Robohobo,
Please do not assume that our positions are incompatible. Nothing I said implies that I doubt the danger posed by Mr Ayers and Mr Emanuel and the potential risk that the struggle could end in a resort to force. Even in the worst case, which I pray does not happen, even if there was another Civil War they would at the end of it be Americans. They may be casualties or in prison or they could deny their heritage and emigrate but we must treat them a priori as citizens and our equals. Lincoln was right about this. If those we disagree with are not our fellow citizens at the end of the day, even if they seek to deny us, then we must allow and even encourage them to peacefully separate or we must depart. While some here have groused about separating Red from Blue I would oppose that now as America opposed that 150 years ago.