> > Please have patience with me.
>
> Unlike the issue of capital punishment, which is, to me, political and little more, the issues touched on in this thread are things I believe is a crippling societal plague, and that's why I was considerably more heated about it. I stand by the harshness of my denouncement of these ideas, but I have no personal hard feelings.

I didn't think you did. And I had no personal hard feelings against you, except that original sensation that your first comment went too far; I think after that long thread, though, I understand you better and am capable of living with it.

I do appreciate the personal constructive criticism, and, as I said, I'm working on it but progress is slow. I will try to restrain myself in the future; if it's any excuse, I was a bit heated myself at the time, because at some level I felt (probably mistakenly) that your comments verged on a direct attack. I apologize for the role I had in escalating this whole thing, and hope we can move on and bury this controversy. After all, as someone else mentioned, it's highly unlikely any national policies will be dictated on the basis of RinkForum posts, and in the meantime we reach a point where discussion becomes wasteful and unedifying to anyone.

Ar"still a newbie, still learning"thur