Repentance

I don't like to do this, not one bit. But I am compelled.

I apologize for calling Jimmy Carter "a tool".

While I do bear a deep disappointment in and distrust for the man, I should not have referred to him in that manner. He is an ex-President, after all. Upon reflection, I realized that I have been rightly raised to respect our nation's leaders no matter what they do, including and up to the time they resign in disgrace or are indicted and perhaps subsequently pardoned for egregious offenses. By no means does this mean I have to like them or the things they do, but it does mean that I should treat them with the full measure of respect that the office deserves.

It is unlikely that I would have referred to President Carter so disparagingly had he been in the room, consequently it is not right for me to have used such a demeaning term "behind his back", so to speak, in print. And it doesn't matter, really, that only 12 people are going to read this and only 2/3 of them speak English. It was still wrong, and I'm sorry I said it.

But if I do meet President Carter some day, on this side of the great divide, and should engage him in conversation, I would not fear to tell him what I think of his post-Presidential career. He's done some very good things, but he has also done some very bad things. He is profoundly wrong in a number of areas but, as far as I can tell, he is still one of God's children.

And as long as he didn't start calling me names first, we could probably keep it civil.

For the record, I'm not at all convinced that this same level of required civility applies in reference to lesser politicians and I'm pretty sure when it comes to loudmouthed leftist actors and knuckleheaded musicians that all bets are off. I'm not even certain that it applies to Al Gore at this point.

So there. That's that. Now you kids get out of here...