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We have seen many things about our POTUS that many do not like about him, and while we have all had leaders we did not like, we could usually pick out a few things, or traits/characteristics you could use or emulate.
So, list the things you do like, keep it professional as always. What did momma say? "If you have nothing nice to say, don't say nothing all."
I'll start:
(1) President Obama broke the racial barrier. He earned an education, became a Senator and a lawyer and is now the President.
(2) He has given millions a hope that one day they can do something great, especially those from under privileged areas.
(3) He has largely supported the military until as of recently with the downsizing, which is inevitable in every decade, our leaders have to make cuts...we keep only the best and brightest, right?
(4) He is a very supportive husband and father, and we need strong father role models in today's society where fathers are as rare as a long term-marriage.
I believe he honestly wants good things for America...I don't necessarily agree with the way he is going about it.
(5) He authorized the killing of Osama Bin Laden.
I know there aren't many fans on RP, but if there is something you like, share it if you dare.
So, list the things you do like, keep it professional as always. What did momma say? "If you have nothing nice to say, don't say nothing all."
I'll start:
(1) President Obama broke the racial barrier. He earned an education, became a Senator and a lawyer and is now the President.
(2) He has given millions a hope that one day they can do something great, especially those from under privileged areas.
(3) He has largely supported the military until as of recently with the downsizing, which is inevitable in every decade, our leaders have to make cuts...we keep only the best and brightest, right?
(4) He is a very supportive husband and father, and we need strong father role models in today's society where fathers are as rare as a long term-marriage.
I believe he honestly wants good things for America...I don't necessarily agree with the way he is going about it.
(5) He authorized the killing of Osama Bin Laden.
I know there aren't many fans on RP, but if there is something you like, share it if you dare.
Posted in these groups: 
Office of the President (POTUS)
Barack Obama
Office of the President (POTUS) Barack Obama
Edited 9 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 346
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You lost me at "broke the racial barrier." While I admit he himself has made a great life and achieved what most in politics would consider the penultimate victory in being elected POTUS, it is clear the racial divide in America is at an all time high since the abolition of slavery. I blame this administration. For that widening gap.
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SrA Mike Sulton
I grew up in Arkansas in the late 60's and 70's and I don't remember this much hatred and contempt for each other's ethninticity....Do we have a racial problem... You bet we do, but the POTUS has done more to destroy the progress in the last 7 years than we have made in the last 50....
People have to STOP using the words "White American" African American" or any other name in front of American and unite as an "AMERICAN" once we have a common name as a country we can work on a common goal as a people.
People have to STOP using the words "White American" African American" or any other name in front of American and unite as an "AMERICAN" once we have a common name as a country we can work on a common goal as a people.
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CPT Wallace Dunn
SrA Mike Sulton - That needs to start with the Government... Why do they ask us for "race" on every single government form?
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The responses to this thread show that American military members are just as bad as politicians, which in effect are simply a reflection of the greater society. If you watch any of the presidential, Congressional, or other elected debates the moderator will often ask a question and you will see the candidates simply brush the main point of the question aside and utilize it as a segue into their main points. In this thread the question was what do you like about Pres. Obama, and a large portion of the respondents utilizes an opportunity to segue right back into what they don’t like about the president. A large portion of the topics, and discussion on the site are about how much the military community is not happy with the current administration, but when it cannot even set aside that unhappiness to answer a simple question, or elect not to attempt to answer the simple question then he shows it is only interested in scoring points within a political argument.
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I would just like to share an old soldiers line, "Ours is not, to question why, ours is, to do or die" THAT is what a soldier is about. A soldier in my time would not even think, about disrespecting his Commander in Chief. There is a reason for that. It prevents "mutiny". And, it's punishable by court martial, rightly so.
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CPT Wallace Dunn
Negative Sgt. Bailey. It is your obligation and your DUTY to question orders that may be deemed immoral or illegal. You cannot just blindly follow orders and be free of any responsibility for your actions. There are several people in Ft. Leavenworth that will testify to that.
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He has created long term permanent jobs in cities typically housed by illegals.
