Here are introductions to a couple of email forwards that are floating on the internet. These short quips illustrate that we are a democracy that protects the right of individual opinion. I didn't write them. I don't practice calling anyone stupid, just because they disagree with my opinion or assessment of a situation. I won't burden you with the transcript of statistics and illustrations the authors used to validate their opinions. You have heard them all before, and I can assure you I don't consider you 'stupid' for disagreeing with mine or the authors' summation of our past 8 years of governmental leadership (either side of the partisan landscape).

This one was all negatives for the present administration.

"Are Americans unusually stupid or is it something our President put in the water? As millions surrender their homes and sacrifice other standards of our nation's economic and political reputation to the caprice of the Bush-Cheney imperium, a majority of voters tell pollsters that they might vote for a candidate who promises more of the same."

This one is in support of the present administration and their accomplishments.

"Are we Voters that stupid? If this doesn't bother you then just delete the message. If, on the other hand, if it does raise the hair on the back of your neck, I hope you forward it to every legal resident in the country including every representative in Washington, D.C. - five times a week for as long as it takes to restore some semblance of intelligence in our policies and enforcement thereof...."

I will say that you are disillusioned with our system and the realities of life, if you are one of those folks who vote on the basis of only one single issue. And, worse yet, if you depend on email forwards for your facts.

Campaign managers are long on negatives about the opposition and short on real positives for their own candidate. They play the negative CD over and over, hoping to cancel out any intelligent discussion of real issues. They play to the prurient interests and emotional weakness of society.

I believe that is what Barack Obama was inferring with his now famous gaff about gun and religion huggers. I think he was right, but, without question used very poor judgment in how he stated it. Neither race, gender, religion, hobby, nor wealth is a legitimate single issue to base your vote on. He isn't stupid and neither are you, just because the two of you disagree on severity, urgency or priority of issues our nation faces.

There is a tremendous difference in telling someone you think they are 'disillusioned' and calling them 'stupid'. Calling me stupid just cuts any further beneficial discussion of the subject off. If I'm stupid, there is no need for me to listen to your opinion, since I'm stupid I won't understand it anyway.