The Introduce Yourself thread!

[Stapo]

Originally Posted by AJG

Lol. I just have a lot more free time than I usually do. In 5 days it's back to school. *sigh*

Just for one day I would love to see a young political smartass saying "We don't need no education" (or however the lycics of the song goes) and being really willing not to carve in, due to "troubleing" outside circumstances

Anyway hope you'll enjoy the last 5 days of your holidays!

P.S. Welcome aboard

[Donkey_Left]

Originally Posted by AJG

Lol. I just have a lot more free time than I usually do. In 5 days it's back to school. *sigh*

Back to school?

Is that College?

Good to see another Young'n around here.

[AJG]

Originally Posted by Donkey_Left

Back to school?

Is that College?

Good to see another Young'n around here.

Back to high School.

[Impugn]

Originally Posted by AJG

Anyways, I'm a 17 kid from Boston Massachusetts going into the 11th grade.

If you were 17, from Boston, MA, and anything but a screaming liberal, they'd have thrown you into a re-education camp.

Don't agree with you any more, but at least I understand the root cause.

Give it a few years...see the world...make a real paycheck...work until July or beyond to make a single dime for yourself. Then we'll see.

[AJG]

Originally Posted by Impugn

If you were 17, from Boston, MA, and anything but a screaming liberal, they'd have thrown you into a re-education camp.

Don't agree with you any more, but at least I understand the root cause.

Give it a few years...see the world...make a real paycheck...work until July or beyond to make a single dime for yourself. Then we'll see.

I love you to .

[B.Tallmadge]

Hello All!

My name is Ben, and I am that most irritating of political creatures. I have beliefs and attitudes that are decidedly conservative (from the American point of view). I believe in limited government that focuses on international relations, foreign policy, and the overall well-being of the nation and its people without presuming to insert itself into the daily lives of the populace. I believe in the right to live freely and to defend oneself and loved ones. As such, I am a pro-gun, pro-military, pro-frontier-justice kind of person. I believe that to the extent possible, people should stand up and take care of themselves, and that the more they ask for government aid and assistance, the more like prisoners they become. I believe that capitalism not only works, but is downright viral in nature and will spread itself to virtually any culture that opens its doors to create thriving economies. I also believe that capitalism is an economic model - not a moral one. It should be seen as such, and should be governed by the morality of the People so that profits do not supplant prosperity as the end goal.

However...

I also believe that I have no business telling gay people whether they can or cannot be happy together. I feel that gays marrying affects my own marriage precisely none. I believe that there are times when it may be right for a woman to choose abortion. Even though I myself find it absolutely horrid to even consider, I recognize that I am neither capable of predicting all the variables that might confront a woman, and I recognize that I am neither qualified nor endowed with the authority to make decisions about how others choose to live. See "limited government" above.

I believe that diplomacy and even back-room secret deals should be tried, tried again, and tried yet again until all peaceful options are completely exhausted before sending troops to war. I also believe that once at war, we should fight like General Sherman. Mean, nasty, and all up front. I believe war should be horrible and brutal so that those involved want it over with quickly.

I believe that the government should have secrets about some things. I don't believe the people have a right to know everything about everything. I don't believe the press does us any service when they leak secret information. In fact, I think it hurts us. When other countries see that we can't even keep our own secrets, they become ever more reluctant to share their own.

I am not and have not been in the military, but I support them. I comment on military matters because I am a citizen who is protected by them - not because I feel I'm an expert. It's the same reason I comment on politics. I'm not a politician either, but I think it's important to be involved.

I'm a father and a husband, and a die-hard American patriot.

And for an introduction, I think that about covers it!

Good to be here, and I look forward to reading your thoughts on a host of issues!

[Si modo]

A big fat welcome to ya, Ben! (Glad to have another person from the area here, too. )

[B.Tallmadge]

Glad to be aboard.

[Tim]

Originally Posted by B.Tallmadge

Hello All!

