Finally, an Honest Politician . . .

[Diane Amberg]

Red, I have no idea who you think you are talking to. We know how you feel, and what you think. You have the freedom to feel that way. Your needle is stuck.   Why keep beating that same drum over and over? What do you think will change?
Talk to my neighbor, Ivan (his real name) who actually ran from  Latvia, back in the day. He would call you such a fool for being blind to what you have and can't see. He's in his upper 80s now and was a young man back when it was really bad. Al has the same family history.
   These people haven't forgotten what they suffered through. It was real! They didn't have to read about it, they saw it first hand. You never saw any of it.
I had friends in school whose families took huge chances to come here from Latvia, Lithuania and Poland in the 1950s.  In fact, I'll be seeing several of them at out reunion soon.Shall I tell them about you and watch them laugh?

[Fire Elk]

There were immigrants and still are.

Some immigrants were socialists.  Many German socialist immigrants joined
Lincoln's union army for the War of Northern Aggression.  No doubt that they
wanted to change the USA and they did.  Things were different in the north
and in the South after the northern victory.

It should make no sense to any of us to look to the Fed's for programs and money.

We're not immigrants so let's stand for our liberty and look to the founding fathers and the Constitution.

Redcliffsw. Sorry no socialists in the civil war. The term as you used it was coined by a frenchman who was born in 1860. If you want to move your timeline into the 20th(mid)  and 21st century then you would be correct that many people fled socialism in Europe to come to the US.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialism#Etymology

But, since I think you are using it in reference to Diane, as a derogatory definition I won't argue with you regarding a real discussion of socialism.

[redcliffsw]

Fire Elk, the very foundation of the Republican Party is socialism.  Your own modern-day Republicans
from Elk County reflect that.  They're selective about the government programs they favor and
some of them think of themselves to be "real" conservatives. 

Most of us know immigrants.  I've met some who are more American than Americans.  I know a Pole
who says Obama and Romney are communists and I can not disagree with him on that.  He experienced
communism.