I can see who the writers Republican friends view him: "he wants to be friends with us, but with broad statements concludes we are totally wrong about everything". Mr Common Ground himself. I'm sure you get invited to a lot of back yard cook outs.

"wars fought for lies" I guess the WMD thing. Did Saddam not gas the Kurds & Iranians? How about the intellegence of the UN, Russia, and Europe who concluded with ours? I guess Afhanistan was fought for lies as well?

"no to torture" I agree that making a few terrorists sit around naked with underwear on their heads and videotaping it is a smart thing to do. But at least these guys got to keep their heads!! Talk to the families of Nick Berg and others, who's relatives had their heads sawed off and broadcast world wide on the Internet, now that is torture.

Please show where we are reducing medical benefits to veterans, if that is a fact, then we can agree it's wrong.

No to money for Mars when a quarter of our children are hungry? Whenever the government spends money on anything other than social programs, liberals love to go wild about all the hungry children. Again, please show the facts that 25% of all American children are hungry. I keep reading articles about child obesity going thru the roof!!

No to indefinite imprisonment without due process. I guess you are talking about the terrorists at Gitmo. They were caught waging war against the US. They are not US citizens entitled to due process, they are terrorists who would like to kill us. I believe that they can be held until the war is over, which will be a long time. I remember reading about one guy they let go and he returned to Syria to start terrorizing again.

No to eviscerating Social Security, society's most successful safety net? I thought liberals were for progressive change & conservatives were for maintaining the status quo. Oh right, that is only when it is the liberals idea. There are quotes of Clinton, Al Gore and other Dems about how SS needs repair. Never heard complaints then, nor did anyone actually try to do anything about it. Now that a Republican president wants to explore changes of a 60 year old system that will need changes when the Boomers retire, we are "eviscerating" SS. Nice verb choice there.

No to judicial appointees who will not respect a woman's right to her body? How about the babies right to it's body?

Finally, might we say together America will not be saved by wars, gallant heroes, or presidents in flight suits? If you had your way, complacency and appeasement, the terrorists would run us over. Thank God we have a president with the balls to do something about it instead of having "sex" in the White House with little girls, while terrorists are blowing up our ships and embassies. I do agree with the writer that Bush is a gallant hero.

Dan, There is really no indication to attack Mr.Kroll-Smith personally as his statements are of a general nature. His opinions and experiences are his, not yours. If, however, you want to respond to his issues, you are certainly encouraged (by this forum) to do so.

Most of my dear friends and I disagree about Bush. I do not think less of them nor they of me because we do not agree. Some of our discussions are quiet heated and emotional (imagine, women getting emotional) but we respect the others' right to express herself. Sure, they think I'm wrong as I think they are wrong. At the end of the day do we harbour feelings of anger or animosity? Absolutely not!

I could review your letter and disect it line by line but exactly what would that acomplish? You would think my views lies (just as you have already posted re Mr. Kroll-Smith's) and respond negatively.

What I gleaned from Mr. Kroll-Smith's post was an effort to find some common ground to agree: 1)War is not good for any human being. 2)Torture is not an acceptable means (no matter who is doing it). 3)We, as a nation, should not allow benefits to our veterans to be diminished in any way. 4)Monies should be allocated to fix problems here in our own country before approving outrageous spending elsewhere. 5)We should extend to all HUMAN beings due process. 6)Social Security may have a few kinks that need tweeking but why "throw the baby out with the bathwater". 7)No government appointee should be able to tell a woman what she can or can't do with regards to HER own body.

I'm sorry you chose to put your own spin on his stated issues and rip into him as you did.

Yvonne, your post is very precise and clear. I only post to applaud you for the compassion and passion with which I sense being written. I only wish that I could do as such more often.

Yvonne,

I appreciate your comments. My point is not to attack Kroll-Smith personally rather his viewpoint, the back yard BBQ was a joke, sorry if you couldn't see it that way. I do remember reading one of your posts last week where you referred to all conservatives as arrogant homophobic war mongers among other things, so please practice what you preach in the personal attack arena.

