Flaja, I respect your right not to vote. I did not vote in the 2006 elections for one reason only. I am new to my area and did not know enough about the candidates to make an informed decision. I feel that citizens have certain obligations to their country, among those is voting. Without it, we will eventually become a dictatorship. That is simply unexceptable to me.

If the Civil War was about states rights and not slavery, just tell me specifically what the North/Federal government did to violate the south's states rights.

If I am so wrong about the Civil War and the Civil War was about states rights and not slavery, just tell me specifically what the North/Federal government did to violate the south's states rights.

I think the Civil War was fought on slavery as well. The south was an overwhelmingly agricultural economy and some of the wealthiest landowners and families owned land and grew cotton on the same scale an Iowa farmer grows corn today.

Simply put, the south needed slaves to help/labor in the fields to bring in the cotton. Slavery played a big role as the engine of the south's agricultural economy and industry!!!

The south also wanted states rights to own and manage their slaves as personal property......w/o interference from the North!!!!!

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AMERICA LAND OF THE FREE HOME OF THE BRAVE--BECAUSE OF OUR CONSTITUTION.

It bad enough to have to vote for the lesser of two evils because you still end up with evil. But, 2006 was the first time that I was totally repulsed by both Democrat and Republican candidates.

My city elections are coming in a few months. We have an open primary- all candidates are listed on the same ballot and a run-off election is held for any race in which no candidate wins a majority. The incumbent mayor is a Republican (who spends like a Democrat or George W. Bush). He has 1 Democrat challenger. I have never voted for a Democrat and likely never will. However, I just sent an email to this Democrat suggesting a few campaign issues. If she replies, I’ll talk to her even if I end up not voting for her. Half of politics is maintaining open lines of communication. D.C. doesn’t remember this, and many people on internet message boards don’t know this to begin with.

I agree with you about the communication. Many of todays representatives get into to office and seldom step back foot into the state from which they were elected. I believe the American voter has the most power at the local level. That is where it starts. Therefore, I consider local elections and state elections as important, if not more, than national elections.

It doesn't matter whether this candidate is Democrat or Republican. Once in office, they are your employee. I think she should make every effort to listen to your concerns and views.

So even if the Democratic candidate is willing to meet you half way........you would still never consider voting for her. Why would she even except your e-mail, let alone waste her time reading it, if this is your attitude!!!

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AMERICA LAND OF THE FREE HOME OF THE BRAVE--BECAUSE OF OUR CONSTITUTION.

I was speaking in terms of maintaining communication between opposing political factions.

BTW: People generally think I am a fool when I want to know how a candidate for local office stands on national issues such as abortion. But, my working assumption is than any office holder, no matter how lowly the office, wants to be president someday. I would much rather defeat a candidate whose ideas I don’t like when he is running for local office than have to worry what he may do in the White House.

A quote from another forum..........



The American flag flew over the Union where slavery was practiced in many Northern states.Just to set the record straight on what Lincolns war of aggression was all about.





"My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union. I shall do less whenever I shall believe what I am doing hurts the cause, and I shall do more whenever I shall believe doing more will help the cause."

The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln edited by Roy P. Basler, Volume V, "Letter to Horace Greeley" (August 22, 1862), p.

The Democrats have been repulsive for my entire life. Why should I expect them to stop now? I don't expect this candidate to acknowledge my email or pay any attention to what I say because she is a politician and a Democrat. But, this doesn't mean I won't try to influence her.

And I will not consider voting for this candidate until I learn more about her. You are a fool to think I would vote for this candidate just because I will not vote the other candidate (the incumbent).Right now I have no reason to expect her to be any different from any other Democrat that I do know about.