A few days ago, my friend Neil gave a brief answer to the question "Spamfighter, howcome you got into spamfighting?"

I get asked that a lot, too -- and while my answers vary depending on my mood at the time (and usually go on way longer than the questioner actually probably wanted), the core hasn't ever really changed: I think e-mail is cool.

More than that, I totally love the idea of worldwide, near-instantaneous yet non-interruptive human-to-human communication. I love it like Gir loveded the piggy, only slightly more sane and hopefully a lot less like an alien robot.

"We are particularly offended by the suggestion that the opposite of the religious right is the voice of atheism," said Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism. "We are appalled when 'people of faith' is used in such a way that it excludes us, as well as most Jews, Catholics and Muslims. What could be more bigoted than to claim that you have a monopoly on God and that anyone who disagrees with you is not a person of faith?"

For years I've seen most of my peers, and much of the progressive community in general, eschew and even disdain not only organized religion but also anything we can learn from religious institutions -- almost entirely as a backlash against the bigotry and intolerance of the religious right.

"...it is quite clear that the Federal government cannot avoid or escape responsibilities which the mass of the people firmly believe should be undertaken by it. The political processes of our country are such that if a rule of reason is not applied in this effort, we will lose everything--even to a possible and drastic change in the Constitution. This is what I mean by my constant insistence upon 'moderation' in government. Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are H. L. Hunt (you possibly know his background), a few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid."

-- President Dwight Eisenhower,
in a letter to his brother Edgar
dated November 8, 1954