Here's a warm and fuzzy story

[Lulu76]

I changed my mind. I really am done.

Go watch some more Fox News.

[Xislandgirl]

Soxfan-
I know who I am, I am the one that sent you a PM and said that you were annoying and I stand by that comment. Your constant hammering of your beliefs is annoying to me. There, I said it on the board.

It has nothing to do with the substance but everything to do with the tone.

Internet Tone is a tricky thing. The Poster means one thing and the Reader understands it differently. While you may not have meant to sound like a pompous know it all, that is how I , and I suspect many others, interpreted your words.

If there are people that support your position, I think it is a shame that they have not come to your defense. Perhaps they support your opinions but not your tone.

On that note, I will not revisit this post. I will not read it nor will I respond. I feel as if I have wasted far too much time letting myself get annoyed by an internet poster.

I will vote with my mind and my heart next month and I know that you will as well. Isn't it great that we can do that? I think that is something that we both agree on.

Xislandgirl, Out!

[soxfan22]

I changed my mind. I really am done.

Go watch some more Fox News.

I do watch Fox news. Me and millions of others.

But I also watch Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews. I have listened to Al Franken on Air America (before they went bankrupt and before my Sirius subscription ran out)...I also watch Anderson Cooper, Lou Dobbs, and yes, I have even turned on Rachel Maddow.

I even watched Larry King interview Ahkmadinejad (that is spelled wrong, I know). I thought it was preposterous to give that man a forum - but whatever.

I used to llisten to Ed Schultz, and even Lynn Samuels. I thought she was borderline crazy but entertaining, nonetheless.

Please don't insult my intelligence. It is one of the biggest generalizations you can make to say that conservatives only watch Fox News. It is also sad that that is the only channel that Liberals themselves can say that we watch.

Nobody ever "accuses" us of watching ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, reading the NYT's or LAT's, etc...Why is that??? Could it be that they are over the top liberal?

[Lulu76]

I'm so glad you got your e-mail with your "liberal media" talking points! Good for you.

Here's my talking point (as someone who has these little $40,000 pieces of paper on her wall that says she is both a journalist and a political scientist): It's not so much that the rest of the media are liberal, it's that Fox news is so far to the right that everyone who is truly "fair and balanced" look liberal.

I watch, listen and read all kinds of media everyday, and there is no liberal bias. I keep waiting for it, yet it never appears.

I really am done. I was trying to be funny, but all it did was inspire yet another right-wing rant. I just can't do it anymore. Not because you disagree with me, but because you're so damn indignant about it.

I just wanted to take a second to defend my profession, since we seem to get raked over the coals on a daily basis. I don't cover political news these days (I'm in health care currently.), but when I did no one could've ever told how I voted by reading one of my stories...

[soxfan22]

I watch, listen and read all kinds of media everyday, and there is no liberal bias. I keep waiting for it, yet it never appears.

Let me see...The NYT's allowing an ad that reads "General Betray-us". No, not liberal.

Katie Couric totally overlooking Biden's quote about FDR being president during the Depression, and getting on TV (maybe it's because she didn't kow either that FDR wasn't President then). Yet asking Palin which publications she reads?

This is a conversation that isn't worth having. There is no doubt that there is a liberal bias in the media.

When Hillary Clinton (God, do I so miss her! That's how much Obama scares me - I was all about the "Stop Hillary Express"...File that in the category "watch out what you wish for"...At least I know she loves her country!) says that "Fox news gave the most FAIR coverage of the Dem primaries...". There is something wrong.

[soxfan22]

It's not so much that the rest of the media are liberal, it's that Fox news is so far to the right that everyone who is truly "fair and balanced" look liberal.

Also...Hannity and Colmes does have a liberal on board (that would be Colmes). I would not consider O'Reilly a "far right-winger". In fact, I don't know what he is, and frankly, I'm not sure he does either. And, if he were a "Far right-winger", do you honestly think that Obama would've gone on his show a few weeks ago?

