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 [log in to unmask]