Erika,

I think some of the regulars around here just have itchy trigger fingers for tearing into liberal moonbats. They sometimes over-react. Just think of me as the “good cop” around these parts. I respect some of the concerns and issues you raised in the other thread. They’re valid. I’d love to be able to persuade you into seeing Senator McCain as being the right person at the right time for the job. I know it’s unlikely to happen; but resorting to name-calling and being derisive toward another’s viewpoints is a sure-fire way of not winning over hearts and minds. And at this point, I’d rather win over voters than alienate more fellow Americans from even a remote possibility of voting for “my guy”.

I think your story is great. My family is very diverse, I guess that’s why I am sensitive to racism. I like you, you seem very kind, and open to talk to people with different views. I like how you can reason, and see what someone might be saying, even if you don’t agree. You should be in politics, you would do well. Have a nice day and again it was nice debating with you.

Nicely done

Good thing you didn’t decide to wait another two years, I would have had nothing to do tonight.

But can he DANCE?

http://www.comcastic.com/launch.html?popupsBlocked=false

You made a cute little cowboy

I grew up in a small town close to St. Louis. We lived out i the country, so really I had my brothers to paly with most of the time, my closest friend was probably 5 miles away. I was brought up Catholic and though that everyone was Catholic, so it is wierd to see the Catholic Church picked upon so much now.

My family is very diverse. Mostly they are consrvatives, but I do have a couple very liberal relatives. Even so, we are mostly a close family and live across the whole country.

As I have said in other posts, my heritage is very diverse. My Grandma’s family on my mom’s side have been in America since close to the time of the Mayflower. Then my grandparent’s on my dad’s side came straight from Poland.

I am Polish most from my dad, but also got German, Dutch, Lithianian, Irish, Scotch Irish, English, most likely African (Jamacain), mostl likely Mongoalian (Ghinges Kan liked to rape and pillage Poland), Norwegian, and probably a little bit of everything else you can think of in me. SO all the hyphenated American BS is a total wash with me. I do not fit in with any one certain heritage. I am a muttt, just like the Melting Pot that is America.

I am related to Linda tripp from a relative that helped form New Hampshire a long time ago. I am related to T.S. Elliot. I am related to one of the worst presidents ever, Harding, which some people think his parents were octoroons (1/8 Jamacain.)

My grandma had written a book about or ancestors and our heritage, and my mom and aunt are keeping with it. We actually have the towns and areas where many of our families came from in Europe.

But as an American, it is good to know our heritage and where you came from, but I am an American first and foremost. And I have found that no matter what race, creed, color, gender, all Americans are special. They are all part of a great experiment we call self-government. That experimnmet is not to catoregize or split us up into groups, it is to join together and form that “Perfect Union”. Divided We fall, Together we Stand.

I want to thank you for writing this great post. It is a testament to what America is. Not adopted or anything of that sort, but that you are an American and that is what makes you special and everyone that lives here special, even if they think that or not.

I just thought it was strange that he was wearing such wild wild pants instead of proper levis…!

Lol…I’m pretty sure those plaid pants were chosen by my mom.

Suds46 wrote:

I’ve read many blogs today, but this post ranks at the top

Thanks! That’s high praise.

Mike’s America wrote:

The photo clearly shows that you had Flopping Aces ambitions long before there was a Flopping Aces, let alone the internet!

I was so glad when Curt went with the Wild, Wild West theme on the graphic update.

Sara,

thanks for sharing a bit of your history.

So, I remember my shock when I was starting my first job and I came on a young black gal who started the same day as I did. She had a giant chip on her shoulder and was always complaining how she didn’t fit in, that they wanted her to “play white,” and she wasn’t going to give in.

Reminds me of a Jewish girl during winter gymnastics camp that I was teaching 2 years ago. She was about 8 yrs old and out of the blue she says, “Don’t wish me Merry Christmas because I’m Jewish.” (and I thought to myself, from a liberal family to boot). My dad’s an atheist who grew up Catholic; my mom’s Buddhist. I’m just out there floating in limbo. We did however, celebrate the American TRADITION of Christmas. The commercialism, if you will, although we found no offense in the religious symbols that went along with it. We gave out cards, had a tree, plenty of presents and gift-giving, I believed in Santa, I knew who baby Jesus was and used to love the Little Drummer Boy claymation each year, as dark as it was. I grew up not fearing Christianity or be “offended” by its predominance in our culture. I do recall one child shocked, rebuking me that I didn’t know more about Jesus (we were real young). But I absolutely love the Christmas Season, traditions, and all its trappings, religious and commercial/mainstream.

