regnilo:
Revisionist History...right...
Keep in mind that most of Democrats you refer to in your examples were Southern Democrats. Not exactly your traditional liberal lefty. I would be willing to wager they might have been trying to protect their own self interests (votes) by stopping Civil Rights legislation.

According to Wikipedia...James Eastland of Mississippi was an "arch-segregationist." It also states the Southern Senators (conservative Democrats...I believe also known as DixieCrats) led the "fillibuster" which lasted 83 days. The longest in Senate history...and yes...I am very familiar with the term fillibuster. As I recall...when Democrats attemted to use this technique recently to hold up votes on judges they were severly criticized.
I believe most of the Democrats you refer to would most likely be alligned with the Republican party today.

I am sure you'll love the story below...
Happy Holiday's

Wednesday, August 18, 2004
A Day in the Life of Joe Middle-Class Republican

Day in the Life of Joe Middle-Class Republican

By John Gray
Cincinnati, Ohio

Joe gets up at 6:00am to prepare his morning coffee. He fills his pot full of good clean drinking water because some liberal fought for minimum water quality standards. He takes his daily medication with his first swallow of coffee. His medications are safe to take because some liberal fought to insure their safety and work as advertised.

All but $10.00 of his medications are paid for by his employers medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance, now Joe gets it too. He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs this day. Joe's bacon is safe to eat because some liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.

Joe takes his morning shower reaching for his shampoo; His bottle is properly labeled with every ingredient and the amount of its contents because some liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained. Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some tree hugging liberal fought for laws to stop industries from polluting our air. He walks to the subway station for his government subsidized ride to work; it saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees. You see, some liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.

Joe begins his work day; he has a good job with excellent pay, medicals benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. Joe's employer pays these standards because Joe's employer doesn't want his employees to call the union. If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed he'll get a worker compensation or unemployment check because some liberal didn't think he should loose his home because of his temporary misfortune.

Its noon time, Joe needs to make a Bank Deposit so he can pay some bills. Joe's deposit is federally insured by the FSLIC because some liberal wanted to protect Joe's money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system before the depression.

Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae underwritten Mortgage and his below market federal student loan because some stupid liberal decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his life-time.

Joe is home from work, he plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive to dads; his car is among the safest in the world because some liberal fought for car safety standards. He arrives at his boyhood home. He was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmers Home Administration because bankers didn't want to make rural loans. The house didn't have electricity until some big government liberal stuck his nose where it didn't belong and demanded rural electrification. (Those rural Republicans would still be sitting in the dark.)

He is happy to see his dad who is now retired. His dad lives on Social Security and his union pension because some liberal made sure he could take care of himself so Joe wouldn't have to.

After his visit with dad he gets back in his car for the ride home. He turns on a radio talk show, the host keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives are good. (He doesn't tell Joe that his beloved Republicans have fought against every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout his day.) Joe agrees: "We don't need those big government liberals ruining our lives; after all, I'm a self made man who believes everyone should take care of themselves, just like I have."

z z z z z z z z

Brian Nagel is a damn fine American!

As a reply to Velocity:
Here's a story about Joe Middle Class American.
Joe decides to open a bar-restaurant. He gathers up his life savings and goes to the bank where he borrows three times more. He takes that money and opens a nice place for people who want to come in and have a burger, beer and a smoke and that is what people do, the come in and eat, drink and smoke. They have already weighed the risks and entered. Are anyone’s rights being violated here?

So here comes another person, they take a look at this business and say, "I'd like to go in and have a beer and a burger, but I really don't like smoke and it could endanger my life." At least at this point this individual has at least four options.

1.) They could weigh the risk and go in.
2.) They could continue walking, hoping to find a non-smoking bar/restaurant.
3.) They could take their life savings head to the bank and barrow three times that amount and open a non-smoking bar/restaurant across the street.
4.) They could have some one in St. Paul who will never enter the bar/restaurant enact a smoking ban.

I ask you, whose rights are being violated?

So maybe this guy finally starts to show a profit because people are coming in to eat, drink and smoke and Joe decides to hire a waitress. Waitress applies for the job, once she finds out this is a smoking bar/restaurant she also has many choices. Among them, she could:

1.) Weigh the risks and take the job.
2.) Turn down the job and apply at a non-smoking bar/restaurant.
3.) Take her life savings down to the bank and barrow three times that amount and open a non-smoking bar/restaurant across the street.
4.) Have some one in St. Paul, who will never enter the bar/restaurant enact a smoking ban.

I ask you again, whose rights are being violate?

Unfortunately, this is not a story, this is reality for many middle class Americans: PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS JUST DON'T APPLY TO YOUR HOME.

That's why I am here,
Your friendly neighborhood Freedom Fighter
Fighting for you liberties 24/7

Private property rights...
Too bad the Supreme Court doesn't want to protect them. Just another expample of indivdual freedoms being eroded by big business interests.
I hope you defend these freedoms too.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/23/AR2005062300783.html

And the pot still gets stirred.

Hello Maureen 82. I had the same English classes as you, and you may be correct. But, perhaps liberties are being "loosed" from all of us just a little bit each day.

Velocity...Don't put too much stock in your John Gray letter. I really DO NOT think it was "the Liberals" who became "the Union" and fought for benefits and a fair days pay for a fair days work. When is the last time a Liberal was on a sit down strike at GM and/or Ford and had their head bashed in with a piece of hickory?

Alas, if it was "the Liberals" who pushed for Workers Comp, then BULLY for them. sure, there are those who cheat the system (they eventually get caught) and there are those who play within the rules.

I received WC for a L5-S1 discectomy and lamenectomy. (Laymans' terms--Lower spine, blown disc). No driving 6 weeks, cannot lift a full milk jug for 3 weeks. No twist-turn-lean-bend. Why, you may wonder? 1. Pain 2. One needs to wear a buckle-strap girdle that is also laced so tight one can hardly breathe. Ever tried to poop and then wipe your doupa while sitting straight up--stiff as a board? Don't get back to me on that. I already know.

Smoke-em' if ya got-em', if ya can't swallow the snoose--don't spit.

And the pot still gets stirred.

You could be right, cobblerman. Let's hope Freedom Fighter knows which word and usage he meant.

Let's face it, smokers are a "dying" breed. Yes, the word has many meanings.... Of course smokers want their last gasp. Who wouldn't?

For those interested in this debate check out the following link, it details many of the negatives associated with not only smoking but 2nd hand smoke. www.areyouokwiththat.com


" 'we are endowed by the creator' with certain unalienable rights among these are LIFE, LIBERTY and the PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS."
I don't think that phrase came from God. I think it comes from man in the Declaration of Independence. The phrase is a combination of the words of John Locke, who said "no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions", and Adam Smith who coined said phrase.

I could be wrong though, maybe the "happiness" passage is right next to the passage that condemns gay marriage. All I know is I haven't had much success finding either.

Velocity, I think we're a little off of the topic here, but I'm glad we can agree on somthing. The Supreme Court is the worst offender when it comes to stealing liberties...and should be reigned in.

Maybe we could unite forces "Freedom Fighter" and his loyal sidekick "Liberty Boy"

As for Maureen, I find it amusing that with all the typing errors on this site, you have to point out mine. If you disagree with the message attack "it" not the messanger. It's not the Christian thing to do, especially during the holiday season. I expect more from a Jessenlander.

Signing off for now.
Freedom Fighter
(One half of the Democracy Duo)

Can anyone believe how boring this Vikings/Packer game is??? Makes a person wanna take up smoking. :rolleyes: