Pleasantly, I am getting lots of response to my Question of the Day. Two friends pointed out that it seems to be a waste of your time, that the ends wind up never justifying the means and that what you accomplish ends up not counting for much. One friend said he was too tired. :-) Several friends said that the risk to the well being of their families was not worth it, in fact that was the most common answer, and some said fear of getting hurt or caught (notice no fear of death) stood in the way. One person said they haven't come across a cause they felt that strongly about, and another said that they just don't have the passion. Surprisingly, only a couple mentioned an ethical or moral deterrent. And I did get one reply of fear of commitment.

A common thread: a good many of the people who responded said that their barriers wouldn't stop them if they were pushed into a situation where fighting might be called for, say for instance a threat to their family.

RatChik turned the tables on me and asked my question back. I waited until the responses trickled off before replying, though, not wanting to influence the discussion. What stops me from fighting? Not very much. In fact, if it weren't for lovers and children, I'd prolly be halfway to having my ass shot off already, seeing as how I have more testosterone than good sense.

The person who mentioned passion really got my attention, because she said that she asks herself my question just about every day of her life. And the funny thing is, from where I know her, I thought of her as a whatever-you-wanna-call-it. An agitator. A rebel. A militant. She goaded and prodded for change and consorted with dissidents and mayhem makers, and otherwise caused a stitch in the side of an administration many perceived as unjust. Sometimes she irritated me, but I couldn't help but admire her anyway. 

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