Many years ago a young friend writing her Master's Thesis could not satisfy her advisor about anything. The more miserable she got, the angrier I got. Particularly outrageous to me were his complaints about her pronunciation. What on earth did the pronunciation of English have to do with writing anything, including a thesis? Besides, even though she was from Tokyo, she'd spoken English well enough to get As in all her courses.
When a mutual friend made a casual visit, I was ready to vent. Expecting a bit of empathy, I launched my attack. Our friend's advisor was a jerk and an idiot because he'd done and said terrible things to our poor friend from Japan. Before I could list the atrocities, our mutual friend interrupted. "Oh, shut up. If you knew him, you'd like him, and you'd be sticking up for him, too." Would I? Who knows. What would I say?
I haven't had much good to say about our Archbishop recently. I do find his views obnoxious and unchristian. I haven't exactly called him a jerk or an idiot because I might meet him and like him. Would I then stick up for him? Who knows. What would I say?
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