Thus far I’ve sent them several responses in complete opposition to their positions and they have not yet stopped.

I hope they don’t since, after grimacing, I usually get a laugh from what they have to say since so much of it seems so whacky.

Al Forget

NewsMax has not responded.

For 25 years I lived in Seattle, WA (through October last year), and did my best to continue to serve my community through involvement in the political process. To that end I became a member of a quite large democrat organization and was well enough regarded to serve as the Secretary of that group, as their representative to the King County Legislative Action Committee, and as a member of both the King County and Washington State Democrat Platform Committees for several election cycles. I was also privileged to serve as a volunteer with the election/reelection campaigns of various local political lights (Senator Patty Murray, Candidate for the United States Senate and King County Executive Ron Sims, and Congressman Jim McDermott among others) doing mundane tasks such as phone banking, mailings, filing, data input and even some representational work. For 12 years I maintained the political database for Congressman McDermott.

I also volunteered in numerous local campaigns and with issue groups in support of environmental concerns, women’s reproductive rights, and various other matters. I from time to time have written letters to the editors of various local papers and have had a few Op-ed articles published. Through such activities I became known to and trusted by local politicians because others listened to what I had to say and respected it because my words were both thoughtful and meaningful–the more so because I have no political ambitions of my own though not a few individuals have suggested I consider running for one office or another. I have, however, been elected as a Precinct Committee Officer which is a political office and one which I took very seriously since it entails representing the people who elected you to that position.

I was also privileged to provide clerical/office assistance to the Advance Campaign for Bill Clinton’s reelection campaign; and, as well, to serve on the Wes Clark for President State Committee.

The late Speaker of the House of Representatives told us “All politics is local” and he was entirely correct. The word politics comes from the Greek word for people and our Founding Fathers ordained and established the Constitution of the United States in the name of “We the People of the United States” doing so to “establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.

In doing so they admonished us to participate in the process and, from my standpoint the most important part of the “Preamble” is that phrase which tells us we should be about insuring the betterment of our society for future generations–for our Posterity. As an individual citizens I help that process unless I take part in it which is why I try to study the issues as deeply as I can so that what I might be able to contribute will be (to at least some degree) be based on REASON rather than PASSION.

Anyway, Lora, and after all too much verbiage, the reason I choose to continue to receive NewsMax is so that I can better understand the issues and know that whatever I might be able to contribute to the political process will consider the viewpoints of others even if solely be able to counter opposing positions

Best regards,

Al Forget

Cause and effect are not always easily interpreted.

And I don’t believe in karma the way that you mean it. It is a word that fits the natural inclinations of electrity (everything is composed of different forms of it).

Karma is like magnets. You know, the things that, without magic or guiding forces, attract to other metals? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnet

There was a building in India that used magnets to make a large Hindu icon (they are not really gods the way Chrsitianity defines teh word) float. The invading British, upon seeing this, believed it had to be witchcraft, and destroyed the building. It was just magnets.

There are no gods. The universe doesn’t need a creator or a guider.

You believe in ‘karma’ don’t you?
(Oh,poor taste on your part in this morning’s Think-Fast).
Well,’karma’ has to have a guiding force.

You only make comments like the easter bunny and others to draw out ‘Antagonist’.I think you like her attention-indeed any attention.

Again I ask: Who guides ‘karma’? A brainless universe?

Witch? Oh, that’s right – you believe in absurd imaginary charcters like Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and God…

As regards their point of view regarding John Murtha, I sent them the following:

My comments to NEWSMAX in re John Murtha and Ann Coulter

This service disabled U.S. Navy command master chief petty officer who served on active duty for over 30 years agrees with Congressman Murtha.

All too many who have never served in the military–not to mention a tremendous number of those who served but one tour and can relate only to their very limited experience as junior enlisteds or officers–just do not understand the purpose of our military. Certainly defending the United States against enemies foreign and domestic is what military service is all about; but, it exists even more importantly to prevent war by being so ready to fight that potential enemies will, instead, chose diplomatic solutions to crises.

Many in the Congress who voted to authorize the President to use military force against Iraq did so with the understanding (nay, assurance) that use of such force would be as a last resort. Since the time of Teddy Roosevelt (remember, “Speak softly but carry a big stick”.) that has been the understood circumstance under which we would send our troops to battle.

