Reader Feedback May 29, 2019May 29, 2019 But first, don’t miss: > Michael Lewis’s Against The Rules podcast. > Designated Survivor, spectacularly revamped by Netflix after two disappointing seasons on ABC. You can binge on all 10 episodes when it drops June 7. > The Lavender Scare, premiering 9pm Eastern, June 18 on PBS. And now: Heath O’Neill: “You wrote a good book and I’ve bought like 30 copies over the years. I have given 29ish of them away as presents. The book changed the course of my life so it saddens me to see you’ve become an unabashed partisan zealot. The world needs a lot less of those and they’re very predictable – nothing to be learned from them. I’ll be unfollowing you but I do wish you the best.” → Thanks for the kind words and the royalties! As to the zealotry, I think democracy and honesty and science are preferable to autocracy, dishonesty, and the denial of science. A pathological liar and sociopath who kept a book of Hitler’s speeches by his bedside is wrecking our democracy and the world order. Working AGAINST climate crisis mitigation. Empowering journalist-murdering autocrats. Putin is winning. The same Republican senators who called Trump a pathological liar (Ted Cruz) and a race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot . . . undercutting everything we stand for (Lindsey Graham)– now enable him. Under these circumstances, I’m not sure I’m being zealously partisan enough. Help me understand what I’m missing here. Carl (again): “Your Harriet Tubman question . . . “What did women or African Americans ever do to build this country? (Other than build the White House and the Capitol and about a billion other things.)” . . . inspires another: “So why are Liberal Dem’s so anxious to abort the women and African American babies? (Even after they are born.) Psst…. Andy, what was your war record? What was your draft status? Don’t be ashamed. I was 1a in 1960 I didn’t want to be drafted so I joined the USCG for 4 years. By constantly pounding on Trump Dem’s are wrecking our democracy and the world order that so many Americans fought and died to build and protect. The more you do it the more people resent it and will vote for Trump in 2020. Because of this Trump is winning. I can’t believe you don’t see that! Sad.” → I don’t think you mean anxious, Carl, I think you mean eager. But do you know anyone – liberal or otherwise – eager to abort babies? Have you ever heard or read anyone say or write that he or she is eager to abort babies? Ever? If not, there is no premise to your question. The Democratic line that’s always resonated with me: Abortion should be safe, legal, and RARE. Quite a few pro-lifers oppose things like sex education and over-the-counter Plan B that would make it more rare. There are thoughtful conversations to be had on this tough issue; mostly, I would argue, between women and their doctors and faith counselors and loved ones. People of good will can disagree about how late into pregnancy, and under what circumstances, he government should outlaw abortion. But thoughtful conversation does not seem to be your thing. My draft status was 1-Y. No fraud required.