What's next? Maybe Mitch McConnell preaching about nuclear physics? Or how about Tom Delay and Phil Graham pairing up to explain ethics in government? Douglas Feith to explain anything having to do with the real world? Hannity just might be on to something here.

Racism is an insidious disease. I believe there are many people who think they are not racist, and in many ways they are not, but then there is some small aspect that has its roots in bigotry. I believe these aspects are not intentional and the conversations I have had with people have helped me to understand that it was. I was genuinely surprised and in disbelief, but eventually, I got it. I'm not saying I am somehow clean now, just better. I am grateful to those who helped me through it.

Think about this, though. A lot of the confrontations related to race are with people who were not part of the offenses that have occurred. History was made by those who went before us, not us. So why am I to be chastised for the deeds of others? During the civil war, all of my ancestors were in the Ukraine. Who made this my problem? My shame? As I noted above, the disease is insidious and I have my faults. We all do.

While I do not know your personal story, you might relate to how people will challange one African-American with the problems of the ghettos, as though every black person originated their own life in the ghetto. Pretty presumptuous. This is true for some, but false for many. So why are the problems in the ghetto put on you, if you were born in suburbia? Maybe the whole thing is an illusion we have chosen to believe and it will remain as long as we perpetuate it? No. It's real enough, but maybe the day will come when we do not perpetuate it.

The conversation about race began before we were ever a nation and it will continue. We're not all at the same place with this, but be patient. The slow ones will catch up eventually. No one wants to be left behind. As time moves forward, each generation moves forward as well.

Or...

B) She simply doesn't care if she looks like a lunatic as long as it achieves her ends, which is to inspire a revolution of some sort, and hope all the lone nuts out there pick up a gun.

Or...

C) She only wants to be re-elected. As Hannity wants to keep making millions with his shows. And they don't care what monster they have to create, what flames they have to fan in order to continue their lifestyles - even if someone ends up getting burned.

So, she's either crazy, evil or greedy.

The main thing is the idea of a decisive turning point. We have seen many victories, distinguishing their significance in the scheme of things is sometimes difficult whilst the war continues. In any event, Brandy Station works just fine for me!

The reason I want to go here is that Brandy Station was further along in the war. Gettysburg/Vicksburg, they were the high tide and turning point, but I would give that to Martin Luther King, Jr. He gave his speech on the plaza. King had been to the moutain top. I take him at his word. Really, once MLK was able to amass a crowd of that magnitude on the capitol and not be attacked by any police/military forces, the tide had turned.

At Obama's latest press conference, we learned irrefutably, that race, like the cavalry, is at present an ineffective weapon in political warfare. It may be useful in small engagements, but in a major conflict, it has been rendered useless. Huzzah!

People have from time to time, in ages past, provided some justice.

I just think the bigger scandal in this AIG retention award situation is that the record indicates many (most) of these politicians knew about the existence of retention agreements and approved of them but now "pretend" (see comments upthread) they never had a thing to do with it.

TheraP....

"Going silent" is not that unheard of in several aboriginal cultures. I would reckon that you already know all the psychological reasons for this and why it is not too mysterious of a phenomena. I would like to share a physical manifestation, if I may.

It is a very, very old custom in some Native American tribes to wear a soot mark on the face when going silent, usually just a black dash on a cheek. It is known by the rest of the tribe what this mark means. That you are declining to speak, by your own choice, for your own reasons, for however long you wish. You go about your daily business, eating, sleeping, working, whatever....silently, and because the rest of the tribe knows what the soot mark means, they do not worry about your silence and that it really has nothing to do with them personally.

Going silent is coping. The tribe knows that when your center is rebalanced and you are ready, you will wash off the soot mark. When you decide to resume verbal communication the tribe will not question why you went silent. It will not be spoken of. This relieves the pressure of having to give an explanation when an explanation wouldn't really explain a thing.

I tell this story to you, TheraP, because there are many here who worry about their friend. Bleeding heart liberals, ya know. I tell you this story because I know you are a woman who cares deeply about her friends and would not wish to cause them unnecessary concern. I tell you this story because you need to be yelled at, gently, ever so gently. As a member of this community, of this tribe, we have this responsibility to each other.

Anyone can put the soot mark on their face, metaphorically, anytime they need to go silent. A simple message, "I am wearing the soot mark." dropped on a thread or in the chatroom is all that is needed. It will be understood, some one will pick up the meaning and pass it along. Then no one worries when a member "goes silent". Call it tribal mental health.

I pray you come to a peaceful place soon, TheraP.

Pimbadtoo, wahbigwanaabenooje. Pimbadtoo. Aho.

As for this post, yes, we should still keep talking and explore our differences. What we really need to build and understand, as Obama said, is that "we all want to move in the same direction".