Thank you for your advice. I appreciate your concern.

My interest in responding to Barker is not to "win", or to inform
people of the "truth" about Barker (though there may be newcomers who
might take him seriously, or wonder why I do not defend myself), or to
respond to his vile accusations (though again on Usenet failure to
respond is often seen as an admission of guilt). I respond for two
reasons:

Like John I am exercising my freedom of speech; you and others are then
free not to listen.

What I do is akin to the saying that all that evil needs to triumph is
for good men to do nothing.

By all means, please feel free to killfile Barker, me, Pelan, and this
thread. Were I in your place I would probably do the same (except for
the reason I stated earlier). Just keep in mind that had you been
subjected to Barker's vitriol you might feel differently.

So leave us to our own private antechamber of Hell forever at each
other's throats, but understand why we do it and pity us, not revile
us.

Kevin L. O'Brien