I have been debating whether to respond to this and your post provides me with that opportunity. The rancor enveloping our country is indeed real and provides a fuel for many “unstable” individuals to “act out” their distorted convictions. For the American media to interpret the recent act of violence so soon, calls for speculation that is not appropriate and will indeed provide more fuel for the many “zealots” who walk in our midst. The American media has long acted irresponsibly and I expect it will continue to do so, looking to portray complex and tragic events in a political slant. It is more than irresponsible yet it will continue as the media “intellectuals” continue to “decide” what is good and what is bad for the American people.

I suppose such rancor in the political philosophy arena has been evident for some time, but I saw dramatic and dangerous signs take hold during the 2000 Presidential election and it was by our friends to the left of center. It was they who were enlisting the “homeless” to vote under other voters’ identities in our northern cities for the price of a package of cigarettes. It was they, the children of the major left political party who were slashing the tires of opposition vehicles during the early morning hours of a national election.

I heard with my own ears many in my city refer to a sitting president from 2000-2005 in a most negative way, complete with inappropriate profanity. Such events were payed little attention to by our media and “political correctness” has been abundant.

I have now heard a sitting president liken my conservative values and the political party that best represents then as “hostage takers” during the recent lame duck session of the Congress. I have endured a left of center media who feels conservatives are only concerned with the rich.

Make no mistake America, we do have opposing views. I believe a return to base values to include those encompassing morality and “hard work” by a nation under God and founded by Christian men is very appropriate. I do not believe government can solve each and every problem confronting Americans, yet I believe responsible hard working Americans, left to their own devices can.

Let us not get lost in a media continuing to demonize Conservatives, or for that matter Liberals. Let meaningful dialog again become our mantra. Let us realize that Liberals and Conservatives will always have opposing views. It is when we place the label of RADICAL before either that they interestingly become one and the same.

As a retired law enforcement professional, I deplored “media investigation” and “trial by media” because of its tendency to distort the truth. Unfortunately, the media in my humble estimation should have a rating equal if not lower than our elected officials.

…is both a noble one as well as insightful, rather than inciteful. That is the direction both sides need to seek, both left and right. I really do appreciate it though.

I do remember when those with the “mental health issues” which required a society’s attention were for lack of a better description “locked up”. Our society’s trend of violence has been on an upward spiral since. While I wholeheartedly agree the rights of individuals to be sacred, I also believe there needs to be a stronger counterbalance to protect our society from those who “may” pose a danger.

I believe a society who attempts to rehabilitate violent offenders is more often than not, condemned to be again victimized by them. I stress the word violent and I believe we are a society which needs to rethink rehabilitation as its first choice when “punishment” is both more appropriate and a far better deterrent to recidivism. and a greater benefit to a society often “stretched thin” economically. But talk of “prison industry” is for another time.

As to the media, they need to re-examine themselves and their own responsibilities to “We The People” and again teach us “How to think” and not “what to think”. Your point as to media “neutrality” is well taken and needs to be heeded. Many liberals believe conservatives are mindless robots controlled by the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly, and Sean Hannity. They would be surprised to hear that though I am a conservative and often agree with all of them I find one arrogant and vain beyond any comparison, one an individual whose ego has no boundary and another, too rah rah for my own taste. I also find many on the other side via airways such as MSNBC to be much the same while airing their liberal slants. Intellectually, I gain value from the banter of both, yet remain a “mindful” and opposed to “mindless” conservative. Media thrives on controversy and in my opinion has embraced it rather than trying to ameliorate it.

Involvement is a key to the democratic process and I find myself “fully engaged” in the process which I was forbidden to engage in when I still worked for law enforcement. That is as it should be as politics has no place in the policing arena. But as a counter to your point, there are many on both sides of the aisle who desire our citizens to remain “uninformed” as they continue to “profit”. It is because of that a TEA Party has arisen and liberals need to understand they too are welcome to be “informed” and take back the government from “career politicians”, too numerous to mention here. Yet mainstream media continues to depict this movement as “extreme” and “radically right” without any tangible evidence to support this position.

My last point is that “more government” for the “welfare of the people” is just that, WELFARE and will eventually overwhelm our economic system by sheer apathy as it did the former Soviet Union. We The People, left to our own devices are far more responsible than any government in addressing many of the societal problems we face. Government was only meant to “guide” us, not “control” us. If you agree, welcome to the other side of the aisle and we then again are Americans and much closer as you suggest, politics and a media for profit notwithstanding.

Have a great day my fellow American. Let us both work toward a better United States of America.

To eliminate the “hate pouring from the left” as you have well put it, I have engaged in conservatism and followed that up with political party involvement. My post was merely pointing out to arxdei he might be a bit more conservative than he realizes as more government is not only dangerous but at the root of the problem and that members of the political party I have aligned myself with failed to heed Ronald Reagan’s sensible warning when they achieved a great victory in 1994.

Hopefully, in 2010 they will follow up both forcefully and completely. And for the record, no part of either of my posts suggests conservatives “do it”. I merely pointed out I deplore “career politicians” of the left and the right who merely profit from government at my expense as a taxpayer and a conservative.

I fully agree with your second paragraph as I was in those trenches as that “thin blue line” and I did endure quite a bit as I lost members of my police family to it. This is why I am a conservative and this is why I speak yet try to be convincing, even to the liberal left,……as well as to you..

Hate speech is a product of our left and now a stunning hypocrisy is coming to bear. Doesn’t anyone remember the 60′s, and 70′s, when all I heard was “Pig”, “Off the Pigs”, “Oink Oink” and many others. I do go back that far and was a member of a major city “bomb squad”.

Yes sir, I remember “The Anarchist Cook Book” by William Powell and still have my copy on my den’s book shelve to remind me of the left wing hate. Powell has such nice things to say about “cops” throughout the book and I just reread page 154 to remind myself of his affection.

Yes sir, I do believe we need to “control our anger” and channel it positively for the change we conservatives seek. We must understand the radical left is still out there, they only changed clothes. Yes, we must defend our conservative convictions with our tremendous wisdom and intelligence many on the right possess and we must prevail. Thanks for your criticisms though. I also can appreciate them.