A number of friends of my generation who rarely comment on my columns emailed me about my latest, where I discussed my contrasting feelings toward America’s bicentennial and semiquincentennial (“Belated Anniversary Wishes”). Many, including one who actually attended our bicentennial bash, made the point that they too felt like I did. I’ll be honest; I felt good knowing I wasn’t alone. And an Israeli cousin wrote that it resonated with her with respect to the leadership of her country.

But nothing’s perfect. I also received an email from a very close long-time friend who didn’t see eye to eye with me. His thoughtful, though dissenting, email engendered a longer exchange that extended beyond the four corners of the specific column and concerned broader issues about why I write as I do on these issues. I thought other readers might be interested, so I’ve set forth the entire exchange below. Please note that it’s in verbatim form (other than correction of typos and omission of personal identifying information and asides), with all the hurriedness, even spontaneity, that is typical with emails, and without the careful editing, rewriting, and sleeping on it that I usually do before a column appears in this space (and as my friend does with his written work). That rawness adds, I think, to the honesty of the feelings.

He wrote: “I read your latest column and it perfectly encapsulated for me what is wrong with today’s politics. Although much of what bothers you is true, you don’t even pay lip service to what’s wrong with your side of the political map. No mention of the antisemitism which is so much a part and parcel of Democratic politics today and the failure by almost all Democratic politicians to call it out. Where are the Democratic politicians to call out Mamdani for threatening to arrest the Prime Minister of a country based upon an ‘arrest warrant’ issued by a Court that the Federal government under both parties never recognized. No mention of the coverup of Joe Biden’s condition or the excesses of COVID regulations.

“In your view all that is wrong with America are ‘wrestling matches’........

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