Mark Friesen

 Through my travels I have experianced first hand the distane

much of the world has for americans and wish to do my part to

show the world that some of us are actually intelligent and not

corupted by greed. If some people find these topics to be

innapropriate for a bicycle racing forum, then I should remind them

that we are very lucky to even have a life style that allows us to

participate in leisure activities such as bicycle racing and that

somthings(like war)are more important than deciding weather or

not the 35+ masters should have to hold hands and require action.

Maybe so. But it seems to me that if you insist on using this forum for such

things, at least it could be done without a patronizing lecture about our

freedoms (which Iraqis do not share, by the way) and insulting those who

disagree as stupid and greedy. Some of us aren't stupid, aren't greedy and also

would like to see a peaceful world. But not one that's peaceful in the mustard-

gas sort of way that Halabja is peaceful.



And if we're going to let the disdain of some Euros determine our actions, then

I guess last summer Lance should've just hopped off his bike on the Ventoux,

flipped the yellow jersey to Virenque and gone home.



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Mark Friesen