I was sent this image tonight by an individual which prompted me to write the following response to him:

Dave,

I guess I should thank you for this, but, at best, I find it mildly amusing. I really do avoid discussing religion or politics, but I am a little surprised after being given access to my personal website and blog that you would be sending me this movie poster parody.

I do support the President, and I do support his war on terrorism. He is certainly not a "Dumbfuck." I'm not a lock step Republican, but I really haven't seen any superstars in the Democratic party emerge who would be offering an alternative leadership. Only thing I see are a lot of Democrats who can only bitch and moan about anything, but NOT PROVIDE A SOLUTION they think would be viable. As someone who is fiscally conservative, socially liberal, and basically a political fence sitter who is driven by issues rather than a political ideology, I have not forgotten about the 3,000 Americans who were killed on September 11th, I have not forgotten about the hundreds of thousands of people killed by Saddam Hussein, I have not forgotten about the millions of people who have been denied freedom for over forty years by a vicious dictator. As an first generation American with strong ties to Europe, I often feel I'm looking into American politics and culture from outside the fishbowl.

With that, I find it amusing to watch the American populace view the war like a 22-minute sitcom with a cute and neat and sophomoric ending. War is hell, David, and is/was totally justified after 19 United Nations resolutions compelling Saddam Hussein from gassing and anihilating people who happen to disagree with him. Adolf Hitler did the same in World War II, as did Josef Stalin. As for both of these despots, I have personal ties: my father, a Jew but raised Catholic, was arrested by the Nazis and held for nearly a year in Belgium. Only thing that saved him was when the Nazis discovered that he hadn't been circumsized. My grandfather on my mother's side sat on the Supreme Court of Latvia until he was executed by the occupying Russians. My mom...as did hundreds of thousands of Balts... herself had to escape from Latvia to the west with the clothes on her back and an old suitcase in the dead of winter.

Meanwhile, Senator Barbara Boxer, who I voted for, goes on the floor of the Senate, yells and screams about President Bush and the question of the secret suveillance, yet will do nothing to denounce and combat the open selling of landline and private cell phone records, as reported in today's online edtion of the Chicago Sun Times. Here's the link to that article: http://www.suntimes.com/cgi-bin/print.cgi?getReferrer=http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-privacy05.html

Neither political parties are really interested in the well being of our country, while they try to sell us the concept that they "are." They are about power and ego and worn out cliches. Has President Bush made some serious miscalculations: yes. But every true leader makes miscalculations...leaders are not omniscent. Individuals who sit on the fence and just try to do what is politically correct and expedient are not leaders...they are simply chair warmers. Whether what we have done in Iraq is right or wrong is not for us to say. It will be the political landscape and historians in 25-and-50 years from now who will be the judges.

The time has come in this country that we stop addressing our political views as a string of pejortives, but rather as educated discourse. "Dumbfuck Mountain" is not educated discourse.

This all said, while I disagree with your perspective, I hope that you would respect mine...with the hope that you will stay in touch with me.

All the best,

Ivars