I want to thank our country's veterans, police and firemen, and anyone who has ever stood up against the odds to defend the U.S. from the terrorists who destroyed the World Trade Center, part of The Pentagon, and nearly The White House.

What troubles people is often not what ought to be troubling people.

The year was 1972, and an ad in Chicago Today (”Wanted: Writers. Flexible hours.”) led me to an upper floor of a building on LaSalle Street. I was 21, desperate for a job and wearing the Montgomery Ward suit I’d gotten for graduation. Before long, I was shaking hands with the president of Termpapers Inc., who hired me without bothering to look at the portfolio I brought along.

While the domestic economy and the nation’s role in international affairs may dominate the concerns of American voters and the campaigns of the candidates, many argue that one of the most significant executive powers is the naming of judges to the federal bench, and especially the naming of justices to the Supreme Court of the United States.

Dear editor, while opinions swing back and forth, I stand firm on my belief that the drinking age in the United States should be lowered to 18.

Barack Obama chose Delaware Sen. Joe Biden as his running mate ... what do you think of the choice?

(Editor's note: The comments on this crashed about 9:30 a.m Friday, right after McCain's announcement. We were able to rebuild most but not all of the comments)