Acknowledging the assistance of others is an exercise in balancing hazards. One risks omitting someone whose support, provided perhaps early in the project, was indispensible to the endeavor, but is overlooked in the reckoning. On the other hand, those mentioned stand in jeopardy of being implicated in a crime they didn’t commit. Nevertheless, we owe a debt to many scholars who provided feedback on various parts and incarnations of the work in this book at conferences. In that regard, we would like to thank Rich Pacelle, Bradley Hays, Kevin McMahon, David Crocker, and Robert Spitzer.
We are particularly obliged to Pam Corley, for her contributions to Chapter 4.
Throughout the process of developing these materials into the book and preparing it for publication, we have been delighted to find the editors and staff with whom we’ve worked at Lexington and Rowman & Littlefield to be friendly, helpful, and capable. We would especially like to thank acquisitions editor Joseph C. Parry, editorial assistants Jana M. Wilson and Anna Miars, and assistant editor Ashley Baird.
For able research and other assistance, we’d like to thank Shenita Brazelton, Carol Walker, and Aimee Wickman.
Bob Howard would like to thank his family. To my children, Courtney and Jordan thank you for being wonderful, loving and always challenging. I am sorry that I made you Met fans, but blame Papa. To Dave, thank you for letting me adopt and support a Senator who is not from my home state. I thank my parents, Amy and Bernie Howard for all their sacrifice, love and devotion. I want to thank my late grandparents, Ivan and Rachel Skura and William and Anna Horowitz. You all let me grow up in an extended family atmosphere of love, support and really good food. I took this for granted and only many years later do I realize how lucky I was. Finally to Taryn, the love of my life and my best friend for all these years, with you “all losses are restored and sorrows end.”
Scott Graves would like to thank his colleagues at Georgia State University for all of their insight and patience while this book was taking shape. During many conversations in halls and offices, knowingly or not, you helped me to think about the issues and implications of this work. In that spirit, I’d like to thank Rich Engstrom, Charles Hankla, Jeff Lazarus, Jason Reifler, and Amy Steiger-walt.