He has consistently lied when it was convenient to him.
He has pushed for military retirees to be paid 20% less.
His leadership has lost us Iraq and Afghanistan.
Not exactly blazing the trail of leadership from the front.
He has consistently lied when it was convenient to him.
He has pushed for military retirees to be paid 20% less.
His leadership has lost us Iraq and Afghanistan.
Not exactly blazing the trail of leadership from the front.
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SGT Scott Bailey
GySGT Michael Lange, thank you for putting the truth in layman's language. The truth is the truth. I agree with your statement 100%. Its good to know that there are still people out there that can see things the way they really are and have the guts to say it. As straight up as your statement was, you weren't cutting people down. You were holding them accountable. I hope others that read your statement would engage in intelligent conversation and not get all upset because they don't agree with you. We are all Americans. We are, our brothers keeper. We should stand as one, no matter how we feel. Americans have let the politicians poison their view of anyone not like themselves. We can agree to disagree. But we don't have to hate to do so. It really hurts me to see us Americans at each others throats. You cannot say you're an American and not respect any view other than your own. They have places like that, but it's NOT America. I absolutely despise people that engage in conversation with no intention of being open minded, or respect the others opinions. That is just childish. As Americans, we need to hold our elected officials accountable, especially when their decisions have costs so many lives. President Obama definitely let me down when he made the "no looking back" comment. Someone needs to do what's right, whoever occupies the White House next. Corruption is going to sink our Country if we just stand by without demanding accountability AND punishment. God Bless the United States of America and all who are blessed to be here.
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Capt Walter Miller
I agree with Gunny Lange. Bush was a willing puppet of some horrible traitors and he is a traitor himself. I like to think that President Obama let Cheney and Rice and Rumsfeld and the other traitors slide because he wanted to get the ACA passed. Yes President Obama should have let the laws operate on these admitted torturers and war criminals. But that would have kept the country roiled up in a way where no progress could be had.
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Sgt Jay Jones
Capt Walter Miller - Capt Walter Miller. I think the reason that President Bush's administration was not charged is due not wanting to start a system where every new administration would "castrate" the previous administration. All administrations break or bend the laws of this country. Can you imagine what would happen if every former President or close advisors would end up in prison after that administration left office. Difficult precedence to set.
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CPT Wallace Dunn
Just because you're in the military doesn't mean you can't be hit by the stupid stick... You want to call out someone for not knowing the "facts?" And then blame Bush for the economic meltdown we now call the "mortgage crisis?" Think again. Do some research on what caused it in the first place. I'll give you a big hint. It was the Democrat policies first started by Carter, then Clinton double downed on them. Do you know that Obama was an Attorney? One of the VERY FEW court appearances he ever made was to defend ACORN in their lawsuit to force banks to make loans to high risk, low credit borrowers. The Republicans in the House and Senate tried no less than 18 times to get legislation passed in reference to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. They could see the train wreck coming. Facts. Do some research. Bush didn't LIE to anyone. He was misled by the same Intelligence reports that EVERYONE else read. ALL of the Democrats and ALL of the Republicans, and ALL of the United Nations supported the attack on Afghanistan and Iraq.
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That one day he'll have to answer for his actions, if nor here on earth, then in front of God.
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CPT Ahmed Faried
wow. He must be some kind of Socialist-Commie-loving muslim-Hitler of some kind then.
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Despite the news we watch, not everyone is all good or all bad. Here's 10 POTUS pros... 10 POTUS cons...
Accomplishments
1) he's a great speaker. He makes you believe his words, even if some are baseless hollow comments that will eventually make you cringe after evaluating the meaning behind the rhetoric.
2) he took the fight to al Queda (bin laden), fulfilled that promise, then moved us out
3) Although it's terrible for THEIR region, he's kept us from fully committing against ISIS, a fight we gain nothing from winning but it seems many want to fight in any case.
