I don’t mind debating with Democrats, but they rarely read my stuff and I certainly don’t go out of my way to seek them out. So, usually I don’t hear from them unless they’re one of the few Leftists who read the two pieces a week that The Patriot Post runs.

Every so often I hear from a woman who used to write occasional pieces for the L.A. Times back in the day that I was writing a humor column for the paper.

Mary generally sends me an email when I defend Donald Trump. It’s annoying, but at least it gives me personal insight to the bullheadedness I otherwise would only get second-hand when I see the zoo of creatures vying for their party’s presidential nomination on TV.

The other day, she reacted to my article, “Donald Trump Is the Life of the Party,” in which I listed the reasons why, politics aside, so many people like the President. I referred to his obvious love of life, of family and of America.

Mary opened with: “Burt, I can’t imagine why you think Trump is doing anything good for this country/. He’s created an ugly and divisive climate that should be obvious to anyone who’s intellectually honest. Do you honestly think he’s honest? Please. He lies constantly.

"He’s destroyed the dignity of the presidency by his bizarre behavior and often incoherent rants. I don’t see how my objections to his lack of basic civility and decency can be dismissed as minor matters. But then, I don’t know what you mean when you refer to ‘my side.’ I’m a socialist now but grew up in a Republican household. We didn’t talk politics much, but my parents generally liked Ike who would be horrified by Trump.

"My father loved classical music. So did my mom who played the piano. My sister played the cello. I grew up listening to Bach and Beethoven. As a teenager, I dated brilliant guys from Caltech who undoubtedly would believe in global warming today. Let’s just say that this ignorant buffoon who got himself into the Oval Office via the electoral college strikes a discordant note.”

I replied: “You keep ragging on Trump’s manners. I frankly don’t care if he slurps his soup. After the likes of Carter, Clinton and Obama, I really don’t care about the so-called dignity of the office. I care about the issues, such as the Second Amendment, closing the borders, discouraging Muslims from entering this country, the economy, re-building the military, sticking by Israel, getting our NATO partners to live up to their financial obligation; and putting an end to infanticide.

"He calls the press the enemy of the people, as do I. They lie about Trump but defend Hillary Clinton and the Family Foundation. They’ve become the bullhorn of the Democratic party, pretending that people like Kirsten Gillibrand, Bernie Sanders and Robert O'Rourke, to name just a few of the idiots in the race, are viable contenders for the highest office in the land.

"By ‘your side,’ I am of course referring to ‘Socialists,’ a mental disorder you seem happy enough applying to yourself.

"What any of this has to do with your musical taste or who you chose to date 60 years ago, I can’t imagine. Bragging, I suppose.

"If you choose to write more about Trump, please leave what you consider his boorishness and tweets out of it, as I have occasionally addressed those matters and don’t require you to remind me of what I consider minor matters in the overall scheme of things.”

Her response: “Frankly, I read your stuff trying to understand why a smart Jewish boy liked neo-Nazis such as Trump and others of his ilk, maybe hoping to convert you to a kinder, gentler view of the world. I still don’t understand and fortunately, don’t need to anymore.”

My reply: “Apparently, it never entered your mind that this nice Jewish boy simply doesn’t agree with your assessment of Trump. You folks call him names, including anti-Semite, ignoring the fact that his son-in-law is a religiously-observant Jew, that his beloved daughter Ivanka converted to Judaism and that his three Kushner grandkids are Jewish. He also pledged his undying support of Israel. That’s one heck of a neo-Nazi.

"Your side, on the other hand, defends Rep. Ilhan Omar and can’t even bring itself to condemn anti-Semitism without watering it down to include an attack on every sort of bigotry, including fat women, bald men and Eskimos.

"Somewhere along the line, you decided that you are my moral and intellectual superior, although you’ve supplied no evidence to back up that arrogant assumption. I don’t object to your disagreeing with me politically, but I take exception to your patronizing attitude.

"Inasmuch as you’re not even a subscriber, but merely read two of my seven weekly articles at a free website, I don’t feel any obligation to put up with your mindless partisan rants. So, farewell. And don’t even think about running back to me next year after Trump trounces one of the morons you support and blaming it on the Russians, the Macedonians or the Electoral College.”

While defending Tucker Carlson to a friend who thinks he’s too courteous to guests who closely resemble Mary the Socialist, I said I, too, occasionally wish Carlson would at least employ the mute button when some of his more obnoxious guests start to filibuster. On the other hand, he is the host and, as such, he obviously feels a responsibility to be as gracious as possible, even under extremely trying conditions.

Perhaps I identify with him because in my own way, I try to do the same. For instance, I always try to identify the reader if I use one of their comments, but that’s only if I agree with them.

But when I take exception, as I did with Mary, I never identify them, except with a first name which isn’t necessarily their own. It wouldn’t be fair to hold them up to public humiliation and scorn. I mean, it’s not as if they’re officeholders.

As I see it, it’s my article and, as such, I always get the last word.