An interesting point was raised by Mr. Richard Feder from Fort Lee New Jersey...uh..no. I mean commentor LWHoll.

Whatever it was he said, it made me think to let both of my readers know a little bit about me.

First, I'm not a Democrat. I'm also not a Republican. I'm also neither completely Liberal nor completely Conservative. I'm no Moderate either as I have actual opinions.

I believe that murder should be punished with the death penalty but only in those cases where there is irrefutable DNA evidence and at least two appeals. I believe that rape should be punished in a similar manner. Rape takes a life as surely as does a gun or knife or blunt instrument.

I believe that abortion is wrong but until we as a society can honestly embrace our sexuality and stop telling our children to "think of Jesus instead" and until we can ensure that the unaborted can be adopted and that the mothers won't face hardship for carrying to term, we're, uh, fucked.

I've seen co-workers fired after being injured by unsafe machines that were taken off line just before OSHA inspections. I've been injured by same. I've heard all of the stories of over-regulation as well and I've been in a union. I believe that only the government can adequately serve as a brake on the naturally exploitive nature of business but, cut me a fucking break!

My job brings me into contact with homeless people every day. Most of that contact is unpleasant. I've seen people eating out garbage cans and drinking the dregs of the cups and bottles that you toss out. I've bought them coffee and given them food and donated money and cleaned up their feces and kicked them off my properties. I've seen crazy street people who can't be reached by normal means. I believe we should make the hard-core homeless comfortable but concentrate on saving the people who are willing to seek help.

I voted for Bush yet currently despise his administration and what it has done to my country.

I wanted blood after 9/11. I wanted the invasion of Iraq. I felt betrayed after we found no WMD and dismayed when I found that Cheney and the boys were hoping for a 9/11 to bring along the American sheeple to their view of America as world bully. That has made me extremely suspicious concerning what we knew about 9/11, when we knew it and what we did about it.

I believe in the right to keep and bear arms. I believe that the chance bad people will misuse that right to shoot me is a cost of freedom.

I believe that the president has no right to order warrantless wiretaps of anyone. I believe that the freedom to be free from warrantless searches and seizures is worth the cost of potentially being killed in a terrorist attack. I believe that freedom isn't free but that the cost should not only be borne by our men and women in uniform.

I believe that American culture should be beaten with a stick until its dead.

So there's a quick snapshot of the complex beliefs of Panzo. In essence, I believe in compassionate pragmatism.