Columnist responds to accusation
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To the editor:
I realize some of the politics that get presented in my columns can sometimes come off as offensive.
I notice sometimes when I write I am espousing something quite conservative but using careful terms… Other times, when I am not paying as close attention and not being careful, it can come off as a bit extreme.
My goal is not to offend but to present some ideas and have a discussion. However, one sure way to prevent a discussion is to accuse me of being a distortionist, a liar, and a new McCarthyite without valid supporting evidence. Quite simply, anything one says after making such accusations is gratuitous at best and deserving of an equally gratuitous response: No, I'm not! Compounding the absurdity is when such statements come from someone who claims to have once been a good Republican but was blessed when a little liberal fairy came along, pranged him on the head and enlightened him.
I have learned a lot from the people around me and foremost is the need to respect other people’s views — there are some issues that we do not agree on, but I think what is most rewarding about this is when we come to respectable terms on our disagreements and feel more informed.
I realize that I push people's buttons from time to time and I hope that in doing so I incite you to truly think about the positions you take. I can assure you, however, that it is not my intention to be a Beck or a Limbaugh or a Coulter -- I garner no paycheck for this and I do not desire to be a shock and awe cheerleader for the right wing or any particular political affiliation. I speak only for myself.
I like sharing my ideas and hearing feedback. An objective review of my previous articles will show that quite often I will present a different way of looking at things or, when it is deserved, I will "hold rascals accountable" when they do something silly. That goes for Republicans as well as Democrats and conservatives as well as liberals. I don't believe you see that in other columns. That doesn't make me any of the things that one reader accused me of being last week.
Sincerely,
Gary Lewis
Hillsboro[[In-content Ad]]
I realize some of the politics that get presented in my columns can sometimes come off as offensive.
I notice sometimes when I write I am espousing something quite conservative but using careful terms… Other times, when I am not paying as close attention and not being careful, it can come off as a bit extreme.
My goal is not to offend but to present some ideas and have a discussion. However, one sure way to prevent a discussion is to accuse me of being a distortionist, a liar, and a new McCarthyite without valid supporting evidence. Quite simply, anything one says after making such accusations is gratuitous at best and deserving of an equally gratuitous response: No, I'm not! Compounding the absurdity is when such statements come from someone who claims to have once been a good Republican but was blessed when a little liberal fairy came along, pranged him on the head and enlightened him.
I have learned a lot from the people around me and foremost is the need to respect other people’s views — there are some issues that we do not agree on, but I think what is most rewarding about this is when we come to respectable terms on our disagreements and feel more informed.
I realize that I push people's buttons from time to time and I hope that in doing so I incite you to truly think about the positions you take. I can assure you, however, that it is not my intention to be a Beck or a Limbaugh or a Coulter -- I garner no paycheck for this and I do not desire to be a shock and awe cheerleader for the right wing or any particular political affiliation. I speak only for myself.
I like sharing my ideas and hearing feedback. An objective review of my previous articles will show that quite often I will present a different way of looking at things or, when it is deserved, I will "hold rascals accountable" when they do something silly. That goes for Republicans as well as Democrats and conservatives as well as liberals. I don't believe you see that in other columns. That doesn't make me any of the things that one reader accused me of being last week.
Sincerely,
Gary Lewis
Hillsboro[[In-content Ad]]