Your objection is noted. The point I am trying to make may be too subtle for me to communicate. It is that if we are to be masters of the things that unite us, we must choose what we will unite for. Sure we unite when we are attacked, and that is a good thing. I think the unity that can make us generally strong and a generally formidable friend or foe, comes from shared experience. Public schools are such an experience. The draft was that kind of experience. The institutions and experiences that shape who we are striving to become, what our ideals mean in terms of individual behavior have fallen into disrepair. Black and White and Hmong Minnesotans are not likely to have too many common experiences with each other, let alone with the Little Ralphs. How will them little Minnersotans know that they have an obligation to the Little Ralphs? Is it any wonder that Mr. Bush sees things so differently than you and I? We share no experiences. He was not worried about the draft. He was not worried about his grades. Getting into graduate school was not a problem. A drunk driving conviction wasn't a problem. He's not worried about his kids getting decent grades. Or arrested. So, is it any wonder that in his view the best thing to do to help the country is whatever helps his friends the most? I suggest that we should make sure that the next guy we allow to live in our public housing unit on Pennsylvania Avenue should be a graduate of a good public high school...like Joe. He graduated from Stamford High. I would have graduated from there too, but we moved in my senior year...just after my guidence counselor suggested that the Army might like to talk to me about an exciting career, where my talents for mayhem and distruction would be appreciated. -jc New York On Dec 20, 2003, at 11:48 AM, [log in to unmask] wrote: ArialIn a message dated 12/20/2003 9:54:30 AM Eastern Standard Time, [log in to unmask] writes: ArialI'd rather trust decisions regarding unity to the public schools, or Arialeven the draft board, than Al Qaeda, or the mob response to Al Qaeda's Arialdeeds... and certainly I don't want it left to those lying politicians Arialwith their prep-school educations and the faux military experience. Arial4040,0000,4040John, Arial  Arial4040,0000,4040Hmmm.  I certainly didn't mean to suggest that we allow Al Qaeda to make decisions on our behalf regarding public unity, or regarding anything else.  My point was that those bastards (excuse me, I meant to say "motherfuckers," but this nice-language business sometimes confuses me)producedmore unity among us than anything since Pearl Harbor. Arial  Arial4040,0000,4040I'm afraid there may not be much, short of attacks like those, that will produce such unity among us, which is unfortunate.  But in the meantime we seem to be pretty strong despite our diversity. Arial  Arial4040,0000,4040Philosopher Czar