The American Spectator

Reader Mail

(Page 5 of 15)

"In effect, she slandered an entire religious community in the United States. This type of mindless repetition of an obviously untrue stereotype is a sign of professional laxity and ill will."

What Maureen Dowd did divulges much more. She reveals ignorance, bigotry, intolerance and mean-spiritedness all packaged in secular liberalism, particularly the Northeast metropolitan variety.

And her assault extends far beyond the "evangelical world"-in itself and as used, a pejorative phrase-into anyone, of whatever faith, but especially Christianity, who believes in God and not in, among many things, the murder of unborn children, regardless of their condition.

p>Of course, because it is Christians she belittles and smears, she gets a br> free ride, except for articles like Mr. Baker's. br> -- C. Kenna Amos Jr. br> Princeton, West Virginia /p> p> Not to stick up for the egregious Maureen Dowd, but I seriously doubt she's knowingly making a witticism about Down's Syndrome. Al Gore was the first to get in trouble for this one -- remember? -- describing Oliver North supporters as the "extra chromosome" right wing. Critics at the time assumed it was a Down's remark, Al apologized without explaining what he meant. I'm guessing he was referring to the old extra-chromosome theory of crime. Prison populations show an above-average number of men with an extra Y chromosome (XYY) and it was believed in the sixties that these "super males" were dim, aggressive and inclined to criminality. The theory fizzled years ago, but had a second life as an insult. I doubt either Dowd or Gore would recognize a chromosome if it tap-danced naked into the lobby and introduced itself, but I'm sure these two foot soldiers of compassion wouldn't dream of mocking the afflicted. Not in front of the cameras, anyway. br> -- S. Weasel /p>

Ms. Dowd pinned the chromosome line on Lee Atwater (who after all isn't around to defend himself). But lest we forget it was a favorite laugh line of Al Gore's too.

p>According to the Media Research Center: "October 28, 1994: In Virginia, Gore attacked Oliver North's Senate bid supporters as "the extreme right wing, the extra chromosome right wing." Advocates for those with Down's Syndrome, caused by an extra chromosome, were outraged. TV coverage? Zero."

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