I certainly welcome any intelligent discourse. And Uncle Jaque, I have no doubt you bring that to the table even if i don't agree with everything the conservative sector of our fair land has to offer. I don't reject it all out of hand. I believe in the validity of the second amendment but there should be some limit. After all, why the hell would you need an assault rifle unless you were house hunting in say Bosnia? I am by the way, a gun owner and a Civil War reenactor. Having said that, I have to also point out that I view myself as a middle of the road liberal. I don't agree with sanctioned government school prayer because it is always Christian. Being Roman Catholic myself, I have absolutely nothing against prayer, I am in fact in favor of it personally. However, it is not my right or anyone elses including and especially our government's to force those of Jewish, Islamic, Bhuddist, Wiccan etc. religions to put up with it. That violates their constitutional rights and I spent too long in service to my country and constitution to abide that. The "Religious" Right has an agenda that I personally find frightening to anyone who values their freedom. The government of this country was never meant to be a theocracy. Midchick, Though I am a supporter of the second amendment, I would find someone walking down the street with a gun in their hand threatening. Sorry. Cletus, if you had been using those teflon jobbers that Dick Cheney likes so much you'da been draggin' ole Buford's butt outta them thar woods. Again, welcome to all and a splendid New Year. Neil