Angry E-Mails

My piece on the death of President Reagan has unleashed a torrent of angry e-mails like nothing I've written since the time I posted the home address of my ex-girlfriend. While it would strain bandwidth capacity to reproduce all of these outraged messages here, the gist of most is that I failed to show the proper decorum during this period of national mourning. Several contrasted the tone of my comments this week with a post I composed upon the death of Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, in which I stated that I could "hardly write through the tears", or last year's essay on the passing of Idi Amin, "Farewell To The Cannibalistic Dictator That Stole Our Hearts." Since I welcome and treasure reader correspondence, I thought it would only be fair to publish and respond to a few of the more articulate complaints.

Dear Lombaire Fan - if that IS your real name,

You have a lot of nerve complaining about the overcoverage of President Reagan's funeral procession. I suppose you liked it better when all the networks were covering was the gay weddings in San Francisco or Boston. People like you aren't even worthy of the freedoms President Reagan staged elaborate photo ops to defend.

P.S. Your Fat Albert interview was a masterwork.

Paul McIntosh, Nevada

Paul,

I don't recall saying that the media was covering the Reagan death too much. Certainly, the death of any former national leader, no matter how anticipated, is major news. But is it a bigger story than further revelations in the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal? Or Labour party election losses? Or J-Lo's wedding? I think not.

Thanks for your compliments on the FA story.

Dear Lomblog - if that IS the real name of your blog,

I don't even know why I came to this stupid site - oh yes, I was looking for Elisha Cuthbert fakes. Regardless, I know I'll never come back here again. You disgrace the whole Internet with your blasphemous slander about the Reagan years. Did you know there were over 20 million new jobs created during the 1980s? And these weren't the low-paying "McJobs" of the so-called "Clinton" so-called "economic" so-called "boom" - these were quality management positions at Foot Locker! And I speak from experience; I've been filling one of these slots for 19 years now. All thanks to President Reagan.

P.S. Your Michael Moore post may be the greatest thing ever written in the English language.

Ron Gilley, Houston

Ron,

I hope you didn't take away from my comments that I believe President Reagan didn't have many noteworthy accomplishments. I never said that. I only implied it.

Thank you for your kind words about the Moore piece.

Dear lombairefan@hotmail.com - if that IS your real e-mail address,

You people disgust me. Can't you let a man whose body is being squired across country in a five-day televised memorial service rest in peace? Can't you let politics drop long enough for us to mourn a great man, celebrate his presidency, and agree that we were right about everything all along? All that you and your ilk do and say is so vomit-making that it took all the strength in my body to save your post to hard drive and e-mail it to everyone in my address book.

P.S. Though you are scum, most of your site is extremely well-written and I have made a contribution.

Mike Kruthers, Georgia

I'm sorry, Mike, if that's the way you feel. I meant no disrespect to Mr. Reagan's memory, only to his life and legacy.

I appreciate your flattering remarks about the site and wow - $500!