When is a red line more of a grey area?

[Taem]

I'm very similar in mindset to what you describe. I'm a pretty casual person. I wouldn't start a fight over bumping into me in the street (even though I have serious problems with people touching me that I don't know), but so help me, if you do something to my children, you'll want to change your name and hide.

This is a common and normal reaction from a parent. I don't think you need to explain this to someone. Protecting ones children is a natural thing, a rule of nature, hell evolution is based on this in a sort of way.....so why write this.
That is why I made my comment. Usually people that tell or write this are people that start beating up other for nothing.....the short fuse kind of person.
(I don't want to make this personal against meat because 'knowing' him here on the lounge he seems to be a nice guy).

The reality is I let my emotion get to me. I've had some time to think about what I wrote and why I wrote it - thanks to FIT - and I realized something about myself I never quite understood before; I had to sit there and contemplate, "why bring myself back to a time I thought long gone, and put it down in writing?"

I realized it was something about the way this administration was handling foreign conflict that was getting under my skin. But what exactly was bothering me about it?

I sat in reflection and realized it was because I saw something in the way Obama was handling things; something I didn't like about myself. Hesitation, backtracking, excuses - all things I let go of back in those dark day's I wrote about on my path to becoming mature. But at an even deeper level, what it really boils down to - this hesitation, this running away - is fear!

I feel like Obama's afraid and has not learned that lesson yet in life, has not overcome his demons that I did so many years ago, running to his advisers like I did to my friends until I realized it was time to get some self confidence and stick up for myself instead of letting others push me around. And it's funny that, even thinking about it here right here and now with the knowledge of what is really bothering me, is still making my blood boil. The irony is that this might not be true at all, and it's only a matter of my perspective on this administrations actions. But that leads me into my next point:

I'm also afraid. I'm afraid that Obama won't be able to make the tough calls or have the courage necessary to protect us if things go South. Having a magnificent speaking ability does not confer confidence, and I've seen something in Obama, a weakness I once had myself: the moves I've seen Obama make for this country have lead us deep into socialistic territory (which in my personal opinion is not so much of a bad thing if done right), however it's Obama's desire to unite and please all parties that has got be worried (I'm referring not only to foreign affairs, but even the passing of the Health Care Reform by bowing to the mighty insurance companies to get his bill passed). Obama is trying to be everyone friend, but you can't play both sides and win. Sometimes you have to make a stand.

So to finalized this and answer my initial question in the first paragraph, why did I put it in writing? I believe it was because I felt like expressing my emotions and jotting them down gave my words a bit of power, and in that regard I felt like it was making a difference, like it was important. I now know it was folly, an expression of emotion; a tantrum! Do I feel I wrote what I did because of the influence of our society? Not really, I know why I wrote what I did, but I won't deny that society influenced the wording I used when I became "reactionary."

EDIT: What did I learn? What is the take-away from all this?

I think just understanding why I feel the way I do has helped me come to grips with my reactions and ultimately gives me more control to see the situation for what it is instead of letting it get under my skin and become reactionary. I still think Obama should take some action in Syria because of what he said, but if he doesn't, I'm at peace with it.