It ended soon after it began, this revolution. Not with a bang, or even a whimper. The soldiers, unsure of their cause, simply left the battlefield. As the sun set on the retreating army, the sun also set on the vision of a shining city on a hill, which remains darkened to this day.

“The ‘bathroom bill’ is without doubt the most hateful measure the Legislature has ever come up with. It’s also indicative of a complete lack of understanding of transgender people and the LGBT community in general. To remedy this, I suggest viewing a program called “In the Life” on YouTube. Oh, wait, some people don’t want to understand; they just want to hate.”

Q: Is a VPN the safest way to use an unsecured (public) Wi-Fi connection? Are there other ways to stay safe? Are there any free VPNs out there for personal use? — Kevin

“I see Mexico has the same problems with union management we have in the U.S. They are all crooks. The head of the teacher’s union was just arrested for embezzlement.”

This time, Oil Conglomerates and Petroleum Rich Nations, I’ve got your number. You know, the big two-foot tall ones in front of gas stations. You’ve tried to sneak up nasty price hikes on us before, literally by nickeling and diming. Well, I’m here to warn you, I’ve got you figured out. Yessiree. I am no longer going to be Mr. Nice Self-Serve Customer.

In the eight years I’ve taken on the regular duty of reviewing movies, 2012 just might have been the best.

There’s always that one person — whether an ignorant friend or snarky online commenter — who bemoans what a weak year it’s been for film. To those naysayers I reply, “Well, you just haven’t seen enough movies.”

“CBS channel 5 always says they tell it like it is and to stay tuned to the 10 o’clock news to get the story. Why can’t they give us the story at 6 a.m., noon or 5 p.m.? Why is it always the 10 p.m. news?”

The army invading the United States in "Red Dawn," an ill-advised remake of the campy 1984 original, was changed in post-production from Chinese to North Korean. With a few snips here, a few re-dubs there, the filmmakers re-edited and re-shot, fearful of offending China and its increasingly important movie-going market.

A heartfelt tradition in Gilbert of honoring military veterans who made sacrifices throughout the years to protect the freedoms we enjoy today has become so large that it will continue to be held at a larger venue.

Editor's Note: These letters to the editor have been sorted by topic by the Tribune editorial staff in an effort to allow readers to read varied opinions on the issues, candidates, and other circumstances surrounding the 2012 general election. These submissions are the opinions of the author, not the Tribune, and have not been edited for grammar or content.

BOCA RATON, Fla. — President Barack Obama sharply challenged Mitt Romney on foreign policy in their final campaign debate Monday night, accusing him of "wrong and reckless leadership that is all over the map." The Republican coolly responded, "Attacking me is not an agenda" for dealing with a dangerous world.

President Barack Obama countered Mitt Romney's Big Bird and binders on Monday night with horses, bayonets and Battleship. Who won? The Internet, of course.

WASHINGTON — Still neck-and-neck after all these months, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney head into their third and final debate with each man eager to project an aura of personal strength and leadership while raising doubts about the steadiness and foreign policy credentials of the other guy.

‘Argo’

A movie about the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis probably doesn't sound like it would be a laugh riot — or should be — but that's just one of the many ways in which "Argo" is a glorious, gripping surprise.

It’s an absolute marvel how Ben Affleck has managed to turn his career around in recent years. After being the laughingstock of the film community for a while, Affleck reestablished himself as a great talent through his directorial outings in “Gone Baby, Gone” and “The Town.” In “Argo,” Affleck not only proves that he’s a gifted filmmaker, but one of the most intelligent creative minds of this generation.

A few things to consider for those who plan to vote for Mitt Romney concerning his service to his country:

We just celebrated 225 years of the ratification of the US Constitution. This written document contains many wise provisions such as: 1. The Bill of Rights’ guarantee of freedom of speech, press and religion. 2. Equality of all men and women before the law. 3. The principle of popular sovereignty, where the PEOPLE are the source of government, not the other way around. 4. The federal system, with a division of powers between the nation as a whole and the states. 5. The Separation of Powers into three separate branches of government.

We have now witnessed the national outrage when the referees of a professional football game decided the contest in favor of the wrong team. What will our nation do if the wave of voter suppression laws in Republican-controlled state governments actually keeps millions of voters from choosing their leaders? If the Romney/Ryan ticket actually won the popular vote in states that kept opposition ballots from being cast, will the thin fabric that holds this country together withstand the strain?

I’m mad as hell and I can’t take it anymore! We have a president who misses nearly 60 percent of national security briefings. Iran has said it wants to wipe Israel off the map and is developing nuclear weapons. The prime minister of Israel wants to meet with the president, but Obama doesn’t have time. Yet, he can appear on Letterman and have a fundraiser with JayZ and Beyonce.

“Naturally it was a terrorist attack in Libya. I don’t think it was a coincidence that it happened on 9/11. Who else would show up at a demonstration with rocket-propelled grenades or assault rifles besides terrorists or our own tea party?”