First off, I'd like to say it's been a long week and a half since I've posted on this site. When I left for my sabbatical, I thought it would surely last for months, but then inspiration hit me, and the fire of free thought was re-kindled in this creative mind of mine. I felt it appropriate to return on this day, which marks 231 years of free thought in a free nation. 231 years ago a convention of patriots gathered and used the fires burning in their hearts and minds to make a radical decision, which would form the greatest experiment in Democracy ever attempted. The first question I'm posing on my return: "What is free thought, and is it truly alive in today's America?"

There are politicians, civil liberties groups filled with lawyers, and journalists that talk and speak like America has become a land of sheep. They despise the President, as I'm sure some of the folks stopping in to check out my relaunch today do, and they can't believe people would support the President's administration. They hate the war, our views on abortion and gay marriage, and can't stand the fact that we wouldn't support affirmative action. They rant and scream, but I wouldn't have it any other way. While some on the other side believe America has become a thoughtless country, our disagreements show that we are still a nation of free thought. Free speech wouldn't exist without free thought, nor would a free press or freedom of religion. No evil, from Hitler to Stalin, from Pol Pot to Osama Bin Laden, has been able to stamp out free thought. The goal of the Islamofascists we're fighting today is exactly that. They want us to submit to their religious beliefs, and give up all thought, and all of our own personal aspirations. Today, Independence Day, is a perfect day to open up new dialogue, and encourage more free thought.

I have strong opinions, and I don't intend to run this site without my opinions shining through. Your opinions will shine through too however, in your comments and on my forums, should you choose to use them. Those of you that disagree with this war, you have a right to your disagreement, but I'm going to try to persuade you. I'm going to open a factual dialogue. That type of conversation seems missing from our public schools, and in the teen world in general. Why are we taking our teachers' words that evolution is the way we came about? Why is global warming automatically fact in America's science classes? Why is tolerance for immoral behavior the right thing to believe? What about affirmative action? Abortion? Why aren't we thinking about these things thoroughly? We have been, and always will be, a nation of free thinkers and free ideas. My goal, is to make us a generation of free thinkers and free ideas. Try going one day without using the words I think. How about one week without I feel? A month without I believe? Examine the possibilities. You're using free thought already.