Weblogic

You take the 10 Commandments out of schools and business and then you wonder why people lie,steal,and murder. We have banks and oil companies gouging the American public and you question why people are tired of being taken advantage of and are taking action themselves. You learn by example and the example has been corruption and deceit. I don't support this tactics but I understand the frustration that are causing these actions.

Hanging an effigy of a political opponent sounds like a juvenile stunt-although when one candidate is black it does have unsettling undertones. The young man pictured and involved in the murder plot is a lunatic---with access to high powered guns, which is unforgivable. Even though authorities say that they don't think that they had the planning capacity to pull off an assassination attempt, it appears from the picture that they had the firepower necessary to inflict heavy casualties. We have seen at Virginia Tech what one emotionally disturbed young person can do. Sure we have the right to bear arms, but what gives the average citizen the right to an assault rifle or automatic weapon? This is by no means a new problem caused by current political differences. Look at the infamous William Ayers, who used violence for political purposes years ago. There is no justification for this domestic terrorism, either now or in the past.

What can be done about "political" hatred? Age old question. Hatred and dirty tricks have been around for centuries. And now with 24/7 media it seems to be more than ever but it probably is just as it always has been. I find it curious though that hanging an effigy of Palin simply outrageous a few Republicans, while the perpetrator of that calls it "art", and hanging an effigy of Obama is charged as a crime. Neo-Nazi skinheads are nut jobs and we have been on the lookout for them in every election, so this is nothing new. The media has their own agenda as do the two parties and I am convinced those agendas really don't include all of us little people. We are just left holding the bag and paying the bill. I will say that Obama has had many opportunities to tone down the rhetoric and quite honestly I don't see him doing that. I don't want the leader of the free world to just tilt his head and nod knowingly, implying that what doesn't go his way is the same old racism. May work here but I suspect on the world stage it just won't have the same impact.

We have always been a country of volitile political discourse, but what has taken place in the last two decades shows a rend in our political fabric that rivals the political discussion that took place before our civil war. Between the biased media and the political chicanory going on in both parties, people feel helpless and that breeds anger.
We are a nation being besieged by special interest demanding their rights while stepping on the rights of others. Such a situation is ready made to create violence. Our children learn from us and sadly to say, we have failed them!

I believe Jay Leno said something like the above and I agree. We need more of God and less of us. I agree with Carrie and thank you Shirley D for being the voice of reason. This political race has turned into one of "race" and hate. The left think it's o.k. to smear White Christians and then we have total wackos trying to kill people and the blame is on us anyway. I saw a t-shirt once that said, "I am part of one race, the Human Race". I like it, wish we could all remember that.

Carrie is right, we've taken the 10 Commandments, prayer, and common sense out of schools and other public places. And then we wonder what happened. Duuuh!

Unfortunately, I think we're stuck with the media, which is really a crime. It isn't movies so much that create violence and hate, it's the media.

These neo-Nazis scare me silly. They have all this hate and anger and no brains. That is a dangerous package. Unfortunately, I have no idea what to do with them. Maybe find something in far northern Siberia?

And, unfortunately, hatred passes from parent to child all down the line. It has to stop somewhere. We are all part of, as Tracee says, one race, the Human Race. Too bad more people don't act like it.

Tracee, I like the message of the tee shirt as well, but unfortunately you added some bias to what would have otherwise been a good message. To say "The left think it's o.k. to smear White Christians and then we have total wackos trying to kill people and the blame is on us anyway" suggests that everyone voting for Obama believes that. I hear "Barack Hussein Obama", etc., etc. being spewed by radical right talk radio everyday, but I don't believe that every McCain supporter thinks that way. Clearly there are extremes on both sides, and both candidates have missed opportunities to tone down the rhetoric.

Claude, I agree with you. I could never understand the defense of those (neo Nazis, KKK, etc) who use the first amendment to intimidate and threaten the health, safety and well-being of others. All of it is vile, but given our tragic history of enslaving (including lynching) African Americans, these acts are particularly heinous and threaten all levels of our society. The 24/7 media has brought greater attention to all of it, but I really don't recall the need to be on the lookout for the neo-nazis in every previous election.

