Dear David,

Eichmann was a monstor. And I'm sure your mother would
have apologised. Sometimes words are spoken in anger
that we don't mean. Of course they hurt and we should
take them back. I'm sure your mother did take the word
back.

The program about Eichmann on SBS last night
was frightening. It drove the fact home to me that
yes, just as love exists - so does hate, and awful things
can and do happen. Hopefully rational people do learn
from the past and don't allow crimes against humanity
to be repeated.

Dear Foxy,

You didn't know my mother. If she apologized for that it would have been the first time I heard her apologize or admit being wrong about anything.

Dear David,

You're right - I don't know your mother but I think
that I've gotten a glimpse of your character over
these years on the forum which I admire greatly I
think I can assume that there must have been some
good influences that you got from your mum.

No?

Dear David,

Also, aren't you just making a judgement about your
mum - that she didn't apologise to your father?
You can't really be sure can you? Children often
get things wrong or misunderstand?

Dear Foxy,

I am writing my autobiography. In it I wrote:

"I appreciate the frustration of my mother now that I am more aware of the feelings of an intelligent, questioning woman in a male dominated society."

That doesn't alter the fact of her behaviour, but I am trying to appreciate the reasons for it. She rebelled in her way, and I in mine.

The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,
Moves on: nor all your Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all your Tears wash out a Word of it.

In my autobiography I am trying to be honest and express my feelings. Those feelings may be wrong or bad, but they exist. I am not writing a hagiography. Mother in some ways appreciated me, and in some ways I appreciated her. She was not an ideal mother, and I was not an ideal son. I appreciate the fact that she never ridiculed me as others did. I appreciate her sense of humor.

A bit from the bio.

"I remembered defending myself against mother using humor. She would tell me something and get angry when I did it. “That’s not what I wanted, and you should have been able to read between the lines.” Autism was not a concept people were aware of when I was a child. I am somewhere on the autistic spectrum and could not read between any lines. I could only act on what she said. One time when she was angry and threatened to spank me, I said, “Would you wreak your vengeance on a helpless child?” She dissolved in laughter. I was threatened with spanking many times but never got spanked."

You are two of my favourite posters, now relax, turn on the telly, channel OOO, they are having a mega marathon of re-runs of that great riveting program 'Total Crap' staring Bonkers Bill and his performing chimp, Bozo. If it wasn't for programs like 'Total Crap' there would have been no reason for that fella, Louie Baird, to invent the bloody thing in the first place.