Reader Responses

What with all the to-do about one particular presidential candidate declaring he would meet with terrorists without preconditions reminds me of a story of compromise told 50 years or more ago in the middle of the Cold War.

Seems there was a very cold man scouring the forest with his old rifle, hunting for a large animal to shoot so he could make a fur coat and get warm. This man had white hair and a goatee and had on red and white stripe trousers, a blue coat and was wearing a white hat with blue hatband and white stars. In an earlier war, he was pictured on a poster and saying "I want you..."

Also in the forest was a large, mean and hungry bear looking for lunch. He was often pictured with a red star and hammer and sickle flag.

The white-haired old man saw the bear, raised his rifle, aimed and was ready to pull the trigger when the bear pleaded with him to stop so we can "sit down and negotiate. We can reach some compromise," the bear said.

The very gullible old man decided to do just that and approached the bear so negotiations could begin. When theold man got close, the bear grabbed him and devoured him.

You might be thinking the negotiations didn't work and there was no compromise, but you would be wrong. I'm wondering if there just might be an instant replay in America's future.