Editor, Gazette-Journal:

Here we go again. I’ve been noticing the tone of letters to the editor with increasing apprehension. Looking back, we’ve had the Nazis who basically hated Jews, gypsies and homosexuals. Then there was hatred for black people with extensive use of the “N” word. This was used to denigrate black people and show contempt for their humanity.

The latest “N” word is the “D” word. This word is “Denier.” The “D” word is currently being used to show contempt for those who hold the opinion that global warming may not be man-caused or even happening. The word has the double benefit of insulting both the intelligence and character of the target.

This taunt is increasingly being used in letters to the editor. I’ve hoped this would run its course. It hasn’t. Don’t be hateful because someone holds an opinion that differs from yours. The incredible nastiness of calling someone a denier because they disagree with the idea of man-made global warming is disturbing. No, actually it is sickening.

Subjects of hate change, but the haters persist. Maybe it is in our DNA. I don’t just fear for our country; I also fear for Mathews and Gloucester. Try this thought experiment: Imagine this winter your vehicle slides off an icy road into a ditch. A 4-wheel drive truck stops and pulls you out. Now, do you care what the driver’s position is on global warming?

Bill Crowe

Port Haywood, Va.