Dearest Ron and staff, Just read "The N-Word" by Ed Smith. Not impressed. Followed that with "What You Said" – whew! Only 17 per cent chose to be offended. As a retired educator, perhaps Mr. Smith can share a few ego strengthening parables in his next invariably, absolutely honest column. His little two paragraph history lesson on the origin of the N-word is just short of ridiculous, almost laughable, and dangerously close to offensive toward our rural "brethren and sistern." The reason I'm not laughing is because a lot of people in many different countries read this magazine and may casually accept Mr. Smith's devinely shared, earthly perception as fact. Which it is not. By the way, back in the 1940s and early 1950s, missing teeth, drinking, illiteracy and being poor while working your arse off in rubber boots or logans was the norm in most countries that touched the Atlantic Ocean, with Maritime communities - communities filled with people who possessed an unshakable pride in life and living, and who also had more pressing concerns than the embarrassment of some gentrified, egocentric, politically correct "new" Canadians, who couldn't wait to get their snouts in the trough. We weren't all "that way" Mr. Smith? We should be so fortunate. Stereotypes are not born, they're hatched, incubated and then nurtured by perceptions based on ignorance, prejudice or fear. So for those who choose to be offended by the term Newfie, get a grip, keep a stiff upper lip, and remember, we've got bigger fish to fry.     Submitted By: NULL