I typically don’t read Edgar Allen Beem’s personal, political musings on the world around him. It is not that I disagree with his views, but that I pay as little mind to political news as possible, whoever is conveying it. I am free to let others decide the fate of political outcomes, and confess that I think some laws don’t deserve my obedience. You can imagine the curiosity with which I found Beem’s recent column, “Man with a camera.” It was a refreshing departure from his usual political activism.

While I may be able to appreciate this new side of Beem, paying tribute to one of his peers, I was not as appreciative of critic and letter writer Richard Lord of Brunswick, who was published opposite him.

Lord seemed content to attack Beem personally, rather than presenting a cohesive argument firmly grounded in issues. To make his point, Lord’s choice of attack called Beem words selected from folktales, the age of English industrialization, and his own repertoire.

I can fully appreciate Beem’s and Lord’s right to express their opinions, as this is a sign of a healthy discussion, debate, and a polarized system that helps us to achieve balance. But please, keep things in good taste and attack Beem’s position on an issue rather than attacking Beem himself. At the very least, you should be thanking Beem for inciting your own opinion.

Gregory J. Happe
Durham 

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