<And democracy is democracy. After 225 years you still have the right to speak your mind in public about how "oppressive our goverment is" without getting thrown in the slammer. Our constitution and fundamental rights remain essentially intact after all this time. I think what would really do you and your ilk a lot of good would be living in a REAL totalitarian socialist nation for a few years. You might then realize how ridiculous your opinions now are.

"Essentially intact" is right. We may not be a totalitarian nation, but we are sure headed that way. Maybe not the totalitarianism of tanks and jack boots, but the totalitarianism of bureaucrats and sensitivity trainers.

If I still have free speech, and can carry a gun, it is no thanks to the left in this country. I spend a lot of time watching leftist legislators and other people in power furiously gnashing on the chains of the Constitution that are restraining them.

Try writing opinions like mine on a University campus, a test tube example of a world run by liberals (the city of Washington, D.C. is another), and your writings literally get burned. Try to express opinions like mine in a speech on a campus, and you are censored, or shouted down by the crowds.

The First Amendment has been twisted to make "establishment" of religion synonymous with "expression" of religion. The "freedom of speech" portion is under attack by "hate speech" laws. The Second Amendment is battered constantly, but still stands, if somewhat wobbly. The Ninth and Tenth Amendments have been so much toilet paper for decades now.

Many politicians submit to the election process, but it is plain that they think it's a complete waste of their time. Offered the post of "Senator For Life," a majority of them would grab at it, wondering only what took the American people so long to recognize their right to rule.