4) he started the goal of making it possible for everyone to have a doctor. (The approach is backwards and could potentially hurt people or businesses who oppose/ can't afford it, and has done nothing to FIX problems in the healthcare industry - but he's started progress toward fulfilling the 'life' part of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"). People should have a God-given right to live healthy. Obamacare will be either tweaked, replaced, or improved because it is inherently flawed, but America's children deserve to go to school and not come home 'with what the poor kid's got.'
5) he has requested raises for military every year in office despite furloughs for other government employees. (Yes, I want bigger raises like back in the day, but maybe that's part of the reason why the country went broke in the first place).
6) he has pursued leaps and bounds for women in the work place. Low income folks (including many vets) have access to food stamps, welfare, WIC, etc. (more on that not being checked enough I n the negative column, but helping people who legitimately need it is always a good thing).
7) he has enacted policies to create more total jobs than ever in this country's history and reduced unemoyment rates tremendously - 9.9% to 5.5% (although I wouldn't contribute that all to him). Add in lower gas prices, higher average income wages, record stock highs (combined with Wall Street oversight), and economically speaking he's been a very effective fiscal administrator. (I guess trickle-down economics isn't as effective as taxing and spending wisely.)
8) he has reduced the deficit from $1.4 trillion in the red when he took office $480 billion today. (Annual budgets included, the deficit is the most important aspect of government finance).
9) while I personally give two craps about it, he's enticed a clean-energy technological revolution. All the tree huggers and hippy environmentalists are happy I guess, but he did that without really hurting our current industries like coal or oil. So while I could care less, some folks are happy and I'm sure it will undoubtedly make my daughters' world cleaner.
10) he's been a diplomatic champion. While we could roll over any enemy that stands in our way, he's done thing unilaterally and brought more countries and more stakeholders to the table in an increasingly globalized world. Middle East crazies, Iran, Russia, North Korea, African war lords, tyrants and dictators have all been changed for the better through diplomacy.
Criticisms ...
1) he couldn't deliver on his "I'll change the world" philosophy. Despite those 10 accomplishments above which ultimately led to a better America, he promised to turn around every bad thing into an American utopia. That's freakin impossible! People who never voted before flocked to the polls giving him more reelection votes than any President in history - but guess what, we all still live in the same world with the same problems. Thanks for your one time vote!
2) this administration is possibly the worst public relations machine ever. He is blamed for everything, and takes it. He looks weak by letting opponents say what they will without responding in kind. They say he's ruined the economy, built up gun control, eradicated the poor, micromanaged and personally orchestrated scandals like IRS/Benghazi cover up/fast in furious- nothing could be further from the truth, but he stands there either looking like an inept president, or weak. That's the damn POTUS, stand up, grab your sack, and show you have a backbone. Terrible PR/ imaging.
3) poor management of his departments. As I said above, he didn't tell the IRS to scrutinize opponents, or a customs agent to sell guns to Mexican dealers, or didn't tell people to lie about why an attack happened on an embassy... But it happened on his watch. That's like saying the brigade full bird is responsible for PVT Snuffy who got a DUI. But is was under Obama's watch, so D- for not stopping things after they've happened.
4) pushes constitutional limits a little too much. If Congress doesn't write a law, F it- executive oder. If Congress can't agree- F it, executive authority. This has been the most dysfunctional Congress ever- partisanship, obstruction and sabotage everywhere. There will be NO PROGRESS with this congress, no compromise. So to combat that, the President just wrote his own laws. I'm not saying id be different, because I'd sidestep Congress if they were so terrible- but there's a Constitution for a reason. Actually, Obama has issued less executive orders than any President in more than 100 years, less than both Bush's, Clinton, Carter, Raegan- less than every President since William McKinley in 1900. The problem is, Obama's executive orders aren't all about national parks or ceremonies- they are replacing what Congress is supposed to due as written in the constitution- write laws. Obama felt he had few options...Option A) do nothing because Congress isn't functioning and deadlocked on any laws needed for progress; Option B) do it yourself as POTUS which flirts with unconstitutionality. But There has to be an option C though. One where progress is made, constitution is followed, and government functions without threat of shutting down.
