Arguing on the internet -

- it really is like winning the Special Olympics.

Or so the saying goes. Or is it "running in the Special Olympics"? Something like that, anyway. The punch line is "either way, you're still retarded". I'm currently embroiled in a battle of words with a couple of people on another forum. It came about because there was a lot of bigotry against a Muslim person who had commented, and some name calling and general ugliness under the guise of "patriotism" and "supporting the troops". These people were hiding their bigotries behind a popular cause that people don't like to question...so, I called a spade a spade. And I was called a hypocrit. Which was a pretty lame insult to lob at me, since it's is not something I will ever deny being. Very few of my admittedly very strong viewpoints is ever simply black and white, so sometimes I'm contradictory. But, you know what? I am a firm believer in every American's constitutionally granted freedoms, and their right to abuse them. So, I may not agree with you being a loudmouth, xenophobic jackass, but I will defend to the death your right to make ass-backwards, bigoted statements on a public message board. Just don't expect me to sit idly by watching you try to bully people into not disagreeing with you. Thinking that we're in the middle of a losing "war" (or military occupation) for all of the wrong reasons does not mean I am a "traitor"...it means that one of my constitutional rights is to not unquestionably agree with everything the government does or tells me to believe. And please stop perpetuating the image of the ugly American - you're playing right into the stereotype, and it's embarassing to every rational person who comes in contact with you.