Gavin pointed out that one “Bob Problem” for others is that “Bob, you present yourself as a peer, not a priest.”

Only a couple of VERY insightful close acquaintances saw that, in a way, my attitude can be seen as snobbery gone wild.

It is very Southern and very American. On a gut basis, my attitude is “I can whip any man in the house!”

Unlike the old Englishman or the New Englander or a black, I do not need an “attitude” to make everybody keep away from me except by appointment to show my status.

In fact, for the Jefferson or Jackson as opposed to an Adams, it is a point of pride to be able to demonstrate your superiority or your correctness right in the middle of the crowd.

Being a dunce when I am actually a dunce bothers me not at all, because I know very well that my flaws are common, but my special abilities are largely unique.

This also true of my race. No one can claim that whites have ever CREATED an evil deed. Being more powerful than others, they have done more evil than anybody else. But the GOOD things we have done ARE unique, from wiping out starvation to representative government to wiping out small pox to reaching the moon to this computer I am on to wiping out slavery to …

As everybody knows, this list could go to book length, even in such brief terms.

The two paragraphs above, used by a professional BUGSER, could reduce those who attack us from their attitude of superiority to the ghetto imitating foul-mouthed shrieks they always resort to when they just can’t take it any more.

I don’t need some kind of barrier between me others to show them how special I am.

And this, as I say, is a very Southern and very American attitude:

I am who I am and if you don’t appreciate it, then you need to wise up.

The story goes that General Lee was riding with a French newspaperman during the War and an old black stood up and took off his hat and said, “Good day, General Lee.”

To the Frenchman’s shock General Lee touched his hat and replied, “Good day to you.”

The Frenchman said, “A French gentleman would not reply to a peasant who presumed to greet him so familiarly. But you have just greeted a SLAVE!”

Lee replied, “I AM a gentleman. How could I let him be more polite than I am?”

If it was good enough for Marse Robert it‘s good enough for me.