Ok, I feel I'm as good an American as there is out there. I'm a decorated veteran of a foreign war and I've been on staff for the Great State of California in better than good standing for quite a long while now. I serve on juries and I've paid more than my fair share of taxes over the years, so why shouldn't I be considered a good American citizen in today's political climate? The answer is that, according to the right-wing pundits who so proliferate across cable and the airwaves these days, and to their slightly confused and usually misguided followers, I should be branded a “traitor” simply because I oppose the BushLeague Administration's ill-conceived and increasingly disastrous occupation of Iraq. Since we Americans are far too stupid to figure out The Way Of The World for ourselves, the vocal right has generously provided us with a checklist of people, groups and countries we're required to revile in order to be considered good patriots. We're supposed to hate these entities not only because of their opposition to this nightmarish debacle, but because they've committed the very real crime of agreeing with me. Among the most notable examples of this paranoid witch hunt may be the “Boycott Hollywood” movement. This ill-conceived groundswell seeks to extend its prejudicial grasp not only across the movie industry, (indeed, Joseph McCarthy is being hailed once again as the Great Hero) but to any and all members of any branch of the entertainment industry whose perceived conduct falls within their nefarious guidelines. Not surprisingly, most of the accused are people who are having a hard time finding any real freedom in this so-called “Operation Iraqi Freedom”. Not only are we supposed to shun any movies peopled by the likes of Sean Penn, Tim Robbins (better stay away from Mystic River, by all accounts the best movie of the year, but so what? (Jeezus! Kevin Bacon's in it too!)), Susan Sarandon et al, but we're supposed to ignore the great Dixie Chicks! How stupid is that?!!! !!COLD DAY IN HELL ALERT!! As a vet and as a human being, I feel the beautiful story, the feeling and the emotion from the Chicks' “Traveling Soldier” resonating through me every time I hear it, but I guess I'm not supposed to listen to this wonderful song any more since the Chicks had the nerve to speak out against the insanity. And by the same token, in all fairness I guess I should never again watch Ben-Hur, one of my all time favorite movies, because I don't happen to agree with Charlton Heston's political views. Fair's fair, right? See what I'm saying? Absurdities abound! And don't get me started about countries. Lets see, we're supposed to hate the Canadians, the French and the Germans among others because their governments don't happen to believe that blowing away people and infrastructures en masse, not to mention sacrificing the lives and limbs of our young people, is a great way to fight Evil? Not on my watch, not in my lifetime!

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These are people I keep an eye on for good reason:







Member of:


I have quite a bit of GIMP art in my gallery at the GIMP User Group. [link]