" Fundamental Values...
Over the last several decades, moral standards and fundamental values in our country have sunk to alarming depths.
Discussion of any sort of illicit sexual act formally was considered shocking between unmarried people, now adultery has become a commonplace subject for magazines, movies and morning afternoon serials.
Homosexuality has begun to occupy the scene, but I find truly shocking the pornographic magazines. Many deal with nothing but children between the ages of six and eleven, showing these little boys and girls in both heterosexual and homosexual acts.

Moral fundamentalism has disintegrated in the Western culture.

Everything we do is based upon some ethical and moral consideration.

I "

" In this time of strife and pressures we have not prepared for, when each and every one of us could use a hand at some stage, truer words were never spoken, Jerry.

The times are tough and we will choose whether we face them alone, with or against one another.

It is my plan to seek the path that leads to a brighter, more caring community and world.

Happy New Year to all. "

" Kirk,
I agree with most of what you say. I also think the best way of beginning to deal with such corruption is to start in your own back yard.
People in general need to start treating each other with respect. I stopped to help a guy out of the ditch just before Christmas and I can't tell you how many vehicles didn't even slow down to give me the courtesy of being safe while I performed this task.
Folks are so angry at home, they have become selfish and self centered. The world will become a better place when we begin to work together for the right reasons. Then and only then will we be able to correct the direction of the nation as a whole. "

" Kirk,

Right on!

There is information on other sites such as alternet dot org and huffingtonpost dot com that show that Bush/Cheney manipulated all intelligence that was given to congress/senate so that it stated what they wanted it to say. Since our own intelligence stated that there were no WMD, the Downing Street memo was used instead, because it directed our congress/senate in the direction that Bush/Cheney wanted to go. The information is out there, but unfortunately there are those who chose not to look for it. Hey, but thank goodness for that, because that is what America is about (and what everyone is always screaming about)... choices. I will say, I don't believe the left and I don't believe the right, but somewhere in between, there lies the truth... So be seekers to find the info and don't just take what your neighbor says ... Believe what you want and read what you want, because you have the freedom to do so. But it would be nice if some of our neighbors would reach beyond Rush, Savage and Lars... I always have hope! "

" Frank, In all seriousness, I was not "more informed" but I can assure you that I was at least as well informed as they were. The difference was that I had no agenda and I had no electorate being held over my head as a threat, were I to be 'painted' as unpatriotic.

When these legislators knowingly chose not to know what we in the Anti-War internet community knew to be fact, they became complicit in the crimes of a rogue pResident.

There were no secrets about Saddam, WMD's, connections to Al Qaeda or any real or imagined connections between our Empirical invasion of Iraq and the events on 9/11 EXCEPT those secrets that were part of the totality of facts kept from the American public by a fawning news machine.

Stories that supported what "W" wanted got legs, while actual counterpoint was either relegated to the national venue letters to the Editor page or in some cases never printed at all. Truth (facts) were relegated to the hindmost and that began the movement that we see today to alternate sources of information.

You can indeed fool most of the people for a while, as "W" has proven, but there is always a reckoning. "

" Read Hillary Clinton's speech at this site:

http://clinton.senate.gov/speeches/iraq_101002.html

On October 11, 2002 the Senate vote to authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq was 77 Yeas and 23 Nays.

I am not defending Bush. I personally do not like his domestic policies.

I think there is too much spin and rewriting of history here.

I guess Kirk was more informed than our Senate intelligence. "

" Hey Frank: They believed British intellegence because they wanted to.
The plan to invade Iraq was made during the 1990's by the neo-cons, you know the usual suspects: Bush, Cheney, Pearl, Wolfewitz, Conde Rice, etc.
Getting control of all that oil at the cost of only 4000+ American lives is cheap. We Christians, don't count muslim lives so no need to add the millions of lives lost there. No wonder W got a couple of shoes thrown at him. I can't wait for the Bush crime family to depart and for an OBAMA New Year. "

" If everyone really wants to know why the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Look into the 1998 Congressional records about the "Silk Road Strategy Act." There's your answer. It's under the Middle East Asian Affairs Committee. "

" You might find this hard to believe but I WOULD add Pelosi, Reid, Quayle, Clinton, Bush the Elder, Kissinger and a number of others to that list.

I think that salvaging our honor and self image should be a full service purge.

We have been at the hands or scoundrels and highwaymen too long and it is time to redefine our tolerances.

Just a thought... "

" If they put Bush and Cheney on trial for war crimes, they better put Frank, Dodd,Waters, Clay and more for their crimes against the US via Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac. Then I'll go along with the war crimes. BTW put Clinton, Albright, Gore, Kerry, and all the rest of the democrats that agreed before and after Bush took office that Saddam had and was working on more WMDs. "

" Ron, since when is the process of seeking justice either revenge or retribution? If you can equate the two then we really do have a greater problem than the kind that shows up and I could cite you for hours. (Try being a successful activist these last 8 years, or a high profile )

Frank, why, if I and a large number of others who chose to take the time to research the issue KNEW BEYOND ANY REASONABLE DOUBT that there was no reason to invade Iraq and many international reports from credible sources would have lead any responsibly involved citizen to come to that conclusion, did our congress critters on both sides allow themselves to be flogged with the flag to make horrible decisions in their names, and drape them with our names?

I was in the streets BEFORE the first bomb dropped, screaming the truth of the matter. You, most likely, were listening to the propaganda screeds of Limbaugh and Hannity. Even these two dolts knew, but that is a rant for another day.

Somewhere along the way we all need to develop an emotionally stable plan of action to follow the anger and disillusionment we have labored under these last 8 years. I would like to suggest moral outrage.

This issue is not about moving on, getting along, and avoiding bad press or the appearance of headhunting improprieties. This is about addressing criminal acts in an appropriate manner. It is about redefining our belief in a country that does the right thing because it is right, not because it is fashionable.

The criminals vacating our halls of power not only are not regretful, they are arrogantly rubbing our noses in the mess they laid on the floor and they believe we will take it, as always.

All I can say is, I hope not. I still have some faith in America's ability to shake it off and do the right thing. "

" Kirk,

Great letter. Don't let the non-intelligence of this community get you down with their comments.

There are major organizations still going after the Bush/Cheney administration for their war crimes in these great United States.

People are urged to contact their Senators and Representatives to support HR 1531 so Bush can't pardon his administration or himself for those actions.

There is also a possibility to impeach them even after they're out of office. The presidence hasn't been tried but they believe the wording in the law allows them to impeach afterwards. Therfore the pardons become moot.

Kirk, keep up the TRUTH. "

" In your words " I don't want to talk about revenge or retribution" then read you last paragraph. You talk out of both sides of your MOUTH "

" Kirk, you have been taking too many meds. Everyone in congress believed what the intelligence stated at the time including almost all of the democratic congress. Go back and check what Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton stated at the time. No body lied. They thought the British intelligence was correct. "