Steve Bouser's Dec. 20 column, "When Glad Tidings Make Us Sore Afraid," gave me pause to look at my own feelings that very often swing back and forth like the pendulum on a grandfather clock. The concept of turning the other cheek should occur to us more often.

When you look at the recent Mel Gibson incident where he insulted one person, and Michael Richards' incident where he insulted two people, makes one wonder why the media blew those situations out of proportion. In neither case did the men involved insult the whole world.

It's easy to understand how Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton would use these incidents to keep sowing their seeds of distrust and hatred, but why do the media have to keep fanning the fires of divisiveness?

Bill Rose, Pinehurst