I live in Colorado Springs...which is usually enough information for many of my friends (not living here) to look at me with pity and say, "how's it like to live there?" They are of course alluding to the religious right that has by default made this beautiful place their headquarters and the fact it is probably the most conservative town in the country. And honestly, I would not have such a problem with it if the conservatives here weren't so spiteful and anti-nonconservatives. You're not allowed to have a different opinion here. Seriously, the guy running for re-election in Congress uses the following buzz phrases in his literature "liberals in Congress" and "Nancy Pelosi liberals". I guess he doesn't realize that despite not voting for him, he is still my Representative and I his constituent. Apparently he doesn't represent me because I don't share the same opinions.

So, it's not easy to live here as a moderate or liberal. The only paper in town is so skewed to the right that most respectable moderates and pretty much all the liberals in town don't subscribe. But I continue to take The Gazette because although it's dripping with negative politics, it's the only local daily newspaper we have.

My husband asks me at least once a week in an incredulous tone why I read the Opinion section. He says, you KNOW it's going to upset you, why do you continue to do it? Is it self-flagellation? Perhaps. But really, I think I continue to be hopeful that the personality of the city might go through some enlightenment and be more open to different views and more accepting of alternate opinions. And it never hurts to know what those that mean to do you harm (political genocide) are thinking. Easier to know what blow is coming!

Anyhow, it's not surprising that today, no different than most, that I find myself vowing to write a letter to the editor. The difference is that today, I actually wrote it. Oddly it wasn't the most provocative of catalysts. It could be the result or influence of a recent family episode. To protect all involved, I won't mention details, but a family member sent to us a very nasty email that essentially outlined their beliefs (which included prejudice, racist, bigoted and intolerant ones) and it claimed that if we don't like it, we can leave THEIR country. They are the majority in this country and they don't care what we think. I'm sure you've received one like it - it goes by many forms, but all claim to be Andy Rooney's opinion (urban legends and snopes verify it to be false).

My husband and I had a very long discussion about it and my husband came up with a very good analogy, it's like in the Dark Knight movie. We are Batman - we want to battle the intolerance, the bigotry, the negative politics, but we are not willing to do the one thing we'd have to do to actually beat those that hold those views. That would be unthinkable and it would make us no better than the subset, on the other side, that are very prominent and vocal. They are the Joker - they don't care who gets hurt, what damage is done or how divided we become. They must win at all costs.

My recent Take the Flag Back campaign also built upon these themes - that we've been told by those same people that it's not our country, it's not our flag because we don't agree with their views. I said, forget it, this is my flag and I'm done with the use of it as a weapon and wedge to divide us.

So long story short, I decided to write a letter to the editor. Here's the link to the opinion that served as the impetus, and below it is my letter. We'll see if it's actually published.

http://www.gazette.com/opinion/mccain_39615___article.html/water_compact.html

I read The Gazette's View on McCain's position on the 1922 water compact this morning. You all call it "weaseling." I'm just wondering when will it be considered a flip flop?

It seems there is a very clear double standard being used and defined by prominent (and vocal) republicans that their "guys" don't "flip flop", they change their position. That their "guy" is not an "elitist" he just has more houses than he can keep track of. That their "guy" can have a personal friendship and direct business relationships with Charles Keating, who was convicted for fraud, racketeering, and conspiracy, but that shouldn't reflect badly on him, in fact it shouldn't be mentioned. That their "side" doesn't believe in "timetables" or "timelines" but they are comfortable with "general time horizons".

Does a subset of the Republican-Party-Karl-Rove tactics boil down to Pot and Kettle? Point first and you're in the clear?

The Gazette factually stated that McCain stood on the unpopular side (at least locally) of the water debate. But if the Gazette stopped at that point, they might draw attention to weakness in their candidate. So the Gazette decided to employ negative politics and turn the issue, throw out a red herring and point their finger at Obama instead claiming the out-dated rhetoric about redistribution of wealth. That's childish. But it's very astute Pot Kettle politics, isn't it?

I can't tell you how often I hear people say they hate negative ads, yet, they seem to be working so who are they working on? You? (Obama's lead in the polls has decreased since McCain started an onslaught of negative and personal attack ads against Obama).

It's time Americans start paying attention to the politics that are being employed this election. Do we want to continue with negative politics and destroy what is left of compassion on either side so that compromise and solutions are impossible? That's where we're headed if the slash and burn politics being used by McCain continues. Hasn't the past 8 years taught us that criminalizing the other side, when they are our fellow Americans, only creates bigger divides?

In the end, if prominent Republicans continue me-vs-them politics, fear mongering and campaigning to the lowest common denominator, there's no going back - wounds will be too deep. There is no integrity in forwarding an email claiming Obama is a Muslim because deep down you KNOW it's not true, but you do it anyway because you just don't want Obama to win.

Winning by any means necessary ensures that we all lose. Remember the beloved American President Abraham Lincoln's words: "A house divided against itself cannot stand."