It is astounding how little is known about alcoholism and drug addiction by the citizens of a country so affected by these problems. Drug use, of course, has been demonized, but few Americans seem to realize that the substances themselves are not really the demons in question. Apparently not enough voting Americans realize how important it is to treat the causes of irrationally excessive drinking and drug use-- those underlying disorders that prevent an alcoholic from recognizing dangers that are clear to everyone else.

Without professional treatment, as in the case of George W. Bush, when you take away the substances you're often left with a severe personality disorder. At the very least you're left with a shy, uncertain person who desperately needs that long-familiar shot of confidence. And, without treatment you're left with someone so infantile and self-obsessed, that the consideration of the problems of others is impossible. It is ALL about them and no one else.

Oh, sure. It has been around at least since the Great Disappointment of the 1840's when thousands assembled on a hilltop to witness the Second Coming (now postponed indefinitely).

Weren't more than a few English Christians certain that the last days were upon them based upon the emergence of the Spanish Armada? If I'm not mistaken, they were wrong.

How would she explain away her claim that John McCain was better suited for the presidency?

Anyway, I have a bad feeling about this coming election. Aside from the traditional Hillary haters, there are many of us from the other side of the fence who won't be casting votes her way. I'm not much of an Obama fan either, but her war vote was just a little too much.

" If Hillary thought she was villified by the media before, you wait until she has cost the Democrats the general election.

"

After a few years of Bill C. I began to long for the comparitively liberal regimes of Dick Nixon and Ronald Reagan. Again, I don't expect anything good to come of this next election (no matter who wins) but a permanent demonization of the Clintons is something to look foreward to.

Maybe I'm a little slow on the uptake, but I had to watch CNN for about ten minutes before finally understanding that Spitzer was not suspected of being somehow involved with organized crime, but had simply hired a prostitute.

She was a Goldwater girl. I was roughly her age at that time, yet I was aware of his beliefs regarding civil rights. I remember, too, how important those positions were to Barry and to Hillary's fellow Goldwater followers. I was old enough to be horrified by those beliefs. Hillary wasn't.

Maybe they could discuss Hillary's most recent threat, just this morning, to "obliterate" Iran.

Here's a woman who is rich beyond anyone's wildest dreams, better educated than most human beings, an accomplished attorney, a powerful United States Senator, but acts as if her feelings are hurt because she's not going to be made the most powerful person on earth.

McCain, of course, knew about the Alaskan scandal regarding the state policeman. When he has to let her go, the right wing of his part will be more forgiving when, pressed for time, he is forced to go with either Leiberman or Ridge.

"I know, I know." They're pro choice, but what could I do?"

The full extent of American hatred and ignorance first hit me a couple of days after the Kent State massacre in 1970. When I heard the gleeful responses to the deaths of the four students, and saw the expressions on the faces of so many white, middle-class residents of surrounding towns, it became clear that we would eventually go through another civil war here.

How could it not happen? There is just too much fear and ignorance here for the most ambitious and greedy of our politicians to ignore-- too many easily manipulated potential votes. And now they have so enraged these millions that we are not far from the day when only physical violence will satisfy.

I too had experience with the Assemblies of God as a kid. We were taught that AOG theology and ONLY those teachings were the inspired word of God.

In other words, roughly one hundred years ago the creator of the universe decided to use as his spokespeople a small group of poorly educated bigots from the American south.

On yet another lighter note:

Jesus walks into the temple one day and finds people conducting every sort of personal business. He flys into a rage and upends their tables, scattering money and products, chasing people out the doors and into the streets. He then storms out the front door of the temple not even bothering to shut it, when a beggar sitting at the entrance shouts out, "Hey! Were you born in a barn?"

Does no one remember the glee with which the white Ohio citizenry viewed the Kent State killings? And don't think America will finally heal when this generation dies off, because they've already infected their children. It just won't stop-- not naturally, anyway.

I guess the problem with the Civil War was that not enough people died. Maybe next time around...

and neither are the Republicans who love and fear him. You have at least half of the American people to thank for that-- a people so confused, ignorant and corrupt that they mistake their spiritual bankruptcy for spirituality-- a people so indecent that a comedian can be assured of getting a big laugh by ridiculing the sensibilities of someone like Sally Struthers. Hip hip hooray! We're number one!

So who was it who sent 2500 Americans needlessly to their deaths in Iraq? The United States?