Rather than deploying our military might when diplomatic efforts had been exhausted and the ongoing inspection regime had investigated the suspicions that Iraq had or was developing weapons of mass destruction—the allegations of which have been totally disproved—the decision to invade Iraq was taken as a first rather than last possible action.

That our forces were sent in harm’s way in Iraq based on either faulty intelligence or (as it appears) intelligence that was skewed or tailored to fit predetermined purposes is not only atrocious but criminal.

Who in the Pentagon or White House is willing to step up to the plate and admit responsibility for their mistakes which have thus far taken the lives of over 2,500 soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines and wounded and maimed over 18,000 others. Those loss totals do not include persons under contract and most certainly give no consideration to the lives of innocents killed or injured in the fighting which by some estimates now well exceed 200,000 human beings.

Carl Rove is not worthy of my approbation and I must withhold it. As to whether part of his anatomy is large, I must admit that his obvious pudginess reminds me of the Pillsbury Doughboy.

Should I assume that Rove might not have been physically qualified to serve in the military; or should I conclude that he, along with so many others in the Administration, simply did everything possible to avoid service?

My Kudos go to John Murtha. Bravo Zulu Congressman.

As an aside: It is but small wonder that your survey regarding approval or disapproval of Ms. Coulter was 85% approval and 15% disapproval. When a poll is administered to a partisan group of adherents to a political position–which, given the tenor of much of what NewsMax reports as news, the results cannot help but be slanted. Such is the case here. The “rabid” obviously support the rabid Ms. Coulter.

Al Forget
Command master chief petty officer USN (retired)
Toledo, WA

No.
But I am digging out the truth.

Don’t you have a bone to go bury or a car to go chase?

Take heart,there are others out here who know how unbelievable is and how she debates.And that number is growing.
She has a small cadre of syncophants that she knows exactly how to stroke.
You really should ignore her–she is miserable and she knows it.

Nope – the reverse. It was you who started off on that foot and never can get off of it.

I can only shake my head at your inability to process information.

More condescention. You think you are better than me. So typical with you absolutists. You wonder why we avoid you.

You keep hurling your anti-religeous accusations at a strawman—a caricature—bit’s and pieces that you’ve cobbled together that don’t even remotely represent anything that any religious person believes.

Again – more opinion from you and not one single fact or information about the strawman you keep building and defending.

I’m not making up strawmen. Most Christians are hypocrites. The statistics of percent show more of your kind in prison than mine and validate my assertions. You just can’t see it because you don’t want to see it. “Blaming the Devil” makes you have to find devils. Silly really – and a horribly stressful way to live.

What can I say to someone who turns every statement on its head?

What do people normally say to you?

You have my pity.
Comment by Antagonist — June 20, 2006 @ 12:37 pm

Keep it. I neither need nor want it.

You are not better than me as your actions repeatedly show.

Here’s a bit of unsolicited advice for you – if you don’t like what I have to say – don’t read my posts. I rarely read yours. I can’t stand the patronizing, holier-than-thou way you insult people. Get a clue.

You’ve managed to assign your own meaning to virtually everything I have said. I can only shake my head at your inability to process information. You keep hurling your anti-religeous accusations at a strawman—a caricature—bit’s and pieces that you’ve cobbled together that don’t even remotely represent anything that any religious person believes. What can I say to someone who turns every statement on its head? You have my pity.

Nothing is different. Stop watching Desperate Housewives. People don’t change. I haven’t changed. I’ve always been open about being an Atheist – from day one. That’s nothing new.

. Perhaps she needs an intervention, I think liberals look very favorably on these…
Comment by Antagonist — June 20, 2006 @ 12:14 pm

Perhaps you need to stop thinking you are better than me and therefore have some right to dictate how I should live my life. I didn’t ask for your input. And I certainly don’t want to be anything like you. You’ve always been contentious and hypocritical.

The people who have a problem with me are those on the fringe of both the left and the right. It’s not the way you describe at all. The left 9/11 Conspiracy Theorists hate me as much as your Jesus Freaks do. Most everyone else has no problem with me. Not that I, like you, worry about it. I don’t fret over things I cannot control. And the only thing I control is myself – whom I like just fine the way I am.

So, thank you very much for your unsolicited melodrama, but please, don’t waste your time. I like myself. Clearly, it’s who I’ve chosen to be.