My name is Ben, and I am that most irritating of political creatures. I have beliefs and attitudes that are decidedly conservative (from the American point of view). I believe in limited government that focuses on international relations, foreign policy, and the overall well-being of the nation and its people without presuming to insert itself into the daily lives of the populace. I believe in the right to live freely and to defend oneself and loved ones. As such, I am a pro-gun, pro-military, pro-frontier-justice kind of person. I believe that to the extent possible, people should stand up and take care of themselves, and that the more they ask for government aid and assistance, the more like prisoners they become. I believe that capitalism not only works, but is downright viral in nature and will spread itself to virtually any culture that opens its doors to create thriving economies. I also believe that capitalism is an economic model - not a moral one. It should be seen as such, and should be governed by the morality of the People so that profits do not supplant prosperity as the end goal.

However...

I also believe that I have no business telling gay people whether they can or cannot be happy together. I feel that gays marrying affects my own marriage precisely none. I believe that there are times when it may be right for a woman to choose abortion. Even though I myself find it absolutely horrid to even consider, I recognize that I am neither capable of predicting all the variables that might confront a woman, and I recognize that I am neither qualified nor endowed with the authority to make decisions about how others choose to live. See "limited government" above.

I believe that diplomacy and even back-room secret deals should be tried, tried again, and tried yet again until all peaceful options are completely exhausted before sending troops to war. I also believe that once at war, we should fight like General Sherman. Mean, nasty, and all up front. I believe war should be horrible and brutal so that those involved want it over with quickly.

I believe that the government should have secrets about some things. I don't believe the people have a right to know everything about everything. I don't believe the press does us any service when they leak secret information. In fact, I think it hurts us. When other countries see that we can't even keep our own secrets, they become ever more reluctant to share their own.

I am not and have not been in the military, but I support them. I comment on military matters because I am a citizen who is protected by them - not because I feel I'm an expert. It's the same reason I comment on politics. I'm not a politician either, but I think it's important to be involved.

I'm a father and a husband, and a die-hard American patriot.

And for an introduction, I think that about covers it!

Good to be here, and I look forward to reading your thoughts on a host of issues!

So you are a libertarian who supports homosexuality and abortion. There are a few people who fit that definition here, so you won't be alone in your views.

[Traveler]

I was just gonna say "you'll fit right in"....hehe.

[B.Tallmadge]

LOL!

I wouldn't say "supports homosexuality and abortion." Neither are choices I would make in my own life.

However, I can't reconcile the notion of free people and limited government with the thought of imposing my own beliefs on everyone else either.

I'm a pretty tolerant guy overall. Unless you're a pinko liberal commie.

[iamwhatiseem]

Welcome B.T.....stick around.

[B.Tallmadge]

I'm looking forward to the discussions, all. This seems like a fun group. A few whack jobs and trolls to keep it lively, and a majority of well-read and well spoken debaters. I hope I can make even a modest contribution, and I hope to fit snugly into the latter category as opposed to the former.

[AJG]

Originally Posted by B.Tallmadge

I'm looking forward to the discussions, all. This seems like a fun group. A few whack jobs and trolls to keep it lively, and a majority of well-read and well spoken debaters. I hope I can make even a modest contribution, and I hope to fit snugly into the latter category as opposed to the former.

Well you're on the left side of social issues, so you're good .

[B.Tallmadge]

No arguments there. Left on (some) social issues, right on most other things.

The pro-gun, pro-Defense, pro-Intelligence, and pro-Patriot Act gets me in hot water with most Libs, as does the fact that I have decidedly Christian tendencies. I'm no evangelical, but I can't find one single solitary thing wrong with the phrase "In God We Trust" nor with saying the Pledge of Allegiance, complete with "One Nation, under God" seven words before the conclusion.

Likewise, the fact that I can't really find anything wrong with people smoking, drinking, or doing pot, the fact that gay marriage doesn't give me aneurysms, the idea that abortion might be justifiable some of the time for some people under some circumstances, and the general notion that No Child Left Behind is a flawed policy (not at all beyond saving, mind you - but flawed nonetheless) gets me the boot at Republican get togethers.

I guess I am well-rounded enough to be able to offend most anyone.

Were it not for the fact that I think the whole global warming thing is Al Gore's way of driving business toward his own carbon credits business, I think Republicans might decide to shun me altogether.