Henrietta's Got Mail!

It's time to re-read last year's mail, which is always a lot of fun. One of the greatest things about writing a column is finding that people read it and then tell me what they think of it. Most of your comments are friendly, informative, funny or all of the above. There are, of course, a few who think I'm nuts, but you can't please everybody.

To see whether much has changed over the years, I re-read the 1990 January column. The most amusing complaint was from Denver University alums. They protested my calling their school the "Street Car College," which those of us at C. U. called it in the thirties. They insisted it was known as "Trolley Tech." Maybe in Denver, but not in Boulder.

Moving up to 2002, I didn't intend to make my Wyoming friends mad at me. Granted, Wyoming women were in the first in the country to be allowed to vote in 1869. But Wyoming was still a territory at that time, so actually Colorado was the first State to grant suffrage to women when the male electorate voted Yes in 1893. I love the headline in the Denver newspaper, The Queen Bee, "WESTERN WOMEN WILD WITH JOY OVER COLORADO'S ELECTION. Come ye disconsolates, come to Colorado and cast your lot, here there is hope for all women."

As usual, the most unpleasant letters concern either Hillary or abortion. The winner in that category wrote of Hillary, "She is despicable, power hungry and lastly, a pig. But as a card carrying Democrat, we shall expect you to defend the bitch. Good day, Madame." Yep, Sir, I will defend her. Any woman who can inspire that kind of invective must be worth serious consideration.

But these are the ones I like. A woman wrote, "Thank you for being the voice of reason in our community. My husband can always tell when I'm reading your column because invariably my head is bobbing up and down and I'm saying, 'Yes, yes, yes." Thanks.

I got some authoritative agreement for my column on patriotism and flag waving this year. A Reserve Air Force Lieutenant Colonel wrote, "I too have been upset by the many flag abuses since 11 Sept. I see flags in the dark at night, and tattered flags on cars. I wish our clothing manufacturers could be held to the flag code."

And when I wrote about my varsity "C" which I received 70 years late, I got this response. "As another pre-Title IX jock and the mother of a current C. U. student, I want to congratulate you on your varsity letter. Get that letter jacket and wear it on behalf of all of us who played our 'little games.' You go girl."

But the major surprise of the year was the response to the column on liberalism. Here in Mesa County closet liberals popped out of the woodwork all over the place, saying that they thought they were alone here. But when it appeared in the Denver Post it got on several web sites and the mail poured in. I quit counting at 200. From Maine to Florida to Washington State and Hawaii people said thank you.

"Thank you so much for your beautiful essay. A copy is going into the Christmas stocking of every member of my family."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! I feel better! I feel renewed. I feel like shouting 'hurrah'!"

"Thank you I thought I was the only "Liberal" left out here." "Thank you. I have laminated the article and keep it on my desk. Whenever my sprits lag I use it as a psychic energizer.

Representative Mark Udall wrote, "You also made the case for civil dialogue which is desperately needed. Liberals know that a society, if it is to be as free as possible must also be fair."

I knew it all the time. Liberalism is not dead.