First of all, DC, allow me to be the first to welcome you back. I read your post above about five minutes after you made it, but I was unable to respond immediately, as I was about to go out to pick up some bagels and lox.

Anyway, "live and let live" as well as "fair and equal" are certainly two very admirable sentiments to which I subscribe fully.

I believe in gays rights, abortion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of religion. In fact, I believe that people should be allowed to do almost anything they wish to with or on their private property as long as it doesn't interfere with the rights of others.

As far as what people do in public, of course, I'm not as liberal with my viewpoint, but I still believe that if their actions to not interfere with or trample on the rights of others, almost anything goes.

I agree with you as well when you say that not everything is black and white.

While I support a woman's right to choose abortion, for example, or the rights of gay couples to marry (to name but two), I understand fully that these issues are far from black and white for most people, including myself.

There are very compelling arguments that can be and are made for both sides of the coin for either of these issues, and while I have my own opinion, I certainly respect and understand the position of those who do not agree with mine.

The free interchange of differing points of view is one of the things that has made America great, and, accordingly, I would never accuse anyone, regardless of the issue or their position on it, of "trying to stick it up the ass of another" or trying to "knock things down and jam points down others throats" or being "some jerks (who) want to jam their views down America's throat".

In fact, with only one or two exceptions -- those who choose to reduce the discussion to a personal level and resort to name-calling and personal criticism rather than the presentation of a logical argument and who shall remain nameless -- I greatly admire the passion that some of the members here bring to the discussions, regardless of their particular stance on the issue under consideration.