I Support:
• Sustainability
• International travel
• Free trade
• Conservation
• Stewardship
• Slow food
• Firearms control
• Evolution
• The Nature Conservancy
• UNESCO World Heritage
• Natural beef
I’m against:
• Unions
• Derivatives
• Quarterly earnings reports
• Religious doctrine
• Clearcutting
• Whale watching
• Intoxication
• ‘No child left behind’
• Industrial agriculture
• Chemical preservatives
How many people can one writer rile up just by telling the truth? Tens of thousands, around the world. Here’s the 2008 article, originally published on the Los Angeles Times Op-Ed page, that was declared unacceptable
by the most people:
This piece was republished in a dozen countries, translated into French, Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, Australian, German and more, posted on dozens of blogs, and occasioned tens of thousands of comments good and
bad. Several writers hoped they could use yours truly to “watch me
make this pencil disappear.” Many others, less sophisticated, simply
wanted to do away with me, break my nose or... get me drunk.
But this is nothing new. Years ago, as an editorial writer in Fort Collins,
Colorado, a local Baptist church took exception to one of my columns
and sent me almost a hundred sympathy cards. (“Mr. Lucas, we are so
sorry you are going to hell.”) I had questioned the veracity of the Bible.
Then there was this:
That occasioned dozens of comments, including a letter that called me “totally irresponsible” and “sophomoric” because I overlooked the “thousands of people who want to totally annihilate our asses.” Still waiting for that, aren’t we?
Most recently, this:
Now I can’t get off a plane at McCarran International.
I'm also in the doghouse with so-called 'tour' operators chasing and harassing marine mammals:
Platform
My stand
Huddled masses
Fans:
• Lucas hit the nail on the head regarding tourism and the U.S. --Frank
• My husband and I were so taken with the article written by Eric Lucas... that this year we took the journey. It was all Mr. Lucas said it would be. --Anne and Terry.
• Mr. Lucas, from the bottom of my heart and soul thank you for sharing your beautiful journey with me. --Mary
Uniat church, Carpathian Mountains
Not fans:
• Is there something wrong with Eric P. Lucas??? His comment on Heath Ledger shows how ridiculously ignorant he is about Heath Ledger and Heath's incredible work for which he gave it all. --'Tracy'
• I think he has OD'd on his own organic garlic. Wake up, garlicbrain!--'Brian'
• That insensitive, ignorant, unfeeling idiot has absolutely NO idea who that man was or what he was feeling inside anymore then anyone else does. --'Marian'
• Eric, you did get one thing right. “Foreigners are criminals until proven otherwise.” --'Icespicol'
• Anyone advertising in XXXX should be appalled and demand a retraction. The author is clearly biased and uninformed. PS: Are there any legal ramifications to what he wrote? --'Tom'
Rednecks & ignoramuses dep't:
• I'd trade one legal Mexican immigrant for a trader like you any day. --Karl
• So when can I help you pack? You are moving soon, right? --'Bets'
• I think there is two strands to this argument. --Rory
Who you are is the stand you take. --David Neenan