On numerous occasions here I have stated my preference for Obama, in spite of my appreciation for John McCain. Whoever becomes our next President will have my support and prayers to help rebuild this country to be the land of hope and opportunity for all.

If we all could think of ourselves as members of the human race, the world would be so much better. I wish that all candidates would speak about bringing us all together as members of the human race. I do think that we lead by example and I think that all the candidates need to look at themselves and the lives they have led. No one is perfect, but all of the candidates need to look at what they have done to exemplify kindness to others of the human race. When I listen to some of the candidates, I see hatred in their faces and I hear hatred in their words. It's as though one candidate says, "How dare that person have the audacity to run for president"? We need to move on from people who feel entitled to their positions because of who they think they are. We all all Americans and we should all be our brothers' keepers. In listening to John McCain speak at this very moment, he shows such anger and hatred in his voice. As a supporter this worries me and makes me rethink my position. People who proclaim to be Christians and show otherwise should take another look at themselves.

does speak with anger and hatred, and all his ads are attack ads. While it disgusts many people, it puts the hate in some people. Obama speaks without hatred, and most of his ads are all about him, what he will do. He certainly has more class than McCain and Palin, he comes off more likable. But we will always have Racism. It is the ignorance of our Society. We can only hope parents try to raise their children right, but these kids have their own minds, we cannot blame the parents.
The neo-Nazi skinheads are now "sorry" but they are just not right in the head, their intentions cannot be tolerated, they should be locked up and removed from society.
I heard on the radio that they found a black bear shot to death and wrapped in Obama banners and tossed somewhere. That is disgusting. I feel bad for the bear! Really, what does that prove, I can only hope Karma makes its way back to these pieces of crap who walk among us. They don't belong in society.
Tracee I do like the T-Shirt statement, I believe we are all Gods children, but I don't see how you can say Shirley D is the "voice of Reason". She clearly is one way to say that Obama doesnt do anything to tone down the rhetori and is implying racism when things don't go his way. Where? When? Simply Untrue. He has never played the race card. However at McCains Rally's people are screaming out the word "Terrorist", and Palin obviously loves it, the pause, the smirky smile.. She shows how much she actually enjoys it! It gives the wrong message, it says the hatred is okay. I give McCain some credit for looking disgusted and correcting the "Crazy McCain Rally Lady" when she said Obama scares her because he is an Arab.
While I believe the hanging dolls are not hurting anyone they certainly are in poor taste. It just causes more people to get stirred up!
CJG - regarding the Media, it doesnt spread hatred, it reports on whats going on and I for one want to know what is going on. What would you rather they didn't report anything bad, or try to candy coat it?

You are showing us a live demo of our political delemma.

Mimi-

If the press is unable or unwilling to vet Senator Obama, then really it's up to his opponent Senator McCain.

Senator Obama's attack ads are actually the nightly news.

The only racist statements have been from the Obama camp. Didn't anyone else hear the warnings from Obama that the Republicans would use race (which they haven't) and say things like he doesn't look like the people on the money or have we noticed that he is black. Then there was the "Reverend" Wright with his racism. How Mimi can say the Media only reports what's going on with the bias the media has shown is amazing? With as much as 80% more coverage for Obama and all of that positive, the media hasn't been much of a source for what is really going on. The tingle down Chris Matthew's leg doesn't seem to be a real solid evaluation. I haven't heard Obama or Biden asked a real question by most of the media yet. Biden's gaffes are ignored. Obama's plans to make everything fair and take more from those who have earned it and give it to those who haven't and rewrite the constitution aren't addressed either. Personally, I am terrified of what is going to happen to our country.

The citizens of the US need to remember the old saying;
"Learn to disagree without being disagreeable"!

After 9/11 this country to me never appeared more united.How sad it so quickly went to being the most divided I've ever witnessed.