I can’t imagine going through life, offended because someone wished me well from outside of my faith (if I had one, that is).

Aye Chihuahua wrote:

It was a fun to hear a little bit of your childhood. I, too, was raised in SC so I know exactly who “Happy Rain” and Ultraman are. I hadn’t thought of them in years. What pleasant childhood memories.

Yeah, I threw those in there out of excess, hoping that maybe someone out there could relate. I love nostalgia and hanging on to memories that grow dimmer with each passing year. Right now, I”m in Colorado visiting my folks. They recently moved back into our house here, and I’ve not been “home” in 20 years. Lots of our belongings have been in storage, as my parents have been living overseas. It was a treasure trove to not only see familiar furnishings I grew up with, but also my old room with toys and odds and ends I used to play with. Things I had forgotten about, but recognized instantly.

I’m glad you came to terms with your adoption. I often joke I was born in a cabbage patch. To have been told at the age of 14, I can only imagine how disconcerting and confusing that must have been. Thank goodness for your Granny.

I’m glad you are secure in knowing your parents are the ones who raised and nurtured you. If I were in your place and had the option of finding out who my biological parents are, though, I myself might seize upon it. My one fear would be to disrupt someone’s life. But if there was anything I could say to my birth mom, I’d let her know that I turned out “not too bad”, and to thank her for giving me the opportunity to have a good life.

Like DW 5000, I’m curious to know what Disney movie this is, Typical Patriot.

I recall a Cinderella one that was interesting. It had Whoopi Goldberg, and a host of actors who were all chosen to play the roles regardless of ethnicity. The only thing they didn’t have, was having actors and actresses play opposite gender roles (I guess they weren’t progressive enough, for the times). It was an interesting concept. Still, I see nothing at all wrong with casting people who look the part. After all, would you cast Verne Troyer to play the part of Shaq in a movie, simply because (let’s pretend) Verne Troyer does an amazing Academy-Award winning acting impersonation of Shaq? Same goes with not taking race into account when filling acting roles where ethnicity and nationality matters.

Hope I didn’t lose anyone with that, and readers understand what I’m trying to say.

Smarty, I must confess that at the time of Carter, I lived at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, and we were supposed to vote at school. I went with Carter because I felt sorry for him. He received such a bashing from my military brat friends in the neighborhood and at school.

GreggLD wrote:

All my siblings are now pretty conservative as well. I remember my middle brother, who was and still is into rock and roll, parroting Bruce Springsteen on Reagan and saying things like “rock and roll is going to change the world.” I was actually shocked when I realized how conservative he’d gotten.

I’m still a huge fan of Springsteen’s music, although his political pontificating really makes me squirm. He’s an amazing performer in concert. While in college, I read a Rolling Stones interview with him and Dave Marsh’s book, and thought Springsteen was so insightful. Today, I’m so politically conscious, I would no longer wear this T-shirt (especially at a conservatve venue, like the RNC):

I didn’t notice that the little boy was asian…I just thought it was strange that he was wearing such wild wild pants instead of proper levis…!

Enjoyed the post, Word, and glad you’re one of us. Someone else’s loss.

I hated Carter. Hated him with a passion. The day Reagan took office I was 14, and it was one of the best days of my life. I felt hope and pride in America, and Reagan didn’t disappoint. I was proud to cast my first vote for his reelection.

I loved WWW too. But as the future engineer, I also thought Artimis was pretty darn clever.

Now, my dad was career Air Force, and didn’t indoctrinate me, but (and I am 40 also) I remember agruing with a childhood friend telling him that Carter was an idiot, and that Reagan would do much better. WTF is wrong with conservative parents that they think they shouldn’t teach their politcal values to their kids? Pre-emptive surrender? It does make them ripe pickings for the Marxists. I am stunned that anyone would need 9/11 to turn conservative, at least not without feeling damn silly.