Quote by Christopher Hitchens
Some lurid things have been said about me that I am a racist, a hopeless alcoholic, a closet homosexual and so forth that I leave to others to decide the truth of. I'd only point out, though, that if true these accusations must also have been true when I was still on the correct side, and that such shocking deformities didn't seem to count for so much then. Arguing with the Stalinist mentality for more than three decades now, and doing a bit of soapboxing and street-corner speaking on and off, has meant that it takes quite a lot to hurt my tender feelings, or bruise my milk-white skin.
Summary
In this quote, the speaker reflects on the negative rumors and accusations that were made against them, such as being a racist, alcoholic, or homosexual. They suggest that these allegations, if true, would have been equally applicable when they were seen as on the "correct side" of the argument. The speaker implies that these accusations have been used as attacks to discredit them, but after years of challenging the Stalinist mentality, they have developed a thick skin and are no longer easily hurt or affected by such allegations.
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