At first, I figured that it was just another kid's show. I mean, yeah, it looked stupid and candy-coated, but hey, that was just because I already knew my ABC's. I never really paid much attention. But one day, I was new to the 'Net and cruising the groups, seeing what was out there. Before my eyes appears the weirdest darn title I ever thought to see: alt.barney.dinosaur.die.die.die. My first thought: "This is a group of people, probably having sadistic fun with blowing up children's stuffed animals and other such items. Maybe the conservatives are right about some things on the 'Net." I go in, to see what exactly these people are doing. I pick up a FAQ, 'cause that's what good newbies do, and started in. Yermish Essay. Revelation. But not one to take someone else's word for the matter, I decided to watch this show for myself. As a control group, I found Mr. Rogers close by. I realized that this was serious; that, in fact, this was a problem on the air. Mr. Rogers was an educational, creatively-written program; Barney and Friends was not just simplistic about the world, it was flat, plain, wrong. And they were feeding it to our kids. I was never much of a political activist. Never even signed a petition until I got to college. But this was something I wanted to DO something about. I started, and still try, to talk to people in Real Life about the problem this show represents. I keep a copy of the Yermish Essay handy every now and then. I mention the problem to kids if they seem receptive. I haven't gotten up the guts to talk to my local PBS affiliate yet, but I may soon. Hey, I donate money, I get a chance to speak up. The Jihad offers me a chance, especially when talking to people about the show, to hold up a group that believes as I do and is behind me in my efforts. Even if I make a mistake(and believe me I have fracked up before), I have a group which will understand and work with me to make my methods more efficient; to provide information and resources to lend weight to my opinions. I do enjoy the role-playing aspect; the writing I do here is a fun creative endeavor. But CO Will Keith, Chi Squad, TRES Corps, is more than a fictional personality; he is a conduit through which I work for better teaching for our children.