..."The US does have many good things, just as it has many bad things"...
i agree and one of the best things is the ability to change it...
the comparisons you draw between loyalty and patriotism are interesting...because though my loyalty doesn't waver i don't think of myself as patriotic...no flag-waver me...too close to nationalism for my tastes...
so like i said our politics are closer than we realize...
i guess one of the big drawbacks of email is that subtlety is lost...not that my bellicosity is easier to handle face to face but email is not conversation so i tend to go overboard...and emoticons just don't cut it...

shawn...
like you i also vote in every election...and i'm very proud, yet saddened, but my record of never picking a winner...not one to hold my nose and vote lesser of 2 evils...nor sit on the sidelines and complain after the fact. tomorrow's elections scare me greatly...
definitely as a country we are very comfortable with the status quo...change and uncertainty frighten us...
though from what i gather not intrepid travelers like us...we thrive on change and uncertainty...that is what keeps me on the road...
again i'm sorry for jumping your sh*t...maybe we'll meet somewhere down that road...
larry

Shawn, Larry,

In the words of the immortal Sam McCloud (played by Dennis Weaver in the TV series); "There ya go!"

Wolf

As a flag waving patriot who loves his country and realizes not only my father's hardship in coming here but in the many USA DEATHS that have afforded the great freedom and democracy much of the world sits in today, I hope that Bush gets the majority which would cut the little huevos off those fence sitting democrats. I will vote the R's etc.

Persons attempting to find a motive in this THREAD* will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be sent to Florida to vote!

Originally said by Mark Twain, with some creative liberty

Good-bye fence sitters, LOOK OUT FRANCE!!!!!

Someone in a previous letter said "...move to Canada if you don't like the states..." Well, the bad news is that Canada is like the states. The Canadians prime directive is to try and differentiate themselfs from "americans" only beacause they are EXACTLY like them. Same culture, same food, same language (some would say what about the french? Ok, what about acadians in LA? What about the spanish?)same products, canadians dress the same, drive the same vehicles. Ok well there is one difference, you have to trade "Dunkin Donuts" for the Canadian equivalent "Tim Hortons". Where is the difference? Canada is just riding the coat-tails of the U.S. Can Canada claim to be like say.... Norway? radically different? NO (Norway has different food, language, products, history, way of life etc.)Oh by the way Canada ranks tops amongst the worlds worst poluters. Per capita Canada spews out more garbage and polution then any other country in the world, more garbage per person, uses most water per person etc.
So, to those who said "...move to Canada if you don't like the states..." If you don't like the states, you will HATE Canada. If I could leave tomorrow I would.
Ok now wait until I put my helmet on before you reply!

ELECTRACITY, well said! But it's a good thing toddy's not Canadian or he'd be all over you for being anti-patriotic. heehehe.. I'm sure toddy doesn't mind if anyone else is anti-their-own-country. (just teasing, toddy)

Well... BACK on topic. Yes. Thank you, France for rescuing our our people. Give yourselves a pat on the back.