Would Bill Clinton have gone on with Greta a few weeks ago (when he said Dems should've listened to Repubs when they called for Fannie/Freddie reform) if she were "far right wing"? Now sure, Fox is a conservative outfit - but they have plenty of folks who are not ideologically driven to balance things out.

On the flip side...Who is there at MSNBC to represent the conservatives? Pat Buchanan? Okay, he's a contributor, not a host.

Who are the conservatives at any of these other organizations???

Can you name me five? Even three? Lets start with one.

[soxfan22]

Soxfan-
I will vote with my mind and my heart next month and I know that you will as well. Isn't it great that we can do that? I think that is something that we both agree on.

Xislandgirl, Out!

Absolutely! All the best to you and your family!

[Teresa_Rae]

Soxfan-

If there are people that support your position, I think it is a shame that they have not come to your defense. Perhaps they support your opinions but not your tone.

There are many people who support his position(s), and I am one of them. So apparently shame on me for not defending Soxfan more. To be quite frank, I just don't have the energy for it right now. I have a tremendous amount of stress in my personal life because of the economy and I didn't need more by getting entangled here. I get emotionally involved and hurt when people aren't nice, and I had my feelings hurt by three people here regarding politics so I've mostly stayed away from posting on such matters. I guess I just don't have a thick enough skin for online debate when it means getting personally attacked, but I'm glad that Soxfan does. He's hasn't been treated with much mercy here, so just ask yourself what your tone would be if the tables were turned and you were attacked the way he has been.

There have been a lot of posts that went something like "nobody is going to change anyone's mind so why bother debating"...well 13 years ago I convinced a pregnant teenager that adoption was a loving option and I saved a baby's life, so yeah, I do think it is important to have these kinds of conversations.

[cypressgirl]

Thanks Terese, for saving that precious life. God bless you! And thanks for taking up for us conservatives. I don't know why so many are so afraid to speak up.

[Pete (Mr. Marcia)]

I'm just glad that the young lady had the right to make a choice. I'm not going to get up on a soapbox about which choice she made...that's up to her. And, that's what it should be about.

[linne]

Hi Soxfan!

Thank you for answering me. I really hope you will visit us in Europe one day.
If you try to be open minded and without preconceived ideas, you perhaps will find that Europe isn’t so bad. I have been in France, I’m not a special France lover, love Spain more, but again - it isn’t so bad in France. Yes, they have some problems with the Muslims, so have we in Denmark, but we are living peacefully with most of them.

Sometimes people here are talking condescendingly about the healthcare system in USA - that it’s for the rich people, and the poor people can risk not to be treated. I will not discuss, because I know too little about it, and some of the people who say it, also know too little. But I need to say that when I see the high taxes, we pay here in DK, it always comforts me that lack of money or insurance never prevent a person to be treated in a hospital. It’s free. And it’s free to visit a doctor. And the government pays a part of your medicine. Our health system isn’t perfect, but where do you find a perfect health system? Which country can afford to pay for all what people want? New treatments are found all the time and cost a lot of money.

For some of the money we earn, we pay 60% in tax. But it comforts me that it’s free for everyone to go to school or to the university. In some schools you have to pay for the books, but most places they are free too. And the students are able to pay the books because of the money they receive from the government every month during their studies!! And if that’s not enough it’s possible to have a loan! I like this system! Lack of money doesn’t prevent anyone to take an education. Do you think it’s a bad system?

Now you perhaps think I’m a socialist. But I’m not. You can characterize me as one in the middle!

And that will be my last word in this topic! It's too long now, and I'm not sure anyone have changed their mind.

Give your Ella Rose a kiss and enjoy her. I have just returned from a short visit at my grandchildren. Nothing is better to have you to forget financial crisis etc. than to be together with lovely children. Just now when I write about them I already miss them.

Linne

[soxfan22]

Hi Soxfan!

Thank you for answering me. I really hope you will visit us in Europe one day.
If you try to be open minded and without preconceived ideas, you perhaps will find that Europe isn’t so bad. I have been in France, I’m not a special France lover, love Spain more, but again - it isn’t so bad in France. Yes, they have some problems with the Muslims, so have we in Denmark, but we are living peacefully with most of them. Linne

Hi Linne - Thank you for writin such an eloquent post! Please don't feel as though you need to defend your way of life to me. I look at many of the socioeconomic statistics for Europe, and I see that Denmark has, I believe, the third lowest unemployment rate in the world...Something is working there!!!

