I am honestly sorry to see you go. You, I, and other posters have been in many discussions in the past, and all of us seemed to retire to our opposing corners in pretty good shape. Had I known that somehow you felt you were being "held in contempt" I would have been upset.

Your posts have been some of the most eloquent and informative that I have read. Even your farewell post is almost a work of literature. You have at least one good book in you, and if you have not already written it, I recommend you make good use of your time at the typewriter. You are every bit the writer Anne Lamott is. And what of your grandfather's essays?

It is difficult to find literate and intelligent opponents in this back-and-forth field, in particular ones who can expand my own outlook. As just one example, until your reference, I had no idea who Father Coughlin was, but (having pulled him out of this marvelous expansion of my brain called the Internet) I find him to be very interesting at first glance. Political positions and religious overtones aside, he seems to have been sort of the Rush Limbaugh of his era--and I plan to look into his writings in more detail. See? And this is just one of your posts.

I understand you are tired. From many past posts about your school board and others, I don't understand how you managed to end up in the nest of Neanderthals you apparently dwell in, but I suppose after being immersed in such crap in your real life, this board just seems like more of the same, particularly in light of the recent flareup, which has made everyone emotional. You feel like people are piling on you both on and off the computer. Who needs it?

I will leave the desert and start walking, hoping to find my way to the sea, whose depth has ever soothed me. There may be some home by the sea on the Net, waiting for me.

The desert is, historically, where people are forged into steel.

If you find this "home by the sea," what will people be telling you there? Will it be comfortable there in the depths of the warm sea? Will you all be "talking to each other and reinforcing your own beliefs?" And if there is any real opposition, will it be of a higher quality than here? If so, exactly how? Will you find a BBS somehow free of jerks? If so, you may be the first in history to do so.

You can make an excellent case for bowing out entirely, and devoting yourself to something useful in life. Lord knows there are times when I feel stupid for sitting here pounding the keys late at night, when my family sleeps, and when I could be doing something more productive. I like to think it is sharpening some skill, but I'm not sure exactly what.

But if you are looking for a BBS to frequent, I'm not sure you could find a better place than here.

Good luck in whatever you attempt--

Tom