[Jeff Winston]

Do you believe in freedom of speech? Do you believe in the validity of your argument? If you do, then I would think that you might have confidence in it, and perhaps realize that in responding as you did, you might have turned away more than you might have convinced, by treating as you did someone who disagreed with you.

Again, I am genuinely sorry that what I said came across as needlessly cruel.

At the same time, I'm not sure that you appreciate what I and others have received and do regularly continue to receive here merely for posting our sincere understanding of the absolute truth. I think you would find that MamaTexan has not been excruciatingly polite herself.

Those of us who post an accurate view of history, law and the Constitution are regularly subjected to various forms of name-calling and abuse. We are "trolls," "Obots," "paid." MamaTexan, for example, earlier insulted me by asking, more than once, whether I was being "paid by the word."

DiogenesLamp once stated in all apparent seriousness that he would cheer if I could be taken out and shot.

This was the proposed penalty for my stating my understanding of the truth.

So if you wish to support civility and freedom of speech, I'm for that. It would be good though if both sides of the debate were sincerely sorry on occasions when they came across as cruel. In my own experience, I cannot recall that that has ever been the case.

[trisham]

I haven't seen many of your posts, but I also haven't seen anything that leads me to believe that you are a troll or obot. I will simply say that I happened to see one of your posts that did shock me. I hope that it was that rare example of frustration that we all have from time to time, because your posts to me have been thoughtful and polite.

Perhaps we can begin again. Take care.