I received an e-mail forwarded to me a week or so ago from a wussy individual who wouldn’t identify himself, slamming Conneaut City Manager Robert Schaumleffel Jr. over the manager’s demands that a Website operator take down information dealing with the city.

Now I don’t mind him criticizing Schaumleffel. We have First Amendment rights in this country. The operator, Katie Schwartz, can publish anything she wants, as long as it isn’t libelous. Even then, when it deals with public officials, she is given some leeway.

Publishing public information on her own Web site is perfectly legal and acceptable and the manager’s letter has resulted in huge repercussions and national attention.

Here is a bit of the letter from the unknown person to Schaumleffel:

“I must assume you are a Democrat.

“If you think you are anything else, might I suggest you join all the other fascists by switching to the Democratic party.

“Clearly you were too stupid or lazy to pay attention during HS (high school, I presume.)

“Or perhaps you are a hard-core leftist who thinks free speech should be only for those who agree with you.

“Either way, just know it is you and your ilk who are destroying our nation. It is not just the fat cats in D.C., it is all you arrogant megalomaniacs who curtail our freedoms for your convenience.”

The term “fascist” was also used freely at the tea party several weeks ago, held by people who are unhappy we no longer have a waterboarding-loving, lawyer-shooting vice president.

People freely used the term “fascist” when describing the Obama White House. They mixed in the term with “socialism,” too.

Folks, “fascist” is a term dealing with the far right. Barack Obama is more to the liberal bent. The far left can better be described as a socialist, or maybe Communist.

So this letter writer, who again didn’t have the guts to include his name, more accurately should have stated, “I must assume you are a Republican.

“If you think you are anything else, might I suggest you join all the other fascists by switching to the Republican party.”

Now please, I do not think Republicans are necessarily fascists. It would be the same as Democrats being socialists. But I would appreciate it if people are going to call different political parties names, they at least use the correct ones.

Barack Obama and his followers couldn’t be socialists and fascists at the same time.

It’s like being right-handed and left-handed.

The Library of Economics and Liberty calls fascism socialism with a capitalist veneer. The word derives from “fasces,” the Roman symbol of collectivism and power, a tied bundle of rods with a protruding ax.

After the socialistic Marxism took over in Russia, fascism was seen as an alternative to capitalism and socialism. Adolph Hitler was the ultimate fascist.

Way back during college days, we learned socialism is the absence of government. It is the people who are important. In fascism, the government becomes more important than people.

Now before I continue, let me tell you I am not implying anyone is a socialist or a fascist. The vast majority of people are somewhere in the center of the two extremes.

But the fact these terms are thrown about so much, I finally decided it was time to educate the various extreme factions.

Marxism or socialism is “classical liberalism,” states the Library of Economics and Liberty, while fascism emphasizes nationalism and racialism.

Socialism would control a society’s economic processes through direct state operation. Fascism seeks control indirectly, through domination of nominally private owners. Fascist say people have private property, but then must use it for what is best for the state.

So let us get our derogatory terms correct for people who write anonymous letters and post to message boards. If you are conservative and oppose the president, rattle the saber of socialism.

If you are more liberal and can’t stand Rush Limbaugh or Dick Cheney, call them fascists.

As for me, I will take a chapter from another great thinker of our time, Beacon sports writer Karl Pearson. He says you can call him anything. Just not late for dinner.

Lebzelter is special sections editor. E-mail him at bobleb@starbeacon.com.