Snail-mail responses

It is easy to forget in this digital age that not everybody is online and in the rapid-response mode. Some still prefer the old-fashioned letter, sent by U.S. Mail — like the gentelman from Florida who sent me a card with a Normon Rockwell-esque front porch and a pair of American flags above “America, the Beautiful.”

He was responding to my pre-inauguration column celebrating the end of the Bush years (he sent me a copy of the column, as if I hadn’t read it), headlined “Awakening from a nightmare.”

Here is what he had to say:

Dear Mr. Kalet,

What you really can’t forgive President George W. Bush for is that he was right in his steadfastness on Iraq which has brought us a democratic state in this vital region. His sophomore successor couseled retreat which would have brought us Vietnam II and possibly worse.

Let’s hope that the rookie now in charge with his pro-Palestinian background and terrorist associates has truly reformed or you really will experience some real nightmares.

Krugman? Olberman? You need a little balance in your media experience.

Proud to be in the 25% Bush minority.

Sincerely,
Nick Lardieri

Should I go point by point? Should I bother countering any of this? Or is it best to just offer my readers the missive unannotated and let everyone get on with things?

Author: hankkalet

Hank Kalet is a poet and freelance journalist. He is the economic needs reporter for NJ Spotlight, teaches journalism at Rutgers University and writing at Middlesex County College and Brookdale Community College. He writes a semi-monthly column for the Progressive Populist. He is a lifelong fan of the New York Mets and New York Knicks, drinks too much coffee and attends as many Bruce Springsteen concerts as his meager finances will allow. He lives in South Brunswick with his wife Annie. View all posts by hankkalet