Pentagon Being Sued for Database

I would have missed this in my haste to scan through the news today. Remember the two Pentagon databases chock full of information on high school students? Remember the secrecy surrounding both; especially the "hidden" one?

Half a dozen New York teens have sued the Pentagon and individuals for failing to remove their names from the database(s). Good for them and thanks to Krupo for sharing the news. The link is to his post (which also gives us a plug).

Which brings me to a somewhat related subject. Our differences. I have talked a little about it before. When I was reviewing Bloglines in preparation for the blogroll revision, it gave me a chance to look at and remember the people who comment here and the blogs I visit.

No two of us are alike, thanks heavens. We have people from several countries, many faiths, no faith at all, all genders and ethnicity, and we even have at least one Republican, I think.

I read (and have included on the blogroll), blogs written by all of the above. I don't always agree with everything I read and I'm sure they think I'm a little nuts at times as well. One of my favorite blogs is one of the most angry (and occasionally profane) but also one of the most well informed. There are others like him that I read every day. Our approaches are different; our objective is the same.

Our common concerns far outweigh our differences. We can differ without attack and each may learn something from the other. If we engage in exclusion and infighting, we not only become the people we despise, we play into the hands of those who would like nothing better than to "divide and conquer". I 've seen defeat snatched out of the jaws of victory too many times to see it happen when we finally have an opportunity to prevail.

We've been visited by one troll and one very well spoken, vigorous dissenter. We didn't delete the comments and the blog didn't catch fire and burn.

Incidentally, I've seen none of that here (except for aforementioned troll) but I have seen it elsewhere and it saddens me. We're in a long, uphill battle. The last thing we need is to become our own worst enemies.

For me, I'm grateful to all who visit here, to the blogs I visit, and to the others out there who are trying desparately to make a difference.

Ann