To the editor:

I wish to thank Ms. Steele for making my point, exactly, in her response to my letter. It’s quite obvious that all are welcome in her home with the exception of “white, Christian, male, Republicans.” I’m uncertain why. I know many of them and they’re pretty good guys. Ditto “The Republican women, Democrat men/women and many Independents I know in town.” You may recall in my letter that my appeal was aspirational, with an invitation to acknowledge and accept all types of “free speech”, whether we agree with it or not. It was not to a select few based on party identity, political persuasion or personal “feeling". You see, I support both the “Yoga pants guy” and the women that protested him (not that I really understood any of it and know none of them). Ms. Steele has embraced her “beacon of intolerance” well. The easiest thing to do is to call someone a bigot or racist as she did, without even knowing who I am and my life story. Such is the life of a “puritanical leftist” these days.

I’m certain Ms. Steele remembers her middle school civics class where the Constitution, the Amendments and Bill of Rights were taught and robustly debated. For her, these are apparent metaphors. For the rest of us, they represent the very foundation of our protections, solidify our rights, and state our significant liberties. Her “spirit behind the sign” ideal, when juxtaposed with our literal and legal freedoms pales in comparison.

I’m sure she also recalls from her U.S. History class that about “twenty white, God-fearing males”, also known as the founders of our country, wrote and codified these rights via the aforementioned founding documents. Perhaps she should pause and reflect on her impudent, myopic views and realize that we live in a country that is governed by laws. It is through these writings that she’s gained the right to say what she believes, not through “the spirit of a hate has no home poster.” Our laws are our “sanctuary”, not a false misrepresentation and revisionist view of our country’s values and history. I’m quite certain she’ll need a good old-fashioned metanoia to grasp what I’m saying.

A final question for Ms. Steele. If I were a “white, male, Christian, Republican” (by the way, I’m an Independent) that happened to support gay marriage, was pro-choice and voted for Hillary, would I then be welcome in your home? Just wondering.

Scott Fuller

Barrington