Devisiveness escalates the issue.Peggy Noonan spoke of the dangers of creating an atmosphere of "you against me" in politics. The so called we're ..."real Americans" , saying things like : "where real Americans live " ,"real Americans love their country", "real Americans support the war", " real Americans want victory", "real Americans etc. etc...." you get the picture. It creates a hostile environment that grows more hostile with each implication of " it's US against THEM "." Us against Them" mentality breeds violence and hatred and a lack of understanding or caring about the other person/persons.

Yes if everyone lived by the 10 Commandments there would be no need to even have this conversation and yet how many of us have not lived by them in the very statements made here? How many even know them?

Unfortunately I saw an interview of a senator that was trying to get the 10 Commandments posted outside a court building, he was on a mission, he was fighting the hard fight and yet when he was asked to name the 10 Commandments the best he could do was name a few.Sometimes people don't even know what they are fighting for.

Hate also comes from fear. I loved what C. Powell said when he talked about the lady at the McCain rally who said "he's an Arab"...he went on to say "what is wrong with being an Arab in this country?" and told the story of the mother crying at her son's grave at Arlington Memorial who died in Iraq fighting for this country,and who was raised in this country...his head stone did not have a Cross or the Star of David but that of a Muslim.

We have to stop this "US against THEM" mentality and begin thinking of ONE UNITED AMERICA.

After 9/11 this country to me never appeared more united.How sad it so quickly went to being the most divided I've ever witnessed.

Devisiveness escalates the issue.Peggy Noonan spoke of the dangers of creating an atmosphere of "you against me" in politics. The so called we're ..."real Americans" , saying things like : "where real Americans live " ,"real Americans love their country", "real Americans support the war", " real Americans want victory", "real Americans etc. etc...." you get the picture. It creates a hostile environment that grows more hostile with each implication of " it's US against THEM "." Us against Them" mentality breeds violence and hatred and a lack of understanding or caring about the other person/persons.

Yes if everyone lived by the 10 Commandments there would be no need to even have this conversation and yet how many of us have not lived by them in the very statements made here? How many even know them?

Unfortunately I saw an interview of a senator that was trying to get the 10 Commandments posted outside a court building, he was on a mission, he was fighting the hard fight and yet when he was asked to name the 10 Commandments the best he could do was name a few.Sometimes people don't even know what they are fighting for.

Hate also comes from fear. I loved what C. Powell said when he talked about the lady at the McCain rally who said "he's an Arab"...he went on to say "what is wrong with being an Arab in this country?" and told the story of the mother crying at her son's grave at Arlington Memorial who died in Iraq fighting for this country,and who was raised in this country...his head stone did not have a Cross or the Star of David but that of a Muslim.

We have to stop this "US against THEM" mentality and begin thinking of ONE UNITED AMERICA.

Sherrie, please show me where Obama plans to "take more from those who have earned it and give it to those who haven't". I'm solidly middle class and I will get some much-needed tax relief under Obama -- haven't I earned it? My husband and I both work full time jobs -- I challenge you to tell me that I don't earn what I work so hard for.

Claude's apt commentary about Mimi showing showing a live demo of our political dilemma could refer to you as well. Ironic that you cannot see it.

Two times in agreement! There is hope!

I guess I will start with Carrie. You are so right about the negative behaviors; lying, stealing, murder. They are a direct result of having removed the "RULES" for living a good and moral life. Our children have been watching us, as Claude said, and we have failed them. Having worked with juveniles(my husband and I both over 29 years) we have seen the moral decay and lack of a conscience.They have no reference for right or wrong because our "leaders" preach one thing and do another. And it is becoming harder for those of us who understand the difference between right and wrong to go on expecting change, when we see those acting inapproprately more often than not being rewarded, or NO punishment given.
I started my voting history as an independent, but have gone more to the Republican(or should I say conservative) way of thinking, though I don't totally agree with the stand they have taken on all of the issues. McCain was not my first choice, but will be my choice. At least I feel his character is not one of lying and distorting the facts/truth. As I have told the children I worked with for many years, you are who you associate yourself with. If you don't want people to think badly of you, then don't put youself in the position/situation to have them think it.

