Dear Mr. Dawidziak:

I write to thank you for your eloquent post about the recent  
unpleasantness and many of its ramifications. Your pointing out the  
immense value of civil discourse is for me a refreshing reminder of  
what I need to do more of, namely restrain my own sense of self out  
of respect for the possibility I might cause harm to others. This is  
especially cogent for me when I'm fortunate enough to be paying  
proper attention to the world beyond my own nose to notice that first  
there are others and second that they may for some strange and  
incomprehensible reason not see something in the same light that I do.

Like you I am not an academic (although I do possess graduate  
degrees) but unlike you I'm not a Mugwump on account that anything  
patently political upsets my digestion. However like the Mugwumps of  
old I am all for reform on the simple principle that the present is  
always a disaster and even small children, those oft ignored fonts of  
unadulterated observations, can imagine a better world than the one  
we're in now.

You conclude your thoughtful post by saying "You want to fight? How  
about we fight for [the Forum]?" I generally refuse to fight on the  
principle that such a thing cannot happen without doing harm to  
another. Be that as it may, I shall certainly stand with you to work  
for the good of this Forum, serve to be as good a citizen here as I  
am able, and to aid in any way that I may so that this Forum does  
indeed see another ten years and really good ones at that.

In closing I sincerely hope that the fearful danger has passed and  
that everyone will continue to enjoy the good fellowship and company  
that Mark Twain would surely be happy to have come into existence  
because of him (although I'm sure we'd be all be paying a substantial  
royalty for the privilege if he could figure out a way to collect!)

Cordially,
Benjamin A. van der Wel
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