Dorothy Parker's wonderful little poem, "The Veteran" begins:

When I was young and bold and strong,
Oh, right was right, and wrong was wrong!
My plume on high, my flag unfurled,
I rode away to right the world.

"Come out, you dogs, and fight," said I,
And wept there was but once to die.

But the next stanza reminds us that as we grow older, it is not so simple. Parker laments that often in life "good and bad …are woven in a crazy plaid." We are often left with uncertain choices and our fingers crossed. Young Adam will learn that, I predict.

For now, Conkey fits the Manichean branch of conservatism -- the sour grapes, angry rump of the out-of-power party. The term comes from the religious philosopher Mani, who lived two centuries after Christ in ancient Babylon (now Iraq). He saw the world as one of competing opposites: godly light and demonic darkness. Mani came to believe he had won his inner battle, and thereafter embodied light and wisdom. Mani, in fact, saw himself as the Paraclete, or the Holy Spirit. He eventually lost influence, but not before winning the support of many political and religious leaders of his time.

Today, Manichean characterizes those who not only see the world in terms of stark good and evil, but see themselves as representing the undefiled good. For many (including me) Manichean defines the hubris of the Bush administration: its philosophy of a "unitary executive" immune from legislative oversight, free to ignore or define the law, rationalize torture, sanctify corporate greed, and spread paranoia.

Mr. Conkey, I was nonplussed but not offended by your verdict that neither Obama nor McCain was a qualified candidate for the office. But as one of 67 million Americans who voted for President Obama, I was offended by your sweeping claim that he was elected by a "blind majority" or is one who "gives many speeches with many words and many promises, many hopes and dreams, but actually says nothing at all."

(Not to be picky, but if Obama makes "many promises" how is it he says nothing at all? And since you say McCain was not qualified, are we to suppose that a blind "minority" voted for him? Is that unthink, or doublespeak?)

And, yes, Mr. Conkey, I and millions more are offended by your suggestion that our new President is dangerous to our country, and that you lump him with villains like Mussolini, Hitler, Mao Tse Tung, Caesar, and "assorted African dictators."

Ingesting that hyperbolic, paranoid garbage doesn't necessitate taking fiber. What's needed is a quick and effective emetic.

You claimed last week that you "don't believe in the notion of separate races, that "a human is a human" (Oh, I hadn't heard that) and that "skin color shouldn't be discussed." But you do just that. Incredibly, you argue that the recent election of a black President (whose mother, let us remember, is white) is not a remarkable historic moment. Then, presumably to explain why not, you inform us that fewer than half the US population is white, uh, …male. So? The US Census Bureau recently put the number of whites at 80 percent; that is, if white females matter. Speaking of which,

A nice woman I know said, "Boy, all those blacks voted for Obama just because he's black, I bet."

"Wouldn't surprise me," I said. "And I'd bet an equal or greater number of whites voted against him for the same reason."

She hesitated for a long moment and looked away. "Probably so," she said softly.

Yes, black Americans in this country were joyous to see someone with a skin like theirs win the highest office in the land. As an old teacher, coach, and still friend of great black students and athletes and their families in this area, with them I yell, "Hooray."

No ethnic group monopolizes racism. But during this last campaign I was disgusted at the white racist hatred in this country -- some blatant, more of it thinly veneered. And as a black friend observed, "The daggers are still out." Mr. Conkey, your column didn't help.

None of us know how history will judge President Barack Obama. In these tremulous times, we have great hope, but the challenges he faces here and abroad are many and daunting. We've had enough of character-smearing and fear-mongering.