Web Letters: Freedom of Speech, Round 5,425

I have actually read some of your so-called magazine for the first time and I simply do not believe what I am seeing. I cannot believe you people actually exist. I cannot fathom that your readers or writers for that matter are living in reality.

I am now more scared than ever that the political left the world over has lost its collective mind, no pun intended.

You seek to strip me of my individual liberties, you trumpet support for dictators, murderers and despots such as Stalin, Castro and Chávez, you advocate complete oligarchic control of my life from cradle to grave, and you feel that I have no individual right to that which I alone produce--and you call yourselves "progressives"?

As long as people like you walk this planet, mankind has no chance. May God have mercy on your souls.

James Jey Hill Jr.

Brunswick, MD

Three cheers, Katha!

Is it so very hard for Western progressives to understand this? Sometimes I think that my fellow progresseives look at Jihadists and think, "The enemy of American imperialism is my friend."

Can I sermonize for a minute here? My grandmother had a low-number Party membership. In my parents' generation, lots of progressives were in denial about Stalin. This included incredibly brilliant people like DuBois and Robeson. There were reasons.

In my generation, a lot of us were in denial about the Cultural Revolution. There were reasons.

Today, a lot of progressives are in denial about the jihadists. There are reasons.

Meanwhile, the Oscar for appeasement goes to... Jacqui Smith. Wait! It has an umbrella. Oh, it's the "Neville."

Thank you again, Katha, for some much-needed good sense.

Michael Shapiro

Somerville, MA

I very much enjoyed your article. Perhaps the real reason that there is a "perceived" need in some quarters to protect the sensitivities of the practitioners of these assorted Stone Age religions and superstitions is the sad reality that they and their politics are doing all they can to push all of us back into the Stone Age. Thus, creating the reality where they might again be relevant to their time and absurdity.

Rodney Derrick

Durham, NC

While I enjoyed Katha Pollitt's column on freedom of speech, I must take issue with her characterization of my novel, The Jewel of Medina, as a "steamy potboiler." Has she read the book, or is she relying on old, pre-publication information? Her use of the term tells me that she has not read it, but is merely repeating the opinions of some, which is countered by the opinions of others.

The Jewel of Medina is a respectful, poetically rendered account of the origins of Islam through the eyes of the Prophet Muhammad's youngest and most beloved wife. There is nothing "steamy" in the book. Those who've skimmed the book for the alleged "sex scenes" have told me they're disappointed not to find any!

Even I, who worked in community journalism throughout my career, would not carelessly propagate rumors, but would search for the facts before reporting them. I only hope Ms. Pollitt has read my book before repeating the words that have needlessly inflamed anger among those who have not.

Sherry Jones

Spokane, WA