I was bumped by a kind soul here that my response to Troll's parody on the recently patriotic and the generally apathetic could be construed as an attack on the poster. It isn't. I didn't take it as bad - rather I took it as a means by which to vent about some of the things that have been said here. I've been a bit on the prod lately and after reading the post I realized I needed to go back and say that I was not responding in a negative way - just that some of the things said over the past several weeks has deeply affected those of us who do have convictions - and not recent ones either.

I'm deeply patriotic to my country. I was, and still am, very proud of my service to my country. In 1969 when folks were marching in D.C. against the war I was part of the Viet Nam Veterans Against the War that provided protection for them from those who would have conspired to deny them their rights.

I fought for everyone. Not some simple sector or piece of it. For all of it. Thanks so much for PMing me - sometimes I need a wake up call that I am not being clear. It happens when I get to remembering and get cranky. Forgive me if this response hit those it wasn't intended for.

Like my friend Little Hawk said to me one day, "I was just having a bad day I guess."

Steve