Letter to the editor: Fanatics should respect Ellen's freedom of speech

I heard about the Ellen DeGeneres’ “blunder” of sitting next to President George W. Bush at a football game as soon as I woke Monday morning. I came to the conclusion, as I sipped my coffee, that nothing is beyond the slander and backlash of extreme fanatics in this polarized culture.

Jesus sat with sinners and was accused by the religious leaders of that day of being a drunk and a glutton. Being a Pharisee was nothing more than being a religious hypocrite, if you read from the New Testament. It seems today one can’t even carry on a polite conversation with anyone other than who the extreme fanatics deem acceptable.

Who I choose to talk to or who to avoid is no one’s business but mine. That’s why I love this country that has written within our Constitution the promise of “freedom of speech.”

I don’t watch “Ellen,” but she deserves to speak to whom she wishes. I guess GWB doesn’t deserve a friend. Jesus called these Pharisees “whitewashed tombs.” That sounds about right.

Renee Deglau

Hempfield