On Sun, 27 Oct 2002, THOMAS WARE wrote:

> To Prof Betsy Darken:
>
>         You will I hope pardon my taking exception to some of your
> definitions, but to equate, as you describe them, such elements of
> behavior, linguistic or otherwise, as "pushy, wrong, off-the-wall or--worst
> of all--not in agreement with our own opinions" with the tolerant attitude
> of freethinking does strain one's sense of that term--unless of course you
> intended those comments to be the judgment of one who is a "freethinker."
>         As the American Heritage Dictionary puts it, a "freethinker" is
> "one who has rejected authority and dogma, especially in religious
> thinking, in favor of rational inquiry and speculation."
>
>         tcw
>

And this freethinker thinks you guys aren't that far apart.  Betsy is
merely describing the impulses we tend to feel toward those who disagree
with us, either assertively or agrressively.  Tom is appealing to a
standard of tolerance, at least pending further rational inquiry, which
should help us restrain our impulses to overreact to expressions which are
"pushy, wrong, off-the-wall or--worst of all--not in agreement with our
own opinions".

Blessings and Peace,
        Carter Pate