In his column of June 16, I.M. Beck accuses those he calls "the bigots" of "insulting and denigrating" a certain woman, whom he names, and "anyone else who does not agree with them, for month upon month". Really! And what, might one ask, has Beck himself been doing all these months but use his weekly column to insult, denigrate and try to ridicule anyone and everyone who does not agree with his own personal views? But of course, to people of Beck's ilk, it is perfectly all right for such tactics to be used prolifically by themselves, but if anybody else tries to open his or her mouth, he or she is a racist or a bigot, or a pipsqueak, or whatever. And Beck has the consummate nerve to accuse other people of intolerance!

I have been a regular reader of The Times for more years than I can remember, and I am amazed that a respectable newspaper should even think about providing space for such scurrilous fare as Beck's articles. I take Beck's statement that a great number of people accost him in the streets to congratulate him on his literary accomplishments with the proverbial pinch of salt. He really doesn't know how many of them are really taking the Mickey out of him, does he? After all, he does not have the national monopoly for making fun of people. As for the ones who are honestly in agreement, well, some mothers do have 'em, don't they?

And talking of a different kind of fare, I am sure you will agree that the majority of your readers have no interest whatsoever in what Beck and his entourage feed their faces on, or what eateries they patronise for such activity. Of course, these particularly choice snippets of enlightenment come towards the end of Beck's column, normally well beyond the point where most readers turn over the page in disgust.

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