Don Peter, a Highline Times/Des Moines News reader and Des Moines resident, wrote a letter to the editor saying my column is delightful, yet I'm wrong writing about immigration on June 4th.

Now most savvy guys know from experience that you just don't tell a lady she's wrong - unless you're up for a healthy debate. Not me. I agree totally with Don Peter - I am not perfect. No debate there.

In the midst of my 80th year of experiencing civilization, and plenty of uncivilization, it is clear that perfection escaped me--- and time is running out to expect much improvement.

Still, I hope sharing my thoughts in writing have left a smile, stirred a pleasant memory, questioned politics, treasured love, and stirred readers to become more aware and involved in local community's management.

Hearing from readers is often like flowers on a snowy day, both cool and beautiful. Letters to the editor are welcome; especially those that make writers scratch their head and reach for their computer or old-fashioned dictionary.

However, Don Peter's letter of protest to my June 4th "Over the Fence" column is an opinion I cannot agree with. That column featured the majority of a quoted Highline Community College class essay written by Tran Quoc Tan, (aka Lee), a local business owner, student, and naturalized citizen.

I can only wish I had the smarts to write an in-depth and detailed history on the subject of immigration as Mr. Tran wrote for that Highline College Human Rights class.

Somewhat shyly Lee agreed to use of his essay. The subject theme was responding to Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's controversial newly signed immigration law.

He quoted her at a recent Capital Plaza demonstration, "The law is another tool for our state to use as we work to solve a crisis we did not create and the federal government has refused to fix."

The next week after my column appeared, reader Don Peter wrote a letter to the editor about me saying: "I often enjoy her musings about issues of interest to our community. Unfortunately I cannot say that about her June 4 article on immigration because what she has written is misleading (ouch) (comment mine) in one case and in another case gives the reader a false impression." (Ouch, ouch!)

Anyhow, yesterday I promptly checked my 6.04 printed newspaper issue and original submitted copy. Ahhhh - I see the quotation mark originally entered at the end of Lee's Essay quote was missing in the printed copy!

Maybe that caused the "misleading" confusion to a reader's interpretation. It's amazing what the lack of a quotation mark can do to a sentence!

Then Don Peter wrote, "Second, she quotes Vietnamese citizen Lee's view. This quote can easily lead the reader to a false conclusion that the Arizona law leads to racial profiling."

Even the pilgrims might have headed their freedom-bound boats in a different direction had they thought freedom of speech and personal opinion was not accepted here.

Racial profiling has never been a part of my life. My family welcomed unexpected guests at the table for a meal as everyday code of behavior. Often we looked like the United Nations. All good people were welcome. Integrity ruled.

Lee is proud to be an American citizen. We can only wonder what living in Vietnam was like when he left it with memories of war, unrest and economic challenges.

While my generation fought wars, few experienced everyday hardships Vietnam residents must have endured.

I consider it an honor to write about Lee, his wife, Kim and family, recognizing their efforts for education, devotion to family, and respect to the laws of America.

My sincere thanks to Don Peter for his letter that inspired this response giving pause to value America's prized freedom of speech.

Be thankful for today, make time to smell the roses, be happy. All too soon life's flower garden ceases to bloom and we recognize values of life in realistic evaluation.

Tuesday my dear cousin Bonnie died suddenly. No one promised us tomorrow.

Today's Thought: "When things go wrong - don't go with them."