***  The practice of demonizing others gets pretty ridiculous and is quite offensive. ***

You're right. I've been saying this for months. But you seem to think all this demonizing and name calling and the venomous attacks are coming exclusively from the conservatives.

How about we all knock it off. No one really knows exactly what's going to happen in Iraq. We have put people in Washington who are making these decisions and/or educated guesses. Let's let them do their jobs. If it all works out (and I hope it does), great. If it doesn't then we'll replace those who made the wrong decisions and we will all learn from their mistakes.

Our political system has been FUBAR for decades. Name one administration over the last hundred years that hasn't screwed up something or done something stupid. I can't. Do you really think they do stupid things on purpose? I don't. I think they all honestly believed they thought they were doing the right thing. Haven't we all at one time or another made a dumb decision? My life is full of 'em.

Have you noticed that this country has become a land of "know-it-all's"? I find myself falling into that trap from time to time. But then I realize I don't know everything. I should listen to opinions opposite from my own and I should not lower any debate to a barrage of insults or name calling just because I disagree. What do we have to gain? Not a thing. The only thing this behavior accomplishes is it snuffs out the credibility of everyone who gets caught in this trap.

Thankfully we live in a country where we can all publicly critisize and srutinize them without fear of death or torture. More importantly, we can replace the idiots, on both sides, every few years. At least we can all be thankful for that.

There's one thing on which we can all agree; war sucks. One of the marines that was killed in the helicopter crash the other day was a friend of my wife's. They graduated together in high school. She got the call from another friend last night.

I've rambled enough. I guess I just want to say there's already enough hate in the world and in our country. Let's try to keep it out of our little community here, ok?

Thanks.