Obama has been an independent isolationist who back channels around people who are against him, causing even allies to see him as divisive and catering only to his goals. Perhaps the rest of congress set him up by forcing his hand with constant gridlock, but Americans can't trust a guy who thinks he's winning at solitaire when they're watching world poker stars.
5) Obama has made it clear that States rights aren't his priority. $15 in NYC is much different than $15 in Kentucky. But to try for a federal minimum wage hike takes power away from local municipalities. Obamacare is federal. He has left gun control and some other things up to local voters, but policies show an attempt to consolidate power at the federal level without much respect for States.
6) Obamacare. Yes, millions of Americans have access to healthcare that they didn't have before. Public exchanges where multiple companies compete are popping up all over. Yes, the average premiums have gone down. Yes- that all sounds great, but POTUS has lost the public opinion polls. They said in the beginning that Small businesses couldn't afford it- large corporations would get shadier. Low income folks would declare bankruptcy. Insurance companies would raise prices. Doctor quality care would go down. They said the economy would be ruined forever!! None of it did happen. But POTUS lost the battle of public opinion. His arrogance showed by giving a 'mandate.' He sh*t on states rights by making them get involved or they'd be starved out of public funds. The website was pathetic at first. Most of all, he PROMISED America they could keep their plan- but that promise was broken.
-as an accomplishment above, I wrote the ACA was a good step forward to get the ball rolling as people shouldn't have to choose if they want to see a doctor- it is our right as humans to live. But Obama found a way to FORCE people into it. Several improvements are needed as it doesnt come close to fixing our messed up healthcare industry and mandates people get locked in to the shady insurance industry.
6) bark without a bite. He has claimed to support certain issues but has done absolutely nothing to improve them- some he should do nothing about and are t real issues, but he barks loud with little bite...schools, global warming, income inequality, race relations, lobbying, social security reform, gay marriage, bi-partisanship, campaign finance reform. Has he done anything to improve these cornerstones of his platform?
7) he sure can cut sling load. He pulled us out of Iraq and Afghanistan. He stopped most ops at Guantanamo. All good things. But pulling out to quick can leave some folks unsatisfied. What did we leave behind? Will it come back to haunt us?
8) Obama is the least transparent president in a long time. That's odd, since one of his promises was to be the most transparent. But he looks like a sinister, back dooring, shady guy and that makes his crappy PR even worse.
9) he spends a lot if money. Yes, He's reduced the deficit in record numbers and our debt is getting under control. Yes, the House controls the government's purse, not POTUS. Yes, tax returns aren't bad- but the country still spends without checking over the books. Hell, the dirtbags in Congress shut down the government and U.S. credit ratings got lowered. This guy can spend! Entitlements get handed out without reform. Hundreds and Thousands of veterans have welfare- hundreds of thousands of troops utilize WIC. Old people are doing OK. But there is no oversight. He's let the media show the 1 guy out of 10 who gets booze with his food stamps... It may be 1 out of 10, but that's 1 too many. Obama sure can spend (he's also raised money to balance those budgets for the most part), but spending reform is needed.
10) Washington money as usual. GOP's image is that they support the elitist big business tycoons. Truth? That's been Obama's job. He has had more fundraisers on record than any president or candidate in history. Business tycoons love him... Perhaps they run him?? Is that why Boeing keeps getting contracts or the 'auto bailout' happened or banks don't really get regulated much or the sylindra / corporate cronies get handouts and contracts? Money has ruined politics, and for the champion of the 'little guy,' POTUS sure has a lot of rich friends.
Accomplishments
1) he's a great speaker. He makes you believe his words, even if some are baseless hollow comments that will eventually make you cringe after evaluating the meaning behind the rhetoric.
2) he took the fight to al Queda (bin laden), fulfilled that promise, then moved us out
3) Although it's terrible for THEIR region, he's kept us from fully committing against ISIS, a fight we gain nothing from winning but it seems many want to fight in any case.
4) he started the goal of making it possible for everyone to have a doctor. (The approach is backwards and could potentially hurt people or businesses who oppose/ can't afford it, and has done nothing to FIX problems in the healthcare industry - but he's started progress toward fulfilling the 'life' part of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"). People should have a God-given right to live healthy. Obamacare will be either tweaked, replaced, or improved because it is inherently flawed, but America's children deserve to go to school and not come home 'with what the poor kid's got.'
