Rarely does a subject elicit so much immediate email response as the Kelly Tilghman/lynching comment that got her a two-week suspension from the Golf Channel.
These are among the correspondence we've received just in the hours before noon in response to today's Daily News media column:

Dear Mr. Hoffarth,

In regards to your column of Friday, Jan 11th, "Response is too Sharpton": Let's not get hung up on Al Sharpton...in my view, the reason issue in this incident is if any "white person" of which I am one, can truly appreciate and understand the ramifications of using the word "lynch" in reference to a black person.

This summer, I went to the National Civil Rights Museum, in Memphis, Tennessee. This museum was built around, and incorporates, the Lorraine Motel, the site where Dr. King was assassinated. I wish it were possible for every American citizen to go on the tour at this museum..it may be the only way for the rest of us to understand, what it means to be a person of African descent in this country. The exhibits are arranged in chronological order, depicting the conditions of slavery, the plantation worker conditions, the flights to the cities, and then in mid-twentieth century, the struggles and sacrifices that were made regarding human beings seeking to access voting, busing, school integration, and being able to enjoy the amenities of everyday life, including not being excluded from dining establishments, on the basis of one's skin color. The exhibits consists of authentic artifacts from those times, including an authentic Woolworth's counter, a city bus, with the script of the vitreolic commands black riders heard when they boarded, other displays, as well as all the photos of the lynchings, poverty, and written documents generated by people seeking the same basic working, school, and quality of life opportunities and treatment the white people enjoyed. For me, the most vivid and devastating exhibits were the floor to ceiling video footage of the police dogs and firehoses being trained on the black people of the South, for no other reason, than they were black, and the kids wanted to go to regular schools, and going to church was made no longer safe. Little children were murdered in church..the white people felt they needed to be "put in their place", The large screen and high fidelity sound makes it feel like you are standing there, witnessing these events as they are happening. What was even more disconcerting was the snarling hatred voiced by these white men, women, teen-agers, and children, when interviewed during these events.

The tour ends with the visitor standing looking at a cross-section of the motel room shared by Dr. King and Reverend Abernathy, left as it was..its hard to comprehend the poisoned heart of the man who pulled the trigger that day, hiding from behind the bushes across the street. James Earl Ray was probably treated like a hero by his cohorts of hate...and while he killed Dr. King, perhaps the most prominent person of the civil rights movement, he didn't kill the spirit of courage and dignity, that all the people, depicted in the museum's ehxibits put forth before and after Dr. King's murder.

I strongly encourage you to visit this museum, and then see how you feel regarding the use of the word "lynch" in banter, and in particular regarding a black man. Does an "apology" make it ok? To me, its a very serious and sad matter, that needs to be addressed.

--Zoe Trachtenberg

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Mr. Hoffarth:

Regarding your article on Tilghman and Sharpton, I find it to be grandstanding on Sharpton's part to bring up a non issue, and making it racial.
Even you describe the term "lynching" to be a racially charged word. However, we would use that word in any setting as a joke - a bit of humor - and it would be used with anyone of any race, or ethnic background. There are no racial underpinnings. We use words and phrases in the English language that are borrowed from years and years of usages, and there are no appended hidden meanings.
If I were to joke that we should take a certain person back in the alley and lynch him would be to say, jokingly, that we would have to eliminate him. That doesn't mean that we really would want to do that. That is humor. And we would say that about a Mexican man, a Caucasian man, a Chinese man.... Race does not come into play.
I am a teacher in racially segregated public school. If I were to count the number of times the word "nigger" was uttered each day in my classes by African American students, it would be a headline in the news. And, if I, a white man, were to report it, Al Sharpton would get all excited and call me a racist just for mentioning the fact. To the people in the classes who refer to themselves in this way, they are casual and unemotional - it is just an accepted reference they use in their interplay.
Mr. Sharpton doesn't have much to do, and this is the only way he can keep himself in front of the media - by being ridiculous, and keep peddling the BS that continues to keep other members of his race down...by giving them a scapegoat why they cannot get better and get past their past.
Mr. Woods is apparently above it all, and sees it for what it is. A joke, or jab - the guy is so good, maybe they should lynch him so the rest of the pack can have a chance at being number one. He gets it, with a wry smile. It is actually a complement.

--Lee Zebold
Los Angeles

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Thanks for the column on Kelly Tilghman. She is far from my favorite, (I miss Ian Baker-Finch), but she's growing on me. I am certain she did not mean her remark in the way the perennial Rev. Sharpton is intimating. When you talk for that many hours, it must be easy to experience brain-dead moments. Granted it wasn't a good choice of words, but I hope she doesn't get fired over it.

--Bonnie Lukes

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Dear Mr. Hoffarth,

In reading the above-mentioned column, it's obvious to me that it's short-sighted individuals like yourself who are the very reason individuals like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are needed in this country.
Since it appears as if you obviously don't get why this issue has caused such an uproar, take at look at the following GOLF.com article. Maybe it will clue you in.

--Ken Williams
Porter Ranch, CA

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Tom,

Tiger Woods is represented by IMG, the agency the late Mark McCormack built up around Arnold Palmer. While IMG has greatly expanded its representation in all sports over the years, Palmer is still big for them. Arnold Palmer also has a financial interest in Golf Channel, which is one reason why Woods' personal IMG agent in speaking for the golf star termed the lynch remark, a "non-issue."

--Jonathan Pearl

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Tom,

I always felt that Tilghman, while enamating a very pleasing pictorial component to her broadcast work, had absolutely ZERO sense of humor. While I do not believe her intentions were racial, this is what happens when a stiff tries to be too cutsy and funny. As for Sharpton, nuke the hypocrit!

--Phil Korn

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This morning I read the story of the so called "racial slur" by Kelly regarding a comment made on the golf channel.
First of all al sharpton is nothing more than a trouble making "JERK". Anyone giving him one second of time is siding with his stupidity. sharpton and jesse are two of the biggest racist on the plant. Each of them ought to be in jail for creating an injustice against white people. Can anyone remember the lacrosse team that was reported to have raping a black hooker and having the actuations proved to be false.
Kelly apologized for her comment even though it was nothing to apologize for. I am extremely disappointed with the golf channel for giving her two weeks off. For the Golf Channels stupidity I will not watch the golf or any other program on their channel. And when it's all said and done the Golf Channel should apologize to Kelly and tell sharpton to mind his own business.
Personally, I am totally pissed off that anyone give this racist the time of day!!!!

--Dick Poole