I have thought a lot about this question. It is my mission in life to find this very answer. The intro paragraph reminded me of two things. One recent episode of the Bill Moyers Journal "Rage on the Radio." It's online if you want to listen. Moyers is liberal but I think the message is relevant to everyone. The other thing is Deborah Tannen's book "The Argument Culture."

Why is there hatefulness in politics? Because we, the people, tolerate it and I think on some level like it, or we wouldn't settle for what we have been given. It wouldn't work. If we refused to watch the ads, if we refused to cheer when "our guy" slams the other guy, if each utterance of hatefulness detracted from the candidate's rating, they wouldn't do it.

What is really required is a willingness to have a higher level of discourse. In order to have that we have to be educated and that requires serious time and work. Most of the issues we fight about are complicated and can't be reduced to simple one fix all policies, as politicians try to lead us to believe, but we let ourselves get sucked in.

My opinion is that this can only be fixed in schools in critical thinking and debate courses, much like what lawyers do. Most of us, I believe, are somewhere in the middle, reasonable, thinking, intelligent people who are willing to compromise and see the other side. (The rest of people on the fringe on either side should get less air time (some air time, but less) if you ask me.)

Most of us want the same thing, we just think that there are different paths to get there. In my ideal perfect world, we would have bipartisan think tanks that would evaluate all the evidence, all the history of everything we've tried, everything we understand about human nature and psychology and we would figure out what works and what doesn't instead of sticking so damned determinedly to ideology and dogma. I want to throw out beliefs about what works (for example, tax cuts, more taxes) and figure out what actually is the truth according to our existing evidence, always to be reevaluated objectively. Certainly, some issues are based on our values solely, but these too, I believe we can navigate better when we respect and understand the other position.

George Lakoff (yes, another liberal) has written some good books about how politicians use language to manipulate us and frame issues. In the end, we have to realize how each of us operates in frames, be willing to examine our own frames, be honest about our own contradictions, and our own stubbornness. We have to be willing to look in the mirror first and open our minds. We need to demand better, a higher level, from the political discourse.

Labels are great ways to generalize and identify ourselves, but they are also easy ways to dehumanize others and are seldom helpful. We have to be willing to throw out the labels in favor of discussing schools of thought and supporting evidence on both sides. But that requires work. Regurgitating what we have been told to believe is easier, so we just have to be willing to do the hard work.

Wow! This is amazing! You don't realize that Hatred is the gift that keeps on giving? What interviews of the candidates are you watching?!? John McCain and Sarah Palin have changed their positions on issues so often since they joined forces, it is unbelievable! God forbid people should take the time to learn what the truth is...it is profoundly tragic that racism is still so prevalent in our amazing country...that people make it so easy for McCain/Palin to continue treating us like we are stupid...and stirring up the hate. Then they deny everything, even when they are caught...they openly and repeatedly lie, and are never made accountable for anything...oh that's right, you are the same people that voted for Bush twice...you liked him lying to you, too...do you like the mess you have made? You can't blame anyone but yourself. Do you like the hatred they keep spreading? The lies they keep fostering? Remember, this hatred you are empowering...and the lies you keep reinforcing at home are the legacy you are leaving your children. Hatred...the gift that keeps on giving.

Palin hanging by a noose is a political statement, and I believe how most people feel about her. John McCain even cringes when she speaks. However, he is far from a peach himself. As much as these two persons are disliked when it comes to real Hatred and there is no worse hatred than white against black. Obamas life threatened is and will be a serious issue. I can only hope to God he lives to prove himself and bring greatest to Americans, then just maybe the Hatred will somewhat diminish.

Yes Sykiki, and the good rev Wright could teach hatred 101. If he falters we can bring in the good father Plaaager or what ever his name is.
Both George Bush and John Maccain have their down sides, but racism is not one of them. To make such claims in the face of the truth is dishonest and only
adds to the animosity going on in this political dialogue.
Rocky, I doubt very much that most Americans hate Sarah Palin. She draws cheering crowds where ever she goes.
People like her and the more she gets attacked by statements like yours, the more votes the democratic ticket looses. Keep up the good work!

