I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice.
Barry Goldwater 1964
Thank you for posting that, Swampman. Mr. Goldwater was a little before my time as a political force but I find absolutely no quarrel with the quote atributed to him.
My dad was in Naval Aviation during the Vietnam war and he has always claimed that people were "scared" of Mr. Goldwater because he told a truth that people couldn't handle; that we live in a dangerous world with people and entire nations of people that really don't like us very much and, like bullies in a sandbox, wouldn't hesitate to express their hatred in a meaningful, military way if they thought they could get away with it.
It would be nice if there were leadership on the horizon for 2012 that packed the proper gear to stand up and speak the truth like Goldwater seems to have been able to do in that quote above.
If they're out there, I ain't seein' 'em. Instead, I am seeing a depressing number of fellow citizens who, to rip off from "The X-Files," can't handle the truth, even though the truth is out there.
-JP