I don't know where Gringo is from but, I know it stinks.

I have been back and forth across this country dozens of times. In my youth I hichhiked back and forth across eight times. I have stories both good and bad about every state, every region, and every person.

America is fucked up and wonderful.

I like to blame the rightwing monsters for all the problems but, our real problems are caused by economic actitivies.
We must bring our wants and the way they are met into harmony a sustaniable economic system.

just a terrible place," I say that we all bring our own expectations to a place and we can find the good or the bad in any place that we go. Life is more pleasant when you decide to look for the good.

I'm about to take a very long, maybe even permanent, break from DU.

Sure, I've learned a few things here, and it's been comforting to know that the whole country doesn't listen to talk radio, but is it worth having to take this kind of abuse just because I live in a certain region?

And it's not enough that Gringo actually backtracked to some extent because there are always tons of other people who will pick up the reins.

Between the South bashing, abortion threads, Kobe Bryant threads, I feel like I'm just pushing a bruise and getting my blood pressure up by being here.

DU is a great site. Let enlightened people chase the ignorant ones off..not vice-versa.

I just did on the original thread. I may be "reprimanded"

There are A**es everywhere, just ignore them.

I come here to get AWAY from ignorant assholes!

Most of them are replubicans :)

We all get flogged every now and then. Not so long someone called all Californians idiots. Actually, we Californians take more flak than anyone, I think anyway. You have to hang around to make your presence felt. We :loveya:

Thank you for saying what needs to be said. I am another person on the verge of leaving DU.

There is way, way too much divisiveness on DU, especially North vs. South. It's always started by the New Englanders. The Southerners are forced to 'dare defend their rights' when under attack. Only rarely do the Southerners on DU mount an attack.

The divisiveness is being created by a certain segment of 'nu-left' post-1968 'critical theory' types.

These individuals have no connection whatsoever with the populist and progressive roots of the 1930s-1940s Democratic party under FDRoosevelt. They also have no cognizance that there once was a time, many, many years ago when _even_ the Republicans were progressive, under the Bull Moose pro-environment and anti-trust administration of ol' Teddy Roosevelt. Bust the trusts!

The Republicans have totally turned their backs on their Abe Lincoln-Teddy Roosevelt roots. This is glaringly obvious, with their kow-towing to huge corporations and their abandonment of small businesses and Main Street. On their part, the Dem's have not supported investment in infrastructure enough but have kow-towed to neo-con theories on economics, while pushing 'social-liberal' theories. Although Clinton balanced the budget, which was a noble achievement, he could have devoted federal dollars to investment/regulation that promoted improvement of capital equipment involved in this nations electrical, road, and public transit infrastructure. Unfortunately, except for some road and internet backbone projects, he didn't do this investment.

We need an all-inclusive :dem: movement that emphasizes rebuilding this nation's road, electric distribution, and conservation of natural resources. We need to invite 'social conservatives' aka 'rednecks who have lost their jobs' into our movement. We need to stop rejecting the Middle America that is losing its economic security!!!

"It's always started by the New Englanders"

Just so ya know, the guy that started all this shit today lives in Miami, not New England. We don't all generalize about y'all, so we would appreciate the same in return.

I'm down with the South! I love the weather down there, and it's so different from where I live.

Rock on Southerners and Northeners!

when you're surrounded by flag-waving Bush fans that can be tough.