5) he has requested raises for military every year in office despite furloughs for other government employees. (Yes, I want bigger raises like back in the day, but maybe that's part of the reason why the country went broke in the first place).
6) he has pursued leaps and bounds for women in the work place. Low income folks (including many vets) have access to food stamps, welfare, WIC, etc. (more on that not being checked enough I n the negative column, but helping people who legitimately need it is always a good thing).
7) he has enacted policies to create more total jobs than ever in this country's history and reduced unemoyment rates tremendously - 9.9% to 5.5% (although I wouldn't contribute that all to him). Add in lower gas prices, higher average income wages, record stock highs (combined with Wall Street oversight), and economically speaking he's been a very effective fiscal administrator. (I guess trickle-down economics isn't as effective as taxing and spending wisely.)
8) he has reduced the deficit from $1.4 trillion in the red when he took office $480 billion today. (Annual budgets included, the deficit is the most important aspect of government finance).
9) while I personally give two craps about it, he's enticed a clean-energy technological revolution. All the tree huggers and hippy environmentalists are happy I guess, but he did that without really hurting our current industries like coal or oil. So while I could care less, some folks are happy and I'm sure it will undoubtedly make my daughters' world cleaner.
10) he's been a diplomatic champion. While we could roll over any enemy that stands in our way, he's done thing unilaterally and brought more countries and more stakeholders to the table in an increasingly globalized world. Middle East crazies, Iran, Russia, North Korea, African war lords, tyrants and dictators have all been changed for the better through diplomacy.
Criticisms ...
1) he couldn't deliver on his "I'll change the world" philosophy. Despite those 10 accomplishments above which ultimately led to a better America, he promised to turn around every bad thing into an American utopia. That's freakin impossible! People who never voted before flocked to the polls giving him more reelection votes than any President in history - but guess what, we all still live in the same world with the same problems. Thanks for your one time vote!
2) this administration is possibly the worst public relations machine ever. He is blamed for everything, and takes it. He looks weak by letting opponents say what they will without responding in kind. They say he's ruined the economy, built up gun control, eradicated the poor, micromanaged and personally orchestrated scandals like IRS/Benghazi cover up/fast in furious- nothing could be further from the truth, but he stands there either looking like an inept president, or weak. That's the damn POTUS, stand up, grab your sack, and show you have a backbone. Terrible PR/ imaging.
3) poor management of his departments. As I said above, he didn't tell the IRS to scrutinize opponents, or a customs agent to sell guns to Mexican dealers, or didn't tell people to lie about why an attack happened on an embassy... But it happened on his watch. That's like saying the brigade full bird is responsible for PVT Snuffy who got a DUI. But is was under Obama's watch, so D- for not stopping things after they've happened.
4) pushes constitutional limits a little too much. If Congress doesn't write a law, F it- executive oder. If Congress can't agree- F it, executive authority. This has been the most dysfunctional Congress ever- partisanship, obstruction and sabotage everywhere. There will be NO PROGRESS with this congress, no compromise. So to combat that, the President just wrote his own laws. I'm not saying id be different, because I'd sidestep Congress if they were so terrible- but there's a Constitution for a reason. Actually, Obama has issued less executive orders than any President in more than 100 years, less than both Bush's, Clinton, Carter, Raegan- less than every President since William McKinley in 1900. The problem is, Obama's executive orders aren't all about national parks or ceremonies- they are replacing what Congress is supposed to due as written in the constitution- write laws. Obama felt he had few options...Option A) do nothing because Congress isn't functioning and deadlocked on any laws needed for progress; Option B) do it yourself as POTUS which flirts with unconstitutionality. But There has to be an option C though. One where progress is made, constitution is followed, and government functions without threat of shutting down.
Obama has been an independent isolationist who back channels around people who are against him, causing even allies to see him as divisive and catering only to his goals. Perhaps the rest of congress set him up by forcing his hand with constant gridlock, but Americans can't trust a guy who thinks he's winning at solitaire when they're watching world poker stars.