Also, I have no doubts that the European people are beautiful people who value the same things we do here...Freedom, Liberty, Family, Patriotism, and a belief in something bigger and more important than yourself (whatever that may be).

However, I think we get into trouble when we say that an economic system that works for you would work here...I think we would be comparing apples to oranges.

Sometimes people here are talking condescendingly about the healthcare system in USA - that it’s for the rich people, and the poor people can risk not to be treated.

Contrary to popular belief, nobody in our country can be denied emergency care in a hospital emergency room. That includes illegal aliens. Now, I know people will say that that does nothing to promote preventative health...We do have Medicare, Medicaid, state run insurances (Like HUSKY here in CT) that aid the poor, etc. We are not an incompassionate country.

when I see the high taxes, we pay here in DK, it always comforts me that lack of money or insurance never prevent a person to be treated in a hospital.

Again, nobody here can legally be denied treatment in and emergency room - including illegals.

It’s free. And it’s free to visit a doctor.

I would argue that it's not free. You mentioned that 60% of your income goes to taxes. That is not free.

New treatments are found all the time and cost a lot of money.

Correct, new treatments are found all the time. Name me one that has been discovered by a federal government in the last 50 years? Like everything in this world, it is the private enterprise system that is responsible for the earth-shattering advancements.

It's like oil...The federal government takes more in taxes from ExxonMobil than they make in profits - yet they do not do any exploration, drilling, refining, shipping, etc of any oil...Nor does the federal government do anything to invent new sources of energy...Other than the tax credit they may give here and there. To me, that is robbery. Government is not set up to solve problems, and we shouldn't expect it to.

For some of the money we earn, we pay 60% in tax. But it comforts me that it’s free for everyone to go to school or to the university.

What if someone doesn't want to go to school? Then that person has paid those taxes that they never received any benefit from. There are millions of great jobs that do not require a college education as a prerequisite.

[toes in the sand]

While I am not going to get into a debate about which candidate has the most checkered past or if Katie Couric has a crush on either of the presidential candidates, I will point out that both sides (are there only two sides?) of this "debate" seem to be passionate that if the "other guy" gets into office that terrible things will happen to our society.

I was too young to remember Eisenhower and can only remember JFK from what the history books say but I have been witness to LBJ's war and great society, that gave way to Richard Nixon. His Watergate begat Jimmy Carter, his gas and hostage crisis gave us Ronald Reagan. Perhaps his leadership was influential on the election of George I, No new taxes and the failure to complete Desert Storm led us to 8 years of dont ask dont tell. Now we have George II. If dissatisfaction with his leadership gives us Barack Obama we will survive. If John McCain is able to convince the public that he is not George III we will survive. No president has been able to bring down this country yet although some have laid some substantial groundwork.

What I do find disturbing is that politicians and media have found a way to polarize neighbors who have basically the same desires and visions for our future. How is that? Are we that naive to think that only the person at the top is responsible for all of our problems? Can we not see that it has taken centuries for our country to be this screwed up and also this great? Are dumb enough to think that either of these candidates are going to be able to deliver on 50% of their campaign promises? 30%? Do you think that they are naive enough to actually believe some the promises that they are making?

For what it's worth here is my opinion;
Hawksnest is my favorite for relaxation.
Waterlemon is my favorite snorkel only because it is closer than Little Lamshur.
Maho is the best sunset beach.

I am toes in the sand and I approve this message.

[toes in the sand]

One last thought on what I find disturbing. The fact that this discussion is carried out on a forum for and about the US Virgin Islands. A paradise that is controlled by whomever is elected but whose residents (for the most part) are unable to have their voices heard regarding who they want to lead them in Washington.

[Pete (Mr. Marcia)]

In all fairness, this post had been dead for about a week until your post bumped it up.