Calling Ernie , or by proxy his father, a racist, on the day of his death notice is beyond vile. These craven, depraved, forked tonged rats are beyond contempt. Before I was a grown man, before I was tall, before I was strong, before I had learned my own value, I was a fat dorky Black kid, one of a handful in my classes in San Francisco. Dungeons and Dragons, and the works Ernie contributed to taught me to believe in hero stories, to stand up against monsters, to protect the innocent (even if you got paid in "fat loot" along the way), and to know that demons deserved the blade not your allegiance. In short, it welcomed me and my friends in, helped us grow and learn, and instilled a life long sense of right from wrong. It never was some bastion of racism, nor were the originators anymore "racist" than anyone else, which is to say, not very much at all, and in fact, likely less so...they liked to think of themselves as heroes.... To pick fights with the Gygax family in general, but on this day, is to play the bully, to attack other "geeks" because you believe we are going to take it, we're going to cower, to submit. We are going to sit back while you taint kind words with your vileness. Well, many of us aren't small anymore, many of us aren't defined by our faults but by our virtues. And we've spent a lifetime dreaming about fighting monsters. And you fit the bill! Those attacking Ernie can Fuck Right Off. Anyone can partake in the hobby, for better or for worse, so I won't gatekeep them out...that being said the only "us" worth noting is those of us that know what true goodness is against those that weaponize their supposed empathy for power over others. Rest in Peace Ernie, we'll take out the trash on our way out