5) Obama has made it clear that States rights aren't his priority. $15 in NYC is much different than $15 in Kentucky. But to try for a federal minimum wage hike takes power away from local municipalities. Obamacare is federal. He has left gun control and some other things up to local voters, but policies show an attempt to consolidate power at the federal level without much respect for States.
6) Obamacare. Yes, millions of Americans have access to healthcare that they didn't have before. Public exchanges where multiple companies compete are popping up all over. Yes, the average premiums have gone down. Yes- that all sounds great, but POTUS has lost the public opinion polls. They said in the beginning that Small businesses couldn't afford it- large corporations would get shadier. Low income folks would declare bankruptcy. Insurance companies would raise prices. Doctor quality care would go down. They said the economy would be ruined forever!! None of it did happen. But POTUS lost the battle of public opinion. His arrogance showed by giving a 'mandate.' He sh*t on states rights by making them get involved or they'd be starved out of public funds. The website was pathetic at first. Most of all, he PROMISED America they could keep their plan- but that promise was broken.
-as an accomplishment above, I wrote the ACA was a good step forward to get the ball rolling as people shouldn't have to choose if they want to see a doctor- it is our right as humans to live. But Obama found a way to FORCE people into it. Several improvements are needed as it doesnt come close to fixing our messed up healthcare industry and mandates people get locked in to the shady insurance industry.
6) bark without a bite. He has claimed to support certain issues but has done absolutely nothing to improve them- some he should do nothing about and are t real issues, but he barks loud with little bite...schools, global warming, income inequality, race relations, lobbying, social security reform, gay marriage, bi-partisanship, campaign finance reform. Has he done anything to improve these cornerstones of his platform?
7) he sure can cut sling load. He pulled us out of Iraq and Afghanistan. He stopped most ops at Guantanamo. All good things. But pulling out to quick can leave some folks unsatisfied. What did we leave behind? Will it come back to haunt us?
8) Obama is the least transparent president in a long time. That's odd, since one of his promises was to be the most transparent. But he looks like a sinister, back dooring, shady guy and that makes his crappy PR even worse.
9) he spends a lot if money. Yes, He's reduced the deficit in record numbers and our debt is getting under control. Yes, the House controls the government's purse, not POTUS. Yes, tax returns aren't bad- but the country still spends without checking over the books. Hell, the dirtbags in Congress shut down the government and U.S. credit ratings got lowered. This guy can spend! Entitlements get handed out without reform. Hundreds and Thousands of veterans have welfare- hundreds of thousands of troops utilize WIC. Old people are doing OK. But there is no oversight. He's let the media show the 1 guy out of 10 who gets booze with his food stamps... It may be 1 out of 10, but that's 1 too many. Obama sure can spend (he's also raised money to balance those budgets for the most part), but spending reform is needed.
10) Washington money as usual. GOP's image is that they support the elitist big business tycoons. Truth? That's been Obama's job. He has had more fundraisers on record than any president or candidate in history. Business tycoons love him... Perhaps they run him?? Is that why Boeing keeps getting contracts or the 'auto bailout' happened or banks don't really get regulated much or the sylindra / corporate cronies get handouts and contracts? Money has ruined politics, and for the champion of the 'little guy,' POTUS sure has a lot of rich friends.
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SSgt (Join to see)
See, I have a problem with code too, For example critical thinking, deductive reasoning,, cognitive dissonance, etc are really unfortunate depictions of conservatives. This kind of thing baits conservatives and as much as I like to think I am open-minded, I find those appellations to be wrong.
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SSG James Arlington
All religions have much blood on their hands throughout history. I think organized religion will be the cause of our demise.
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BG David Fleming III
The comment stands as written, please don't read into it! I'm just giving my unambiguous answer to the question.
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SSgt (Join to see)
All you said was Michelle Obama. Neither to the affirmative or otherwise. I like not to talk bad about family, to me that is bad form, even if they become political. Now their policies can be criticised without name calling.
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