We salute our veterans, progressive, conservative, Democrat, Republican, or otherwise.

Doug, please post the results, as those of us who aren't veterans can't vote and therefore can't see the results (a limitation of the software).

Here's what you're saying..."I'm a veteran and want Hillary Clinton in office." Please, please wake up. The survey you should have is, "Will Jesse Jackson's bus pick you up or will you meet him at the polls?"

Submission: Vote by proxy. After posing this question to my father who is a former POW of WWII, his reply was, Conservative Republican. Friday, November 9, 2007, marks the 82nd annual Veterans Day Parade in downtown Knoxville. Wednesday, November 7, 2007, my father celebrated his 83rd birthday. To my Dad, salute! And to all veterans, Thank You for your service to our country.

Grateful Citizen

No matter how you feel about the war, keeping the troops in our hearts and minds daily is the least we can do for them. I know every time one of the TV programs gives a profile of a soldier killed in action, tells their story, and reveals their family's agony, their grief and loss, I choke up. I cry quietly. I offer my gratitude.

The sacrifice a person makes to join the service with the noblest intentions is worthy of our awe and respect. With so many restrictions on media coverage, we don't get much of a chance to realize just exactly what our troops are facing on a day to day level, what they are thinking, how perplexing it is to face the realities of conflict, all the small noble acts each of them bears witness to every day, the horrors they see. War is not pretty. It should only be commenced when no other choice presents itself. The cost in human lives is always enormous. The cost to individuals is also enormous.

Veterans too often find themselves alone once the comraderie and adreniline rush of survival is over. I know because I spent time at the VA center on Magnolia. I saw first-hand how hard it is for veterans to get a job, to get medical services. I saw how many were homeless or suffering from war-related traumas. That's why it's important that we demand better services for our returning veterans. That's why each one of us should listen to the loving Spirit within ourselves, should earnestly believe in and pray for peace on earth.

On this one day, we are given an opportunity to salute our veterans, but it's also important to remember them after the parade passes and the political speeches drift away. They were willing to die for a cause they believed in. They were willing to die for us. It doesn't get much rawer than that. It doesn't get more noble.

I am a veteran and a progressive. 42% (10 votes)
I am a veteran and a conservative. 25% (6 votes)
I am a veteran and a Democrat. 21% (5 votes)
I am a veteran and Republican. 13% (3 votes)
Total votes: 24

Less one progressive just so I could see the results.
Tried to cancel the vote, as instructed, but it wouldn't let me.

A suggestion. Post the same poll on a conservative blog. The poll results are nothing more than a reflection of those who read KnoxViews. It is interesting that 11 of the 27 votes are conservative and/or Republican.

This, I believe, is a progressive blog.

Yeah, with 11 of 27 in the poll identifying themselves as conservatives or Republicans. I'm sure I'll get a few responses explaining why mean old Republicans made 'liberal' a bad word, but you get all these folks now calling themselves 'progressive' now that liberal has proven to be the kiss of death. It's funny how most Republicans embrace being called a 'conservative' (and even argue about who's conservative enough), but very few of any Party want to be called a liberal. So, 'progressive' is the new identifier du jour on the Democrat side.

Anyway, the numbers who read this blog regularly are much larger than 27 votes. I would estimate that the readership, given the political makeup of Knox County, is pretty dang close to 50-50. Who knows, maybe it leans more Republican/conservative.

The last Blogads reader survey was:

41.8% Democrat
20.3% Independent
19.4% Republican
5% Libertarian

Toby, I'm not sure I understand your comment. squirrel said this is a 'progressive blog', but I'm not sure the readership matches the mantra. Of course, that's just a guess and I said so.

Randy provides some interesting numbers. Question Randy, how are the numbers you mention obtained? I'm not familiar with blogads. Is it some sort of survey?

Hey Culture, go pack sand up yer ass. Hillary aint my first choice but, I'll take her over any (watch my lips) ANY of the clowns put up by the rethugs and most, if not all, of those they didn't put up.

I joined during a war and served ten years and YES I am a progressive, a LIBERAL!!! I run from neither the word nor the ideology. I am faithful to the Constitution and those who do not like my politics are invited to join Culture in going to the Middle East, so as to not run out of product, and commence packing sand until I'm tired of it. (and I have no plans to watch or pay even the slightest bit of attention so, it could be a while)

CAFKIA

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It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in argument.
  - William G. McAdoo

It was a survey taken in June/July of 2007 (if I recall correctly) by Blogads, an ad agency that does, well, blog ad placements (like the ones you see here).

The survey ran here at KnoxViews for about a week. One interesting feature of their survey was that it "remembered" everyone who filled out a survey on any blog. When they visited another blog, their survey data got added to that blog's data automatically, so readers didn't have to fill it out again for each blog.

There were about 1100 survey results recorded for KnoxViews from the combined number filled out here and elsewhere.

You can see some of the other results here:

(link...)