In an interview with The New York Times Magazine, William F. Buckley Jr., on the occasion of his taking leave from National Review, the magazine he founded 50 years ago, was asked a series of questions. Needless to say, given the politics of The New York Times and its interviewer, the questions were nearly all challenging. But nothing quite prepared a reader for this one:

"You seem indifferent to suffering. Have you ever suffered yourself?"

In one sentence, a New York Times interviewer summed up the liberal view of conservatives -- "indifferent to suffering." As I have long believed, in general, conservatives think liberals are fools and liberals think conservatives are evil.

"There are signs, too, even dramatic ones, that fissures are opening up inside the Sunni-driven insurgency" (New York Times).

You needed to read to nearly the end of the article to read the above. The world's news media are rooting against an American, meaning a George W. Bush, victory in Iraq. But there are reasons for optimism regarding America's effort to introduce freedom to the Arab world.

A major reason aside from the extraordinary work of the American military and its courageous commander in chief is Iyad Allawi, the prime minister of Iraq. As a rule, the world recognizes great people only after they have died, and Allawi may turn out to be another Arab dictator. But based on what he has thus far accomplished, on his anti-Saddam activities before that and on his extraordinary courage in the face of repeated attempts to murder him, Allawi may be one of the few great leaders in the world today. Even if you're an atheist, you should pray for him. The bad guys, and they are very bad guys, hate him more than they do President Bush.

The Connecticut branch of the ACLU, the Connecticut Civil Liberties Union (CCLU) "informed the Windsor Locks (CT) School District that it would face (legal) action if education officials chose to allow a presentation by clergy at Windsor Locks High School on homosexuality and related topics."

The high school had previously invited a gay activist organization, the Stonewall Speakers, to address students on homosexuality and same-sex marriage. In order to attempt to present an alternate view, the school then invited clergy to speak to the students.

Because "the clergy was supposed to offer a view based on religious scripture," Annette Lamoreaux, a legal director of the CCLU, "reported that the clergy presentation could violate the Establishment Clause of the United States Constitution and the Connecticut Gay Rights Law, which prohibits discrimination based upon sexual orientation. . . . She added that it would have violated the rights of gay and lesbian students to equal protection . . ." Continued...