Well said Katie!

and loosing votes has nothing to do with opinions on a blog. However, the the negative/false attack ads on TV all directed at Obama has certainly cost the Republican ticket.

Like I told Katie, maybe there is hope for peace in the Middle East! The lion will lie down with the lamb, and hopefully not for lunch!

Sounds great, and don't worry, I don't eat lamb!

I am not sure I understand that term. I know it means to some that they have been treated unfairly? I agree in some instances that has happened. But I believe that the most grevious of those issues has been over for many, many years. I believe that today too many people used that word as an excuse, to make themselves into victums. Oh, poor me. I have not been treated fairly in this issue. I have not been GIVEN....XYZ. I am tired of the pity parties. I have never been given anything in my life. I have fought and worked for whatever I have(which in comparison to what others seem to have), isn't grand on any scale. But the pride I feel in knowing my self worth in the things that I have accomplished, can never be taken away from me. And, further more could never have been GIVEN to me. So buck up! Stop looking for handouts. If you think that by electing Obama(and the liberal agenda), and taking from one and giving to another will FIX anything, you need to take off the rose colored glasses. Take about HATE. Talk about RACISM. Talk about ANGER. That will only perpetuate the ills that is are being used to divid us as people(black vs white, rich vs poor), and as a country. Remember: United we stand, Divided we fall. We must let go of and forgive and forget the deeds which have caused us hurt. But we must also never forget that the lesson to be learned was there.

As much that has been done about hatred of the other races and everything I don't think we can make it any better than it is now and tells me this country is going to hell and quite quickly as far as the bible tells me anyhow.

Sherrie now who would have thought that I'd know about a 3 night series interview (question/attack) O'Reilly did with Obama and yet you wouldn't.

Claude there is so much hostility in the McCain campaign with Palin that THEY'VE resorted to calling her names, and they are supposed to be supporting her. These are the people who know her much better than I'm assuming you do. Boy and that's only after being with her for a couple of weeks.

It is only due to Commom Sense that Biden is also getting a thrashing behind the curtain in Obama's campaign! Compared to Palin, he is like a loose cannon.
If Palin made as many gaffes, the news media would live in her kictchen.
The Maccain people have mis-handled Palin and she is beginning to show her frustration. Everyone says they want something new, then when it comes along they react with horror!
Palin is something fresh and new. The fact that she doesn't know all the Washington "politically correct" speak, ia Bush Doctrine, etc, sets better with me than all the pompas rhetoric tossed out by Obama! She is not going away, so liberals be warned!!

Oh, we know how mavericky Palin is. We know she isn't going away. We duly tremble in fear. :-)

Why cant us citizens just get along and respect the world's leaders. I see alot of disrespect for Obama. Give him a chance, give peace a chance! Stop the hatred. God created us all. No one is better than anyone. We all have the same body make up except for our colors. Someway or another we are all connected. Our ancestors could have been of mixed nationalities. Better yet, our heavenly father was a jew! You are here because he gave you life!!!!! Do you want to shoot him too? Love one another.

I SURELY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHERE THESE KIDS GET HIGH POWERED WEAPONS. YOU AND I GO WEAPON SHOPPING, WHERE? THE HUNTING STORES. THERE IS NO WEAPONS SUPHISTICATED LIKE THE ONE ON THIS PICTURE THERE. THIS IS A LEAK AND INSIDE JOB, SETTING UP KIDS AND YOUNG ADULT WHO ARE MENTALLY INSANE OR VIOLANT TENDENCIES. I WAS LISTENING TO MY THREE YEAR OLD GRANS SONS CD HE WAS PLAYING ON THE VIDEO.. THIRD SONG CLEARLY STATED THAT WHEN HEROIN AND COCKAIN IS NOT FOR KIDS.. JUST TO PUT THAT LANGUAGE FRONT OF THE CHILD INPLANTS SOMETHING IN HIS BRAIN.. IT IS EVERYWHERE. IMPLANT ON A DAILY BASIS OF HYPNOTIC SUGGESTIONS. I HAVE NOT WATCHED TV IN TWO + YRS FOR THIS REASON. KEEP MY THINKING GENUINE.