I'm overwhelmed by the volume of response to my thoughts about the toppling of the American Elm on the White House grounds during the storms that pummeled the Washington area earlier this week [LINK]. All I can say is that my note must have touched a collective nerve nationwide, with people reading into my comments issues about politics and presidents, patriotism, the environment and our national heritage. It just reinforces my belief that collective forums like this serve a real need in the complex world of the 21st century. The spectrum is wide and your thoughts in it are very important.