Dear Larry: In a recent column you said, "Once that issue or irritation has been swaged, they will jump on the next great problem." I believe you meant to say "assuaged" which means to make milder or less severe; relieve; ease; mitigate.

On the other hand "swaged" is a metal-forming technique in which the dimensions of an item are altered using a die or dies, into which the item is forced. Swaging is a forging process, usually performed cold, however it can be done hot.

I enjoy your column very much, but the former english major in me couldn't let this one pass. — Heather

Dear Heather: Mark Twain once said, "The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter — it's the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning." Thanks for the enlightening. I will try to avoid the bugs in the future.

By the way, the word "English" is capitalized. I couldn't let that one pass, either.

Dear Larry: I rarely agree with your conservative opinions, but usually, when citing objective facts, you get it right. So where did you get the statement that "officially, people are considered black if they have one drop of African blood"? Who is the official who made this ruling? When was this ruling made? Is it still in effect?

I know that historically this was the opinion of society. I hope that we have moved beyond the point when "one drop" of any type of blood defines who we are. I am also hopeful that as a society, we are getting closer to seeing people and not colors. — Anne

Dear Anne: The "one-drop rule" is a historical colloquial term that was especially used in the Southern states. The one-drop rule states that any person who has any trace, regardless of how small or invisible, of African ancestry is to be considered black or nonwhite.

The one-drop rule first was enacted into law by the state of Tennessee in 1910. It quickly spread to eight other states. Another set of eight states kept or added to their fraction statutes. Part of them defined an African-American as someone who was one-sixteenth black, and the remaining states considered people to be African-Americans if they were one-thirty-second black. All of the states considered these fraction amounts to be equivalent to the one-drop rule.

By 1925, almost every state in the union had a one-drop law or a fraction equivalent.

In 1967, the Supreme Court, in Loving v. Virginia, declared the one-drop rule unconstitutional.

I am praying for the day when color will cease to have meaning. Given the rate we are changing, I believe my prayers will be answered in the foreseeable future.

Regardless of how the presidential election comes out, Barack Obama is a testament to that change — a black man as a viable candidate for the highest office in the world.

Dear Larry: I haven't heard anything from Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton regarding the black candidate for president. What do you think is going on? — Ernie

Dear Ernie: If the two black leaders want Barack Obama to win, they must remain silent. Their support is the "kiss of death." If Barack Obama is to win, he must not be marginalized into a black candidate.

To find out more about Larry Meeks and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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