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• Friday, July 4, 2008 01:38 PM

  Diomedes

  First, I'd just like to say I have admired you by way of your posts since I first found you here. I contiue to do so. Thanks for the intelligent and well-reasoned response. This is precisely what I was hoping for.

  As for specifics of your post this time, I am in complete agreement: those people who voted for Jesse Helms did, indeed, share his thoughts and feelings on Negroes, "sodomites" and pretty much anyone and anything else which didn't square wth his perverse view of the world. For this we are all the poorer.

  My only difference -- and in this case, it may not even be a difference, but perhaps a caveat of some sort, is the use of the word "tolerance." This drops the bar for the bigoted and hateful. I usually have a problem with the term, since who wants to be just tolerated? "Tolerance" is usually the last barrier between us and physical violence toward those with whom we find difference. However, in the case of your wording, I think it is exactly right. We tolerated Jesse Helms, to some extent. However, I still don't feel we should lower ourselves to his bottomless standard by hollering "Whoopie!" over his death. Your response to it, here in this post of yours, is entirely appropriate and exactly what one might expect from the sort of company one would hope to find here.

  Thanks for this and, again, I agree one-hundred per cent with your sentiments as expressed. Especially as expressed by you.

  —AJCalhoun Read AJCalhoun's other letters
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