FR is just a portrait of America. There are educated idiots, uneducated geniuses, and just plain smart people and ignorant people. There is even a sprinkling of willfully ignorant and some control freaks. There is one caveat, that being that FReepers are all above average, seriously.

We are all Americans in the fourth century of this great experiment in government by the citizens, and all Americans everywhere have an opinion on how best to govern and are not loath to express it, sometimes loudly. Unfortunately the most vocal seem to have never read the founding documents.

I personally like the wide-ranging discussions on the various threads. It is amazing how people can be so wrong in their beliefs at times... Oh wait, was that me? I have had to re-evaluate some positions for sure, but nevermind, I am in good company as Seneca (5 BC - 65 AD); Roman dramatist, philosopher, & politician) said: "The first step towards amendment is the recognition of error."

And it is such a treat when an expert in some field posts an article about something I had not a clue that even existed, and others explain it to me... It is like a university lecture, only better.

What I have learned in my life, and learned well, the learning of which is itself a funny story, is to always refer to the source document before you state what you think is a fact. And I respectfully suggest a reading of our Constitution, and a walk through any Veteran's graveyard, prior to stating a political position, lest your ideas be thought frivolous.

Another observation, after a few years here, is that opinions... everybody has one.... And posters on FreeRepublic are not loathe to share theirs, no matter how mundane, factually lacking, or stubbornly ignorant. They sometimes goad me to refute their posts though I am getting better at simply ignoring such determined ignorance. Thank goodness that after a while you can casually disregard posts from quite a few FReepers and concentrate on the rest who think before they post, have the facts at their disposal, make interesting observations and in short exibit the best qualities of those Americans who have made our nation great. Bless them, because I have learned so much from their posts.

SandwicheGuy (Medina, Mecca, MOAB... Coincidence, I don't think so) - My tagline dared I use it... ha ha.

visited 25 countries.Last passport had to have pages added twice.

visited 30 states (60%)
American by birth, Southern by the Grace of God.

Macdonough's Song by Rudyard Kiplingv "As easy as A B C"--A Diversity of Creatures"
Whether the State can loose and bind
In Heaven as well as on Earth:
If it be wiser to kill mankind
Before or after the birth--
These are matters of high concern
Where State-kept schoolmen are;
But Holy State (we have lived to learn)
Endeth in Holy War.

Whether The People be led by The Lord,
Or lured by the loudest throat:
If it be quicker to die by the sword
Or cheaper to die by vote--
These are things we have dealt with once,
(And they will not rise from their grave)
For Holy People, however it runs,
Endeth in wholly Slave.

Whatsoever, for any cause,
Seeketh to take or give
Power above or beyond the Laws,
Suffer it not to live!
Holy State or Holy King--
Or Holy People's Will--
Have no truck with the senseless thing.

Order the guns and kill!
Saying --after--me:--

Once there was The People--Terror gave it birth;
Once there was The People and it made a Hell of Earth
Earth arose and crushed it. Listen, 0 ye slain!
Once there was The People--it shall never be again!P>