I thought I'd post a response to Sid's chastising in comments. He's right, I've violated the code, my role is pollyanna. And I believe him that there are damn fine people out there. I haven't lost my faith in individuals. I think rather I've lost my faith in the American Public as an entity. In last weekend's Times Magazine there's an article profiling Bono, and it says, "He believes - he knows - that the American people would demand action on Africa if only someone would tell them the facts." I used to have this sweetly naive idea too - that when presented with The Truth the American people would act thoughtfully and justly. Not necessarily in a way that aligned with my own personal views, but in a way that could be logically followed as a rational reaction to The Truth. But the past few years have just time and again shown me how willing the masses are, nay, how eager they are, to avoid using any hint of the critical thought processes they may have rattling around in their heads. Or even to prioritize. How is it possible to sacrifice a dozen other things you may believe in (for example, education, job security, healthcare, etc.) for a single solitary issue (perhaps abortion or 'security')? It just doesn't make any sense. And hence the only conclusion I can see is that the American Public, en masse, is highly unlikely to act in its own best interests, much less anyone else's. But maybe I'm not really that cynical. If Bono can still believe, maybe I can too. Carrie's suggestion ain't bad - Barack does make my heart go pitter pat.