Down the hall, most of my colleagues are conferring earnestly with a prominent conservative politician. I, on the other hand, have my nose to the grindstone, in my office, slaving away — which is to say, more specifically, engaging in e-mail correspondence with a distinguished practitioner of roller derby. I share with readers her response to this weekend’s discussion of that sport:

I assure you that modern women’s roller derby is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a “bondage themed lesbian fest.”
Baltimore’s Charm City Roller Girls are one of the top-ranked teams in the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association’s East Region and take this sport very seriously. While there is still plenty of fun and kitsch in roller derby, the vast majority of leagues — especially those who are members of the WFTDA — work hard to provide a family-friendly environment. Many skaters are mothers and their children are involved in the sport as mascots and fans. I have seen many roller derby bouts in Baltimore and there are always plenty of families there.
I sincerely appreciate your interest in this fast-growing sport, but the reader who submitted that comment is either severely misinformed or intentionally trying to spread misinformation for his own personal reasons.
Kali Schumitz aka “Lois Slain”
Roller Derby Skater, Washington, D.C.

I have yet to attend a roller-derby bout myself, so I can’t testify to this from my own experience; but her comments have the ring of truth. To the pure, of course, all things are pure; one man’s innocent fun can sometimes be looked on by another man with only the most repulsive lasciviousness. It sounds like in this case, the truth is closer to innocence.