Martin,

Please don't leave! It is the international community of the Mudcat that makes it so special.

I have to say, though, that American or not, the problems facing children of the world today, are or should be of concern to all of us, with or without the tragedy in Colorado. Yes, we Americans can tend to be a little self-centered and brash, but we are, after all, still a very young country.

Also, as has been said in various other threads, it can be hard to separate the music from the politics of daily lives in society. There've been several threads about this, specific to Ireland, which were very informative and interesting.

Also, to everyone: I think, in general, the "BS" is a misnomer. By the looks of it, most of the threads originally protested about, dealt with worldy and regional problems of interest to many, as they garnered many postings. Problems many of us feel pertain directly to music and the life we might lead through music.

I, too, hope the Mudcat can keep its "wide-ranging scope and inclusivity" while we all remain tolerant of one anothers' interests.

A man I once knew had a septic tank cleaning service. His slogan was, "Your sh*& is my bread and butter!" A little crude, but perhaps it could be paraphrased to "one person's BS is another person's interest".

katlaughing