"God Bless Jesse Helms

I doubt "God" -- if such exists -- would need your advice on the matter.

"After reading your article. I guess I just don't "get it". To be honest, your article was quite boring to me. I see it as a standard liberal attempt to divide and conquer the traditionalist, conservative mind set."

The "traditionalist, conservative mind set" being slavery?

". . . . My mother and father are from South America (yes, I'm "brown"). I'm from New York City. I went to Cornell. I served as an officer in the Army. I served in Iraq. Finally, I live in Alabama. And yet, I have more in common with the late Senator Helm's political philosophy than with your philosophy:"

I believe next to nothing of that rather predictable litany of requirements of CONFORMITY.

"1. I am pro-life. Roe v. Wade was an unjust usurpation of the Constitution."

You haven't the least idea about the Constitution in relation to (such as) Roe v. Wade. For one, we don't -- in the US -- confuse or substitute "religion" for RULE OF LAW. The Constitution itself prohibits "religious tests"; and the First Amendment REQUIRES "religion" and gov't to be and remain SEPARATE.

"2. I believe I have the right to self defense (yes, with a gun)"

A. You do have a right to self-defense -- BUT so does EVERYONE ELSE. In law that means the "right" of self-defense is not absolute; it is both regulated and LIMITED, and has been for at least centuries.

B. You are NOT allowed to use greater force than necessary in "self-defense". If, for example, a person broke into your home, you yelled, "I have a gun!" and that person TURNED AROUND AND RAN, you WOULD NOT have right to shoot that person IN THE BACK, because at the moment he turned around he CEASED being a threat against which to "defend".

C. The first draft of that which became the Second Amendment read, in full, as follows:

"The right of the people [PLURAL, as in "WE the PEOPLE"] to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed; a well armed, and well regulated militia being the best defense of a free country: but no person [INDIVIDUAL] religious scrupulous of [AGAINST] bearing arms, shall be compelled [INVOLUNTARY] to render military service [IN THE MILITIA] in person [INDIVIDUAL."

The latter phrase is the ONLY posited "individual right" debated by the framers as concerns that which became the Second Amendment. It was VOTED DOWN. That means the Second Amendment has NOTHING WHATEVER to do with "individual" ANYTHING. Nor does it "protect" whatever falls within its scope FROM the rule of law -- "rule of law" being REGULATION.

"3. I believe the Constitution to be inspired of God."

A false belief, and a substitute for the facts. READ the Constitution, in which is the PROHIBITION of "religious tests". READ the First Amendment, which prohibits gov't either SUPPORTING or OPPOSING "religion".

Your belief is, in short, based upon a bottomlessly profound ignorance not only of the actual contents of the Constitution, but also of the views of the Founders/Framers themselves. From, as example, Jefferson:

"Man will be free when the last monarch is hung with the entrails of the last priest."

"4. Oh, yeah, I believe in God."

So? Is that intended to make you special? Superior within a system of laws before which everyone is to be EQUAL?

"5. I believe communism to be a devilish, evil political philosophy designed to eslave men."

I KNOW that "religion" has been devilish and evil, and used to enslave -- and worse. I don't doubt Torquemada was motivated by "religion" to impose the depravity that is torture.

"6. I believe in Capitalism, Freedom, Liberty, and "the American Dream"."

You believe in myths -- corporate advertising slogans. Reread the article about the economics of the southern US during slavery -- and how that economics has persisted despite the abolition of slavery.

"7. I want you and your liberal friends as far away from my local and state politics as possible."

In other words, you are a bigot who would only allow illiterate America-Haters such as yourself to vote.

"8. I think gay marriage is morally wrong; worse, it should not be imposed by judicial fiat."

It isn't "imposed by judicial fiat" on anyone. So why are you worried about that which is none of YOUR business? It isn't like you are REQUIRED to marry someone of your own sex.

"9. I think immigration must be controlled for the good of the Country."

You're an immigrant. So grab yourself by the collar and throw yourself out of the country.

". . . . I must be a stark raving mad KKK member who came from the post civil war south; clinging to my guns and bible!"

Probably.

"But, I'm a minority ... from New York! Try to figure that out smarty pants!"

I don't buy half that you claim about yourself; and the other half I won't accept even for free. Perhaps someday you'll learn to think for yourself -- even though that terrifies you as being "liberal" -- instead of simply regurgitating mere beliefs which you adopted and repeat because you believe it is the safest view. But what do you do when you discover at least half your belief is false? Avoid the facts which prove it so -- labeling them "liberal" as you run from them in terror? Or do you grit your teeth, stand your ground in keeping with your professed manhood, and deal with the facts for what they are by giving up the falsehood?

"Try as you will, you cannot pigeon hole Americans who still believe in liberty from the tyranny of the state. . . ."

You all sound alike because you all repeat the same-second hand slogans and cliches, so can be pigeonholed as unthinking conformists more concerned with how others view you than with truth. Alas, that effort is through-and-through DECEIT -- violation of the Christian Commandment "Thou shalt not lie."

"-- cptlou Friday, July 11, 2008 05:24 PM"

Lind seems to be just as critical of liberals as he is of conservatives.

"I imagine Jesse is up in heaven"

You defame Heaven -- and discourage those of us who hoped to sneak in unnoticed.