beardedbruce, yes being a conservative on this forum would be quite similar to being an African American on an almost entirely Anglo-American forum.

With regard to your comment "But it CAN be painful to be hated for what others think that you believe", I admit that while I knew that you are a conservative, I confess that I've not read your posts to the extent that I would be able to say that I know whether your political positions are the same as-say-Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh.

If they are, I'd say that I very strongly disagree with your political positions. But I don't hate you because of those positions.