12/21   From Jon Carroll:
        "SOME HAVE SAID that this is wartime and that people should watch what
        they say in wartime. But, you know, this isn't wartime. Wartime is when
        civilians are drafted to answer their country's call, and stay-at-home
        spouses move into jobs in shipyards and steel factories, and we are
        called upon to save aluminum and tin and purchase blackout drapes.

        Now we are being called upon to purchase consumer electronics and
        airline tickets. We are told that we defeat terrorism by acting
        normally. All we are called upon to sacrifice is our right to think
        freely and to express our opinions openly. And if we fail in our duty
        -- well, there are always the talk radio blowhards and the spontaneous
        mobs to remind us what good citizenship means."
        \_ the soda Free Republic Guy (tm) must be at home visiting
           his family.  happy holidays.  - danh
        \_ So JC thinks the Revolution wasn't war time?  1812 wasn't?  French-
           Canadian wasn't?  The army going west to wipe out the natives
           wasn't?  Taking the southwest from Mexico wasn't?  Korea wasn't?
           Vietnam wasn't?  JC is an idiot.  Not every war will be a clone of
           WWII.  For lack of anything better to do I read this idiot every
           day on BART.  His idiocy makes me laugh.  He should stick to
           stories about his kids and being a dad and give up the attempt at
           political genius.  He's less coherent than the typical motd poster.
        \_ the soda Free Republic Guy (tm) must be at home visiting
           his family.  happy holidays.  - danh
        \_ last time i checked, it wasn't wartime because
           ONLY CONGRESS CAN DECLARE WAR.  and as much as ted turner thinks
           he can declare war, well, de jure, it is a right reserved only to
           the legislative branch.
           \_ haven't you heard?  Rupert Murdoch can declare war.  Apparently
              so can George Soros.  de facto is what counts.
           \_ You're right.  All those other wars where we drafted people and
              they died on foreign lands from foreign bullets weren't wars.
              They were just police actions.  Wake up.