This interesting but discomforting "trial" has reminded me of trying  
to find something good to eat in Finland. Finns eat a disgustingly  
healthy and bland diet. There are few overweight people here (note I  
did not say "fat" not wishing to offend anyone including myself).  
Whenever my wife and I think about eating out we get depressed because  
there really is nothing here with any zest, or spice, or heat of any  
kind. Former president Jacques Chirac is famous for his own  
assessment, "the only worse food than British food is Finnish."  
Perhaps this explains why MT never visited Finland, at least as far as  
I can tell. Over the years the Finnish culinary blandness causes one's  
senses to deaden, then atrophy sets in. How I long for Latino food in  
its authentic form, for hot Thai, tasty Chinese, and good barbeque.  
And many Finns are like their food, not much for confrontation,  
discussion or debate lest some sort of social heartburn set in. I find  
my release in the rare American visitor to central Finland, and in the  
occasional disquieting barb from individuals like Fears. I am hoping  
that Fears will appeal his sentence. I do not wish to defend his  
choice of words, he made them and he can defend them. But at the same  
time I agree with Arianne's schoolyard analogy.

I am also wondering if this is what they mean by "Ivory Tower." The  
academe seems inclined toward severe liberalism where conservatives or  
even moderates dare not tread, or even dream about employment.  
Essentially this Fears trial is about free speech. The brave Danes  
have made their own vigorous "free speech" statement recently, in  
spite of the fact that those cartoons were indeed quite  
confrontational. At least in my own "opinion."

Free speech is really not free at all. We have to endure other's free  
speech in order to have our own.

Steve Crawford

On Mar 21, 2008, at 2:45 AM, Laidlaw, Arianne wrote:

> I hope that access to this forum remains open to David Fears who has  
> contributed a great deal in the time I'e
> been reading here.  I'm startled by the over reaction of so many to  
> so little on his part.  I"m reminded of
> bullies in a schoolyard, emboldened by a misguided leader.
>
> I've admired his courage refusing to be cowed.
> I hope you don't exercise any power you might have if he chooses to  
> rejoin us, which I hope he will.
>
> I also hope Jocelyn will reonsider choosing to no longer read here.   
> It is painful to think anyone who
> might have something to contribute would  leave us.
>
> The reactions to Fears and how they are expressed have been more  
> disturbing than
> anything he has said, as far as I'm concerned.
>
> Arianne Laidlaw
>
> ________________________________________
> From: Mark Twain Forum [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Kevin J.  
> Bochynski [[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2008 2:48 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Mr. Fears' Resignation
>
> In a message dated 3/20/07 David Fears writes:
>
> << So someone has even tearfully quit the forum over its use? What  
> rubbish!
> In
> << the immortal words of Groucho Marx, "You can't fire me, I quit!"
>
> Dear Mr. Fears:
>
> Thank you for your resignation which has been accepted and is in force
> immediately. Thank you for your past contributions to the list.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Kevin Bochynski
> List Administrator
> Mark Twain Forum