You wrote: Hate Speech? Vulgarities? Just go to any peace demonstration and listen to them speak, chant and sing. It's not a place for children or Christians. No moral person could tolerate such vulgar language. Stay away from ANSWER, Move On, United for Peace, Code Pinko, etc. ________ I'm a Christian and now a senior citizen. I've _always_ taken my children to many peace demonstrations. For nearly 40 years. Two kids attended a 10-day intensive course in NYC and at the A.J. Muste Institute, two handed out WRL button hangers on the Washington Mall. Two went to the gates of a G.E. nuclear trigger factory and two nuclear weapons bases, not to mention a few nuclear power plants and nuclear waste dumps. One, my youngest, is going to a Peace Camp soon. These are all family fun for us. Peaceniks are the best people in America. Almost none are cowards. They are nearly all inimitable examples for my children (whose birth years span the 1960's through the 1990's). I have a photo of my youngest son standing in front of a long line of the riot troops called out in Miami to suppress the FTAA protest. My children are not intimidated by large-bodied well-armed policemen who have attempted to bully them during our street appearances. They speak up loudly and eye-to-eye when questioned. I have even taken them to visit prisoners in jail and on Death Row where they have felt very comfortable in the visiting rooms with our convicted murderers and rapists--and unintimidated by guards power-tripping our prisoners in front of us. We have been herded into people pens by police protecting KKK members using mace and stationing snipers on rooftops around us--and of course the ever-present military Sikorsky overhead (which we shoot back at with a telephoto lens). I do not think any of this is irresponsible or bad fathering. It's just opposing propaganda that espouses and promotes fear. We favor the victims--the kids throwing rocks at the tanks that have just destroyed their family homes--the _ho_ just beaten by a righteous thug, the snubbed homosexual couple that just bought the house next to us, the young black gunned or Tasered to death by the cops, the Hispanic migrant taken down, Tasered, and charged with resisting arrest because he didn't understand the Deputy Sheriff's English-only commands. The speeches, songs, and chants contain fine sentiments--judging from the Jesus I know; they become our highway stay-awake entertainment during long drives when we quote them, sing them, and chant them. We even use them sometimes for night prayers. I think Christians who imagine Jesus as a word-wimp don't get it. My image of Jesus is that He could take on the largest platoon of the hugest Marines in the U.S. armed services and whoop 'em hand-to-hand; He could even take on the army of speech writers employed by the White House and talk 'em into silence. And I'll bet that He would not be shy about using some expletives if He needed them to put the hateful back on their heels. He is the Word that word-hunters like me seek when we make our street posters saying things like "Where's the Evidence Mr. Bush" (which has been good for six years). The thing that sometimes _has_ frightened my children when they were young is a suited up be-flagged patriot (or group of them), lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, viciously exposing their fangs and their vituperation at us from across the street or on the other side of a "free speech barrier." But my kids braved up after paternal counseling. I've told them you've gotta love your enemies. They're not always nice. Sometimes they're like the monsters in fairy tales. But a fearless kiss will transfigure them into princes and princesses. And we're all just people. And _we_ have the power. Although I'm prevented by Florida law from inviting my students to protests, my plan for a classroom shooter is the Pennsylvania Method: "let's roll." Even my two Asian (potential) English majors who both love to play Counterstrike can see the sense of it. The most anyone with a Glock (or even an AK-47) can kill if we, all thirty of us, rush him at once is probably 5--one will be me because I'll lead the charge. That's better than United Flight 93. And it's better than sitting on the floor cowering next to a plasterboard wall. No Fear. (You might even get to meet the real Jesus who will say Come unto Me. Who knows, my Muslim might get his 77 virgins. I've got a female Muslim. What does she get?) Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so . . . John