I too have several liberal friends and we have great discussions, don't take it personally and maintain our friendship.

If the writer had the intent of reaching common ground, he would not have used such language of "wars fought for lies" "a quarter of our children going hungry", and my favorite, "eviscerating social security" etc. I realize to you this may be normal language based upon your political leanings, but for us on the right side it is not the language of finding common ground.

No one wants war, sick vets with no assistance, hungry children, and social security "eviscerated", I'm sure we can agree on that.

If this letter were written with a sincere effort to find common ground, it would have used language such as "finding efforts to avoid war", "reduce hunger among children" (still can't figure out where he got 25% figure)"reduce unwanted pregnancies while keeping abortion legal and rare", and "working together to make sure social security is available to our grand children". I didn't see any of that.

Yvonne, your views are well taken and respected. However, the continuing liberal, negative rant against anything conservative or Republican is growing a bit thin.
No war? That would be great...there's only 2 ways to achieve that. 1) Defeat your enemies. 2) Be defeated by your enemies.
Which would you chose? At what price freedom?
The crimes committed at Abu Ghraib were not "torture" in the sense that they were done at the direction of a government for a specified purpose, they were the crimes of a few individuals who are being processed as military criminals through the military justice system. The treatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo, though much different than a criminal in the US justice system, does not qualify as "torture" in the world arena. What Saddam did as a matter of policy to his subjects was torture. I have CD's I can provide if you have any doubt about that, and if you have the stomach to watch them.
Social Security is not being "thrown out" as you liberals like to scream. Franklin Roosevelt originally designed it to be supplemented by private investment, our federal employees have had a privatization option for years which works well. Why not improve it before it dies own it's own? Funny how the liberals that were saying SS had to be fixed years ago when the Dems were in power are now saying it doesn't need to be fixed. Seems they waver in the wind depending on what they want their constituents to believe.
Kiling children is always wrong, no matter if it's the woman who does it or a madman on the street with a knife.
Too bad your slanted views prevent you from reaching common ground with people who are in touch with reality.

"No war? That would be great...there's only 2 ways to achieve that. 1) Defeat your enemies. 2) Be defeated by your enemies."

There is another way: make peace. "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God" -- that whacky liberal Jesus Christ.

My sentiments exactly, Roch 101. When I read the bit about kill or be killed I thought "How incredibly sad that RJ would feel those are the only options we have".

Dan, Admonishment accepted. But I truly did not say ALL conservatives were "arrogant homophobic war mongers" as stated in your post. I said it was my experience that most conservatives are homophobic, aganist stem cell research and choice, pro war and Bush worshipers. Perhaps I should not have expressed those experiences since they were not politically correct but I did and I can't undo what has been done. I have been chastized, attacked personally (although my statement was very general and my own), had my character questioned by those who don't know me from Adam's house cat and threatened. All by conservatives. Beginning to understand why I feel as I do?

Anyway, I take responsibility for what I post which is more that I can say for some.

Roch101 wrote
"No war? That would be great...there's only 2 ways to achieve that. 1) Defeat your enemies. 2) Be defeated by your enemies."

There is another way: make peace. "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God" -- that whacky liberal Jesus Christ.

For option #3 to work, both parties must seek peace. Since terrorists are not interested in peace, just how do you propose we make peace with them, Roch101?

>the continuing liberal, negative rant against anything conservative or Republican is growing a bit thin.

If anyone doesn't like being an arrogant, racist, warmongering homophobe, that person should change. It sounds like you've grown tired of it. We can't change you. You have to change yourself.

Read a book. Study up. Consider the possibility that you are equal to your neighbors; that war should be a last resort, not an opening gambit; that homosexuals are no different from you; and that your ossified worldview is no bulwark against change, but only a shell to hide under. A democracy is only as good as the citizens in it. If you want a better country, you must become a better person. Clearly you are on the threshold of becoming more liberal. Take the step.

When your enemy's sole goal in life it to kill you and eliminate your way of life, there is nothing to negotiate. No words will dissuade him, not amount of goveling and begging will make him spare your life. That's the enemy we face in the world today. Fight for your life and freedom or lose it.