Letter writer Tony Bickert's satirical take ("The jig is up," Aug. 23) on the health-debate prompted letter writer Tiffany McLean's "flabbergasted" response ("Canadian sysem works fine," Aug. 27).

To be flabbergasted, Ms. McLean would have had to take Mr. Bickert's letter as straight rather than satire.

Maybe she did, maybe she didn't. Maybe she was flabbergasted by the attitudes Mr. Bickert skewered in his letter.

I don't know, and I didn't ask Ms. McLean.

We sometimes question our letter writers' sources for assertions of fact; we clean up obscenities, strike what's libelous or simply vile, edit for brevity. But we don't hold our letter writers' hands. I'm not going to call a letter writer and ask, "Ma'am, you do understand that this letter was satire, don't you?" I'll let the teacher of a lit or communications class ask that condescending question.

Letter writers respond as they will to other letters, whether straightforward or satirical. If the original letter is satire, send-up or camp, the respondent may or may not get it. Readers can draw their own conclusions. The original writer can respond. It's all part of the lively conservation.

At any rate, Ms. McLean made some strong points about her health-care experiences in Canada.

You can read both letters at adn.com/opinion/letters.