HPSCatBland

Youch, I believe you deliberately misunderstand the point I was trying to make. AND IF YOU EVEN ATTEMPT TO PRESUME THAT MY HUSBAND MADE THE STATEMENT, I WILL REPORT YOU. Yes, I can be intolerant. Most humans specialize in that aspect of humanity. I don't, but I can ascribe to it when the situation warrants it. I did not by any means make any valid points inadvertently. I never do anything inadvertently. I absolutely agree we should repeal the 16th amendment. I've believed that for a great number of years. I was exempting you from the category of people that I was speaking of, in the hopes that you'd see that you have the option of including yourself. It is a personal choice. You are not forced to be part of any discussion here. I do have one itty-bitty question to ask of you...what part of Georgia are you from? The only people I know that so grossly mispronounce the common language are from Georgia. By the way, don't you dare ever insult my husband to me again.

Panpareil, I believe it may have been just a few more than fifty years. But as to the rest, you forgot one thing. The Civil War was only about slavery after it had ended. The Southern Sates had a real problem with not being autonomous, which is why they seceeded. They demanded, and expected to receive, that autonomy. When they realized they weren't autonomous, and were, in fact, accountable to the centralized government, they got a little peeved about that. The Emancipation Proclamation was only the icing, if you will. The cherry on top? Over 50% of non-whites in the South were not slaves, and some, (over 25%) were born free. Some even owned slaves of their own. The rest? Yeah, that's about right.

Lordie, please get back on topic. And let's be honest here: I am a WITCH. I use proper grammar and spell things correctly because I like being understood by whomever has the opportunity to read my words. As I previously stated: if a person is bragging on Facebook about having bought an iPhone, I only see that as a problem if that person spent their welfare money to purchase the aforementioned iPhone. If they spent their income tax refund to invest in a popular cell phone that just might last more than a year, more power to them. I hope their bills are caught up.

I was very fortunate to have been exposed to a great number of differing viewpoints as a child. (I got kicked out of 6 churches for being a witch.) I even attended a Catholic church and an Episcopal church. But the one unifying thing was that they all claimed to be the one true church. All basically Christian, of course. I read the Letters of Mark Twain, and realized that if I really wanted to fully understand and complete my journey as a Christain-raised child, I had to read the Bible. Now, many people may ask how Mark Twain can lead me to that conclusion, so here's your answer: The best cure for Christianity is reading the Bible. -Mark Twain I began my own path at the ripe old age of 16 and have been a devout Wiccan since the age of 20. Go ahead and let your child be part of your rituals, whatever your religious base is. When they reach an age of maturity, let the child read the religious books with which you define your faith. As I said, in my case, it was the Bible. But give the child a good base, teach them faith and loyalty, and open-mindedness. Teach them how to love and be loved, teach them they are awesome because they were made that way, and when they ask questions you don't know how to answer, show them how to Google it. Remember that your child is going to hear some Christian teachings throughout his/her life, due exclusively to the overwhelming preponderance of Christians in this world who believe they should "Go forth & teach the Gospel" and those who can't, for whatever reason, prevent themselves from spouting religified propaganda every few minutes. Teach your child to forgive these people for their excesses, just as we are supposed to forgive those who harm us without intent.

Lordie, I apologize for what I am about to do. Brother Kaman has attempted to explain to you that we, as a general group, cannot understand your writing style. I grasp that your schools allowed you to progress to the level of education you have, but as for a futurist writing style, have you ever watched Idiocracy? It's a stirring story of what happens when people begin to believe that they're as good as they can get without striving for higher levels of education & intellect, set roughly 500 years in our future. I do not have a southern draw, though I occasionally allow my carefully modulated speech to slip into a drawl. Please re-read this sentence. This is how it should be written: You say my writing style cannot be interpreted by you. Who needs an education? Not me. Note the correction of the spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Now that I've finished with the example, I would like to say that you are correct. People who are on welfare (whatever sort) shouldn't be bragging about the new iPhone they purchased, especially if they purchased the aforementioned iPhone with their welfare check. That money could & should have been better spent on taking care of their families and homes. I'm sorry for the initial harshness of my posts, but your writing style is indicative of your level of education, no matter where in the world you go. If you speak with eloquence, and yet write less elegantly and with less eloquence than the average uneducated (as opposed to undereducated) inner city child, then you lose both credence and potential respect. If your only method of communication is the written word, then your level of education, formal and otherwise, is nullified unless you can write as if you are as well-educated as the rest of us. I understand that you have some difficulty with your sight and recommend that you get a special keyboard with the letters in large yellow print on black plastic (or are they large black letters on yellow plastic? I can't remember). I bought one for my first husband (before his death) because his sight was failing. It worked wonders. They're roughtly $10 at newegg.com. As to the amount of torment and abuse you have suffered in your life, I will not compare war stories with you. Suffice it to say, I have been to Hell, and I know who lives there. I will never allow anyone to drag me back. Don't use your life experinces to wring pity from others. Not only does it not work, it makes ordinary humans reluctant to listen to you. Let that experience make you a stronger person. Make that torture your foundation on which to build a better, new life. Don't allow anyone to ever drag you back to where you were before today.