Your rose-tinged depiction of the average dog's life in America is woefully inaccurate. Ever visited Animal Control, Mr. Keillor? Ever worked in rescue? Ever seen a stray dead on the side of the road? Ever noticed the many dogs wearing circles in the dirt, never spoken to, scarcely fed, next to their turned over water buckets? Just this week, I've gotten emails about a lab mix with puncture wounds all over his face (inflicted by some monstrous "human"), three dogs who were dumped at AC to be euthanized because the families are losing their homes, and a dog left to die on someone's porch after it was made to fight. Yeah, I'm a Midwesterner transplanted to the South, but this kind of stuff goes on everywhere. While I will grant you that there is a very small swathe of society who pampers and infantilizes and accessorizes their dogs, most dogs lead lives of quiet desperation that end in a heartstick or gas (yep, we're still doing that). Why in God's name would you expect a society that won't admit healthcare is a RIGHT to treat dogs any better? I'm sick of hearing the argument that people who work in animal rescue should be spending their time helping children instead. I find the people who say that are almost NEVER volunteering their time to help ANYBODY.

I doubt you know the half of it. I mean, look at today's editorial from The Augusta Chronicle: http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/2009/08/11/edi_543966.shtml. Don't forget to read the comments. Bottom line: IT REALLY IS AS SCARY AS YOU SAY IT IS. And the only people I know who are sane are those who, like me, moved here from outside the South. btw, try Sunday's lead editorial, too. You can't make this shit up.

Connie a.k.a.

Thanks, Joan. I am feeling demoralized down here in Georgia. I urge you and your readers to read the editorial I'm linking to here from my local newspaper, which is entitled "Your Government is Lying to You":

http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/2009/08/05/edi_543277.shtml. The mentality this piece demonstrates is incredibly disturbing, but accurately reflects what we're dealing with down here. I registered voters for Obama, but what chance do progressives have in getting an accurate, rational message out when we're surrounded by birthers and Tea Party lunatics?

I'm a non-Jew (ok, I'm a goy) who married into a big, mouth-kissing Jewish family more than 20 years ago. I confess I'm not thrilled when someone (say, a cousin-in-law) expects ME to kiss them on the lips (though I do it) but it bothers me not one whit that my husband kisses his mother on the lips. She's in her 80s...how much more time do you think she's got? You (who are but a 27 yo baby) would begrudge her--and him--those kisses? I kiss her on the lips, too, because I love her. The world is big and wide, with lots of strange and beautiful ways to show love and affection. You need to grow up.

No Springsteen fan could ever forget the total misread of "Born in the USA", a bitter, brilliant song Republicans have repeatedly mistaken as a nationalist anthem. Reminds me of years ago when I worked as an editor for a medical publisher. The theme they chose for their annual sales meeting was "____'s Future's So Bright, We Gotta Wear Shades" (playing off the Timbuk 3 song). Of course the original song is an acid commentary on Gen X materialism and apathy, but, ya know, whatever.

Am I the only one who thought he seemed as if he were "on" something? He was impatient, twitchy, almost reckless. His constant interruptions were rude and disrespectful and he was the consummate smug, condescending bastard...but there was also something bizarre in his manner that transcended being your basic asshole. Frankly, I didn't expect that from him. I'm no fan by any stretch (shudder) but he was worse than Sessions and that's saying something.

...although I will never stop thinking of myself as a Midwesterner. Truly, though, thanks to all of you who posted after me. I sometimes feel as if I'm losing my mind. I live in Augusta, the second largest city in Georgia, so it's not, strictly speaking, a backwater. And yet.... I have had to forcibly stop myself from reading the online comments at The Augusta Chronicle because it's demoralizing and frightening. Our Obama sign was stolen, as were 8-10 others I'm aware of, and I've been challenged on the highway because of my Obama sticker (I'm not paranoid....it was clearly an "I won't let you pass because I saw your sticker" situation because the guy made an "O" with his fingers, then flipped me the bird when he pulled even with me. My daughter, who is a student at Georgia Tech, counter-protested at the Atlanta Tea Party and was threatened...one rabid woman deliberately stomped on her flip-flop-clad foot. I don't mean to whine, but it's just very, very weird to me. Anyway, thank you for restoring my faith just a little. I met lots of good folks during the Obama campaign, but they are vastly outnumbered by the nutjobs.