My thoughts this evening...

There is, if you would believe the religious right-wing-nut-cases, a war on Christmas. Yes, retailers, left-wingers, people who insist on being politically correct and, of course, those God-damned heathens, are all out to eliminate Christmas. They are wrong, of course. People who want to celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday are free to do it...bless 'em...but it is mighty unchristian of them to insist that the holiday season be available only to christians. I believe, still, that people who loudly proclaim their religious views and attack people who hold other views are psychopaths. They are shrieking crazy people who belong in cages, at worst, or in rehabilitation programs, at best.

While I'm talking about crazy people, some folks seem to think it is inappropriate to call them crazy. It probably is...and I regret that I did it...people with psychological problems deserve to be treated with dignity. I guess I really intend for the term to apply to be who are both psychologically challenged and are mind-numbingly stupid and very dangerous. People like George Bush and Pat Robertson.

And now, speaking of Bush, isn't it nice that he has given the National Security Agency instructions to disregard the law and not to both getting court clearance before eavesdropping on U.S. citizens and others in the U.S.? Read about his latest foray into quashing civil liberties.

I often think about the young men and women who have died, or been permanently disfigured, fighting the war in Iraq. Those men and women, and the other people who have served in Iraq, really do deserve our admiration. They are willing to fight and die for us. But it's a horrible, horrible shame that they have been sent into harm's way on the basis of a lie. We don't belong in Iraq, but our government is willing to sacrifice troops there. It's especially painful to think that these men and women are away from their families at a time of year that, traditionally, has brought families together. It doesn't matter whether religion or secular celebration is responsible, this time of year often brings family and friends together. The troops in Iraq won't be able to participate. I am a believer in "support our troops," but my way of supporting them would be to bring them home alive and never, ever ask them again to participate in a war we started.