High Heel Pumps Comin' Out of Chute Number Six

February 3, 2015
   Well, not everybody is happy with my remarks about cowboy hats in Wyoming:

I didn't know that when I was buying my monthly copy of your magazine that I was getting involved in politics.

But now that I've been informed by you, via NPR, that "The West" is (in your opinion) "under attack" by people (like me) who live in "The East"... well, now I know better.

And, by the way, you should know as an authority on Western history what even *I* know as a writer of Western historical fiction -- that cowboy boots were designed specifically for use when *riding horses*... and *not* for *walking*.

The *fact* is that the wearing of cowboy boots today (for non horse-riders) is just a fashion affectation, practiced by grown up little boys who watched a whole lot of *fantasy* cowboys walking around Hollywood TV and movie sets.  And in comic books.

They are high heel pumps, in effect, for men.  And just as impractical.

As an editor once advised me early in my writing career -- get your facts straight, or you'll just make yourself look like an idiot.

And, since I feel that today's "conservative" politics is pretty much just a bunch of ignorant meaningless fooforah... I'll be sticking with "Wild West" magazine instead of yours.

Thanks for your time.

"I'll be around."

—Frank Watson