A good friend of mine is an ex-Secret Service agent.

[Swede Atlanta]

30. The GOP scoffed when Janet Napolitano said right wing fringe groups were a danger......

It is bad to have religion, guns, racism and a world view that is disconnected from fact and reality.

Today's GOP is the same or worse than the Taliban, AQ or any other terrorist organization. They behave like children but are far, far more dangerous. If they can't have their way they don't want to just take their toys and go home (I would be okay with that). No, they want to kill the other children in the sandbox and then burn the sandbox down. They have a total scorched earth mentality. It is disconcerting and very disheartening.

I am in my mid-50s. I really don't know if there is any hope for us to return to civility, not just in the political arena but in general. People are in such a hurry and are so inconsiderate of one another from cutting one another off while driving, road rage, littering everywhere, total lack of respect for one another, etc.

When I was growing up and really, I think, until Clinton's presidency, there was a modicum of civility and respect. I'm sure things were deteriorating up to that time but didn't seem so pronounced. I recall the real vitriol started when Clinton sought to integrate gay and lesbian servicemen and women and Hillary championed the first attempt at health care reform. It went downhill from there through the relentless investigations and waste of money on Whitewater, the impeachment proceedings, etc.

I regret that there were so many on the left harbored such deep hatred of GWB. I understand their frustration, especially after the 2004 election results. But I don't recall the left being out for blood against their fellow Americans. None of us wanted anything to happen to GWB because then Darth Cheney would be in charge.

This is a visceral thing with the righties now. They see "their America" that was white and Christian fading away. A new America is taking form and it is increasingly ethnically diverse, more liberal when it comes to issues such as abortion, same-gender issues, immigration, health care reform, etc. They are frightened because they have always, more or less, had it their way. Sure Clinton raised taxes but they were used to that because Reagan raised taxes 17 times.

But this is something new.