Note to reader: Back off the mustache, pal

Maybe it’s the stock-market crash or the economic crisis. It seems one or the other is blamed for every malady coming down the pike these days.

It has to be something. Maybe something is in the air or the water. Or maybe somebody slipped Stupid Pills into the vitamin jar.

I mean what is wrong with some people?

Let me give you an example:

Last week, I wrote a blog in reaction to state law-enforcement officers protesting at the Capitol over possible state budget cuts. I said we have to be able to support the basics as a state, in particular our police agencies and schools. If we can’t do that, I asked, what is the point of government?

In reaction to that I got an angry e-mail from Ruth on Saturday when the blog appeared in the Tallahassee Democrat. You could tell the anger by the use of all capital letters. The e-mail suggested LEO’s unions have gotten a grab bag of generous “goodies” for the officers and that LEOs are overpaid.

The e-mail then made fun of my mustache. “Have you ever considered getting rid of the hair under your nose?”

Swell. That really improves the quality of your argument. I don’t know what their mammas taught them about the rules of proper behavior, but I get e-mails from people all the time who make fun of my height, how I talk, the way I dress, where I grew up, my athletic ability, etc. Mustache comments are rare, I guess because there are so many other things to not like about me.

I get it. When you put yourself out there in public, you open yourself up to the whackos. So I sent a fairly standard response back.

“The job of being my wife is taken,” I wrote back. “But thanks for the suggestion.”

Ruth wrote back, and I’m now cutting-and-pasting directly from the e-mail because you won’t believe it otherwise.

See the full blog on this link.

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