Apologies if I am coming across as a curmudgeon. Although you do seem to have been missing my point. I am not questioning the truth of your statements -- for a

Apologies if I am coming across as a curmudgeon. Although you do seem to have been missing my point. I am not questioning the truth of your statements -- for all I know you may be right. I am questioning the form in which they are offered, in a discussion which is already rife with personal opinions disguised as fact. Everyone has an opinion; facts are harder to come by. Specifically, I pointed out that when you say "most Americans", you are just (as you readily admit) extrapolating from yourself. Why not just say "I"? That seems more truthful. I can't reasonably claim to know what "most Americans "think, and neither should you, I think. Extrapolating is just another way of assuming. Sorry about the tangent.