DEAR MISS MANNERS: I enjoy having friends and acquaintances from different walks of life, and have found unexpected kinship with people who hold beliefs very different from my own. In other words, I try not to be judgmental. My natural inclination when meeting someone is to find common ground.

However, I recently found myself in a situation where a mutual friend introduced me to someone whose public statements and actions are so reprehensible to me that I had no desire to find whatever redeeming qualities the person may have. I was, in fact, ashamed at the connection with him that the introduction foisted upon me.

Is it ever permissible to refuse a connection as the introduction is occurring? And how would one do that?

GENTLE READER: Refusing an introduction is not only impolite to the

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