BJean

Green: I wish my only infraction here had been the use of one silly word. In spite of all of its' negativity, this thread has been a learning experience. So I'm not sorry I participated. I hope we've all learned a thing or two. I also hope no one was so turned off that they decide not to participate on other threads. I think that Rants and Raves isn't a place where the majority of people are comfortable but I think that many of the people it appeals to are bright and thoughtful people. I am happy to have made the acquaintance of each and every one of them.

Smart Green! enterprise: Yes, it's a huge problem. Both my sister and my mother went through the cancer treatment/insurance system and it's not anything one should ever have to deal with. Unfortunately the problem with government intervention can pretty much be summed up with one word: lobbyists.

I get up, check the new posts... read a while and then get juiced up and start adding my two cents. The next thing I know it's time to scare up some supper for the DH and I don't know where the day went!!

I see your point. And another plus is that we don't have to watch the food commercials on TV while we're entertaining ourselves here.

Without government intervention how are you going to regulate the insurance companies and drug manufacturers? Of course you're right about that too... WITH government intervention how are we going to regulate insurance companies and drug manufacturers? They've got us by the ovaries and they just keep squeezing.

ralheit: Very well said!

Green: When I worked with attorneys years ago I was told by one of them that since I was single, I should buy me a few things before I got married. Like cars, silver, furniture, clothing, whatever my little heart desired. Then he would, like a good little attorney, help me declare bankruptcy. I would have all my stuff, my new husband's name, and we could live happily ever after. He forgot to mention cosmetic surgery. Revolting, a?

May family thinks I need intervention. Everytime one of them comes into my office and sees my computer it's open to LBT, usually Rants & Raves. I started out taking in just one thread at a time. It seemed harmless enough. I found it fascinating. It was wonderful at first, reading people's thoughts and ideas. Once I mustered the courage to post openly, it felt so good to be able to state my thoughts and feelings in such an open forum. I got a kind of high from it even though my other work suffered. I vowed over and over to always be a nice, kind person, but when someone disagreed with me and threw angry barbs at me, it hurt. I found myself throwing barbs back even though I knew the futility and ugliness of it. But no matter the pain, being able to say what I thought felt too good. I NEEDED the posters high! I'm hooked. I don't know how to reverse the damage and keep from incurring an even deeper addiction. I've seen what addiction can do to some posters. They're posting on every interesting site! They must be surgically glued to their office chairs. How do they manage to take it all in and continue to have a normal life? Help me man. I don't know how to quit you!

Well maybe just teensy weensy opposites, missy. Seriously... it is so very upsetting to have someone call you unpatriotic or unChristian. It does make me want to vomit. Spew chunks. Hurl. Lose my lunch. Say bad things... And I have to agree this horse was dead many pages ago, wavydaby!

Thanks ya'll. I appreciate the feedback.

missyGordon: My sentiments exactly!!

Ron if Hitler were president of the United States today, would you still be saying I'm unpatriotic because I said he's a bad man? Well as far as I'm concerned, this president is a bad man. If you think that I should support him just because he was elected, you have another think coming. I believe that they rigged the first election so don't even talk to me about that. Because I can get REALLY mad about all of the disenfranchised voters in that election. Furthermore, you were probably one of the first people to do all you could to put down Bill Clinton while he was president and for all of his warts, he's twice the man that G. W. Bush is. Actually, Bush isn't even in the same league as a person. If that causes you to throw the word un-patriotic at me, you look like the fool you've worked so hard to prove yourself to be. Good for you, TommyO, you made a great point with your post!

Oh gosh Lisa. My heart goes out to you. I hope you're able to find your FIL a good place very quickly. My MIL was recently dropped, TWICE, at the nursing facility she's in for rehab from a stroke. Fortunately she is able to communicate normally or we probably would have never known it happened and known to have her checked out for injuries.

The thing I can never, ever understand is why learning, expanding and growing into a better person - perhaps even a better Christian - is a bad thing. My ex used to go crazy if anyone, however innocently, questioned anything written in the Bible or spoken from his church's pulpit. Blasphemey is one of his buzz words. How ignorant do you have to be to allow yourself to be that brainwashed, that indoctrinated? In his case, pretty darned ignorant!

Lisa, when I was thanking everyone I forgot to thank you! You've been a little quiet the past day or so and I forgot how much your posts have meant to me. You seem to be such a darling, loving, sensible person. I wish I were as level-headed and sweet as you seem to be. Yana: The majority of the people posting here do not agree with the people-bashing, finger-pointing, haughty, condescending, preachey posts of one or two of the other people here. That the president of the United States agrees with some of what they have said is an embarrassment to many, many Americans. We are a country that is struggling to find our way right now. We will hopefully return to standing for what most Americans believe in: love, peace, prosperity and sharing.

Thank you, Ron. That was mighty civil of you.

Carlene: It seems that some conservative Christians are not so interested in the part of the Bible that speaks to peace, love and tolerance. They are far more interested in interpreting the Bible so that they can argue their extreme views that give them the right (or "mission") to spew hell, fire and brimstone, and cast doubt on anyone who doesn't parrot their beliefs. They are a scary lot.

Which side of the bed did you get up on today, Ron? Accusations? I wasn't making accusations. Straighten out your nightie. You'll feel better.

Seems Yana has ruffled some feathers this morning. Refreshing. ousooner: I certainly didnt assume that TOM was referring to the people in this era as ignorant. That "context" thing can sure get us messed up sometimes, can't it?

Oh pardon me Ron. You didn't say that the Bible proves that the Bible is a literal document? You only said that the Bible interprets the Bible. Yes, I do recall you saying that part, for sure. You talked about proof so much I must have somehow mixed it all up. So you are the source of the backup for arguing that the Bible should be taken literally. So you are stating opinion that the words are to be understood as they are written, literally. I guess I have been misunderstanding you all along. You've insisted that everyone else somehow back up their opinions but if your only back up for the lengthy ad naseum argument that the Bible is to be interpreted literally is just your opinion, I have obviously misunderstood much of what you've been arguing.

TOM: What you just posted makes sense to me about Ron's motives. Why else would this drone on for so long and why else would he keep insisting that the only way to heaven is through acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Savior. The more I learn about the right wing extremists, the more I fear them. When I was a young girl I knew that they were frightening people and I shied away from them. When I married a man who turned out to have that extremist inner core, I could not live with him, or respect him. Participating in this thread has helped me to understand better why I have always had such frustration and dislike for the right wingers who are the very poster children for hypocrisy and discrimination. Learning so much about myself and others makes me feel less guilty for sitting in my office for so many hours participating in all of this. And TOM I owe you my thanks and that of several others, Wheetsin, laurend, gadgetlady, Carlene, wavydaby and especially this morning of Yana, and even crazy ole Ron, for helping me sort out a lot of things through this thread.

Tom: I'm rather new at this, as you probably can imagine. What do these last two posts mean to accomplish? Selling drugs?

laurend: I want to clarify... I wasn't good griefing you!

Nytol. I'm afraid this is all too deep (pardon the pun) for me this late in the day.

Oh good grief.