I think it's great that this list has hosted an open and fair debate of contemporary affairs, particularly since Twain left us plenty of material that is relevant to the discussion. Since domestic criticism of George W. Bush has been all but outlawed during this "war," it's understandable that some people find it shocking to see derogatory remarks about the court-appointed president -- anywhere. I'm sure they are equally flabbergasted when Bush critics show themselves to be be both logical and effective. After regaining their equilibrium, it's only natural for some of the shocked people to strike back by questioning the patriotism of the critics. Buttressing the attempt to silence such discussions are the posts mocking the employment of Twain's thoughts for consideration and, GASP, interpretation in such a debate. Imagine doing a thing like that! And on this list! What do they take us for? How silly and futile! Finally, the cries for civility arrive like a censor in a dinner jacket. We have been discussing war and it is relevant to the Twain list because he wrote about war -- a lot. Since war requires the killing and mutilation of human beings, not to mention "the higher animals," discussing the pros and cons of such an undertaking naturally leads to some unpleasant verbal exchanges. Life and death stir passion. So be it. Anyone who has been on the internet for two weeks knows how to delete e-mail they don't want to read. I'm sure many people exercised that legitimate form of censorship before they ever read this post. Good for them. I do the same thing when the discussion turns to the market for Twain antiquities. I would never write a post suggesting that since Twain was more interested in war than the list price of the contents of his underwear drawer, such discussions are inappropriate for this list. They are perfectly appropriate, they are simply not for me. By the way, I had never realized this was strictly an academic list. Warmest personal regards, Barry Crimmins