Jerry, Dismissive and condescending remarks greeted many of Twain's
outbursts, particularly later in his life. I believe they were meant
to censor discussion of crucial issues and often succeeded in doing
just that. He's crazed with grief and that's why he opposes mass
murder in the Philippines!

I agree with Twain's assessment about how the general public is far
too emotional in choosing a president.  "I just feel safer with Dick
Cheney around." Well, I don't and I'm not even a hunter. And "Who
would you rather have a beer with?" really shouldn't have been an
important question in the last presidential race. (By the way, not
one person came up with the right answer: I'd rather have a beer with
the guy who can still drink a beer.) But come on, emotion wasn't
foreign to the man with "a pen warmed up in hell." And having spent
time in both a war zone and a lot of VA hospitals, I do get emotional
when I think of so many people suffering so terribly for such a
discredited cause. Fortunately I was neither a soldier nor patient
but I have seen the results and realities of war and they do provoke
serious emotions. There is no segregating them from any truthful
remarks I have to offer at such a moment and I offer absolutely no
apologies for them.

Barry Crimmins