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 Federal Folderol & Bureaucratic Bunglings  J. L. Seagull
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     Pardon me, gentle reader, while I depart from my usual harangues about 
Federal Folderol and Governmental Goofups.  Something happened in the past few 
weeks that I cannot ignore.

     Comedian Jackie Mason was reviled by Lewis Farrakhan for remarks that 
described Black people in less-than-glowing terms.  The Anti-Defamation League 
of B'Nai Brith was quick to distance itself from Mason and his remarks.  Lewis 
Farrakhan was equally quick to take up his usual anti-everything-except-
Nation-of-Islam theme.

     Keeping in mind Farrakhan's comments following Kalid Mohammad's reviling 
of Jews, I am moved to say, in no uncertain terms, "While I support the truths 
spoken by Jackie Mason, I must strongly condemn the manner in which he spoke 
those truths."

     Are you listening, Lewis Farrakhan?  Does my statement anger you with its 
obvious lies and twisting of history?  I hope so.  And I hope this medicine is 
as bitter to you as your statements were to me when you supported the 
historical and racist nonsense uttered by your deputy, Kalid Mohammed.

     And of you, gentle reader, I beg your indulgence for this rare outburst.  
I grew up in a time and place where poverty was an equal-opportunity curse.  
Later, in the military, I saw that bullets and bombs were no respecter of 
color or religion.  The blood and bones and gore were all the same after the 
weapons of war tore away the flesh.  One of the reasons I'm here to write this 
is that a Black soldier's blood runs in my veins thanks to a military medic's 
actions.  And some of my White Jewish blood runs in the veins of a Black 
colonel whom I would gladly follow through the gates of hell because of his 
military and leadership skills.

     Racial and religious hatred in any form, and in any place, is intolerable 
to humanity and anathema to me.

     Thank you for your indulgence, dear reader.  I hope to God I never feel 
moved to write something like this again.

                                        With my love,

                                        J. L. Seagull

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