the meaning of is is). Just wait till he gets the headship of the UN and see what he does with that. You know (or maybe not) that the UN has on its agenda the worldwide promotion of worship of Gaia (the Earth), and removing everyone's guns (just like Hitler, Stalin, and Castro). I hope you are lucky enough not to be here when it happens, Jack. It would break your heart.

Start at home, Jack. You were saying that individuals should not reform society or government, but should limit their reform efforts to themselves. You were saying, therefeore, that others should govern their behavior as you would direct, according to your opinion. That is an attempt to limit the free exercise of the free will of another, and to limit it in the attempt to foster improvement. Then you refer to the "real reform" brought about through elections, which contradicts your former assertion. So which is it, Jack, should the individual attempt to reform society or not? So you think gays have rights problems? State specifically which ones, because as far as I can see, the laws only move toward greater support of gays as time goes by. What rtights problems do gays have? That they can't legally sleep with minors? Demonstrators' rights abused? In what way? Women's rights abused? In what way? It is much easier to spout nonsense than to justify it.

It's hard to lose an idol.