if I've learned anything, it's that most people in this world are just people. They are the product of what they're taught and the way life has treated them.

It sometimes takes a generation or two to undo centuries of hatred, but it happens. Look at racism in this country. It was pervasive when I was a child. It was practically legal. Two generations out, with a little bit of work, and we nearly got it under control. One or two more and maybe we got it licked. That is, if we don't give up. That's one of the things I like about this election year. We had put that project on the shelf for a while and we should get around to finishing it.

Most of the people in the Middle East just want to do their job, raise their kids, and watch a little television, just like you. It always amazes me how easy it is for crazy people to fuck things up with a little bit of hate.

I am an optimist, JO. If you really believe that the game never gets better than this, what's the point of playing?