I was saddened by Mary Ann Picone's Jan 5 letter, "Face it: Most Mississippians are racist", in which she expressed her amazement at "the ignorance and hatred that many Mississippians exhibit toward fellow Americans just because they are from the North, homosexual, Catholic, etc.", and I wish that she had not become so offended personally.   As for myself,  Mary Ann, I have many friends who are Northern homosexual Catholics.