It took me a minute to figure out the logic of Louis T. Dorogi’s “open letter to Bowdoin President Barry Mills,” Mr. Dorogi’s attempt to educate President Mills and the rest of us on the rules of etiquette.

It’s OK to offend Native Americans because we’ve been doing that for years. I guess offending Jews falls into the same category. That’s the only reason I can think of for upbraiding the Jewish president of Bowdoin College for having the unmitigated gall to send a holiday card to a pluralistic group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends that didn’t say, “Merry Christmas.” Or didn’t Mr. Dorogi notice neither President and Mrs. Mills nor a good many of their card’s recipients are Christian? In fact, does Mr. Dorogi notice that he shares the planet with a great many people who aren’t just like him and don’t share all of his views?

Apparently not, because all that counts in Mr. Dorogi’s rules of civility is what offends and doesn’t offend Mr. Dorogi. What might offend any of the rest of us he writes off as PC.

I assume the card to which Mr. Dorogi refers is the same one my wife and I received. We thought it was amusing and thoughtful. More thoughtful, indeed, than we had been; after all, we hadn’t sent a card to Barry and Karen. Did Mr. Dorogi?

Rev. Frank C. Strasburger
Brunswick