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Above all, for me it is Freedom.

I become absolutely livid about people who have no interest in preserving their own liberty, and insist on throwing away my freedoms with theirs. I can't understand them. I can't endure them. I can't afford to have them around me.

The beauty in nature, gazing at the stars, falling in love, love for, and from, my family, witnessing simple and unexpected acts of kindness: all blow me away. I am transformed.

I no longer waste energy on righteous indignation, hate, greed or envy. Am I complacent, no. I contribute when and where I can--without expectation--and move on.

Religion and politics. Especially when there both used in the same sentence by politicians. And people who fall for the same trick over and over and over again. Nothing drives me battier than some religious nut willing to pardon a politician/preacher who just got busted doing something unethical, and saying " he just back slid a little but he's still a man of God ". That really brings the bile up.
There was this prominent Chicago minsiter who had sex with a minor ( female ). My sister ( The Evangelist ) said to me " Well he's a good man and we're going to pray for him because he was obviously misled by a slut ". I shook my head and walked away. It just amazes me!

I hate child abusers with a passion. I don't care what their excuse is. Some time after the age of fifteen, you have to stop blaming other people for the choices you make. I wish they were all dead.

People who abuse children, the elderly or those who can't defend themselves make me passionate in a nanosecond. I could happily eat their livers with fava beans and a nice chianti.

People who use their religion to walk all over my rights make me livid. I am particularly passionate about those who contend that it's a sin to have removed prayer from our schools. The truth of the matter is that anyone is free to pray anywhere they want at any time they choose. Their prayers are between them and their deity of choice. I don't have to be a part of it, nor should I. Their real agenda is to indoctrinate others into their religion otherwise they would be happy to practice it in the privacy of their homes and churches and to leave the rest of us alone.

Racism in any of its forms makes me passionate. People are people are people, period. There are differences among us that stem from cultural, geographic and educational differences but at the heart of the matter we are all just people, no better and no worse than anyone else. "Good" and "bad" are choices not an accident of birth.

Homophobia makes me passionate. Who you choose to fall in love with or to have sex with is none of my business. Love is in short enough supply in this world that I applaud it when ever and where ever it deigns to show it's head. The religious right's campaign against homosexuals is rooted in ignorance and fanaticism.

I'm sure there are lots of other things I could add to this list but I've addressed the biggies. I'll give it some thought and get back to you.

Passionately yours,
me

Ricky: What makes my blood boil is the abuse of animals. I don’t care if it is the neighbor’s dog that is kept out in the freezing cold with no shelter or the downed cows going to slaughter at a meat processing plant. I cry so hard with deep down compassion that I can’t control it at times and can’t remain silent.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve screamed at the TV while watching a SPCA Police show on Animal Planet. I can’t dare watch any of the film clips that PETA has on their site as I’m troubled for weeks on end.

Although animals have always been high on my list to help protect and watch over, it wasn’t until I became a vegetarian that I said “I can do more now, that I’m not a hypocrite.”

Sometimes it takes the years to get the wisdom to know what you must do and the courage to do it.

i agree with idamae and merlinsflame. abuse of anyone who cannot defend themselves is sinful, especially when it is someone whom the person trusts. it changes the person forever. so, what am i passionate about in a good way? my family and especially my grand daughter who i watch 4 days a week. after having 3 boys myself, having this child has become my greatest blessing. my whole family keeps me going but my grand daughter... the best. it is such a pleasure for me too because since i got married at 18, i am young enough to do whatever i have to to take care and run around with her. such a joy...sorry to bore you with this but as you can see.. she IS my passion...( i would put a smiley face right here if i knew how...)

I am passionate about the abuse of power; whether personal, as in the case of abusing children, the elderly, animals; and whether political as in the case of dictators abusing citizens of their countries, denying them basic food, water and shelter or mass murdering. There have been more people killed by other-than-free governments in the last century, either by mass starvation or mass murder, than the number that could be expected to die in a nuclear war. In fact, a people's best chance of survival is to have a free, democracy where its leaders are elected. J. Rummell, a professor at the University of Hawaii has conducted extensive research. You can access his research on his website: view link

I am also passionate about individual growth, both spiritually and psycologically. This has led me to an intense interest in and study of Carl Jung, the collective unconscious, archetypes, and the relation of ego to archetype, the ego/self axis, and our relation to God and God's relation to us.

oops. I mispelled his name. It is RUDOLPH J. RUMMEL.

Hi folks,
I agree with Marti - you people ARE good !!! Thanks for giving me so much to think about already from this thread. I am looking forward to more resopnses, so if you participate with this group, please reply to this one! RD