By Staff
Dec. 15, 2000
The following "Letter to the Editor" appeared in the Dec. 3rd issue of The Meridian Star in response to my column suggesting that Al Gore was an embarrassment to the nation. I wanted to take this opportunity to respond.
To the Editor:
I am writing in regard to Jim Cegielski's column in The Meridian Star (Nov. 27). As we all know, an opinion is like a nose we all have one. I respect Cegielski's right to express his opinion.
However, in my opinion, his article was the most racist, contumacious, separatism words I have read in the history of The Meridian Star.
Speaking of dividing the country, bombing the half that disagrees with your beliefs, not urging people to vote, sounds downright un-American, in my opinion.
People are encouraged through advertising and other means, to do all manner of things. But we are not to urge people to vote, after so many have been jailed or killed to ensure this right? Were the dumb votes' referred to in your article the black votes'? It seemed that way, in my opinion.
Whoever that nice Republican lady was that threatened to slap you upside your head should do so without delay, in my opinion.
(Signed) Gwendolyn Miller, Meridian
Dear Ms. Miller:
Please allow me to respond to your letter. I appreciate that you took the time to read my column, however, as a serious and respected columnist, I feel that I must take issue with some of the statements that you make in your letter.
First of all, you state, "like a nose we all have one." I totally disagree with your Universal Nose Theory. Can you state with certainty that everyone really has a nose? What about people who are born without a nose? Isn't it possible that someone out there has had his nose blown off in a horrible oil refinery explosion? Can you honestly say that the "Elephant Man" or that boy in the movie, "Mask" had noses? Quite frankly, I find your stand against the nostrily challenged as downright snotty.
Secondly, you called my column the "most racist, contumacious, separatism words I have read in the history of The Meridian Star." Okay, I'll admit, you had me running for the dictionary with that statement. (For those of you running for the dictionary at home. Don't bother. As it turns out, "most" simply means "more than all others".) Anyway, after I finally figured out what you meant, I must say that I found your oppugnant, unpropitious perlustration to be seriously flawed.
Crying "racism" has become a full time job for many people. Apparently, Ms. Miller, you feel that if you don't agree with someone than that person is automatically a "racist."
There wasn't a single race related comment in the entire column that you are so upset about, yet you have the gall to brand the article "racist." How shameful. What a slap in the face to those people who have suffered from real racism.
Actually, it is kind of interesting to note exactly how you made the leap from simply holding an opposing viewpoint to calling the column "racist." In my column, I said that I thought that we should stop encouraging "dumb" people to vote. You thought "dumb" was somehow synonymous with "black." How did you come up with this?
Aren't most of the voters in Palm Beach County, senile, old, white people? Ms. Miller, if you read "dumb vote" and thought "black vote" than maybe she should look in the mirror to find out whom the real racist is. (For the record, I believe dumb people come in all colors and none of them should ever be encouraged to vote.)
As to your charge that I am contumacious, quite frankly, I don't see how my internal plumbing problems are anyone's business. However, if it makes you feel any better, my wife has me on a high fiber diet, and with the help of some Metamucil, I'm hoping the problem will resolve itself within the next couple of days.
Finally, you charge that I am un-American simply because I have called for the bombing of New York, California, and a handful of other rather unpleasant states. In the 1860's Generals Lee and Grant fired cannonballs at a lot more states than I am proposing that we bomb. You can't possibly think that Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant were "un-American."
There is another reason that it would be very patriotic to bomb the Gore states. See if you can follow my very sound logic. The majority of the people in these states voted for Al Gore. Al Gore would like to redistribute wealth in the United States through high taxes, big social programs, and government handouts. This would be considered socialism. Socialism is anti-American.
On the other hand, bombing socialists is a long time favorite American past time, dating back to the 1950's. And, let's face it, isn't it time that New York and California were leveled and rebuilt from scratch? We'd be doing them a favor.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not heartless. I'm not saying we should bomb the Gore states without warning. We would need to let them know that an attack was imminent so that any Republicans, and moderate Democrats (even those who mistakenly voted for Gore in the false believe that he was a Clinton moderate) could quickly move to one of the states that still cling to the traditional American work ethic.
As to the "nice Republican lady" who threatened to slap me, well, I think I could take her.
Jim Cegielski writes weekly for The Meridian Star.