Letters to the Editor
cahcap
Published Letters: 29 Editor's Choice: 5
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my sympathies to you, Mr Bayard
[Read the article: Seduced by the Dalai Lama]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]While no writer can be expected to know everything,
it would be wise to choose topics with which
one has a high degree of knowledge and familiarity.
You show by your comments that you have little
knowledge about the basis on which the Dalai Lama
rests his stances and his comments: the Buddhist understanding of reality, a profound, vast and subtle understanding of the way in which phenomena do exist, as well as the ways in which they appear to us, tweaked by our habitual, personal patterns of perception.
So, by not placing a solid context of knowledge
under your story, your piece is simply an explanation of why you think your opinions are right, while those of a person who has won respect throughout the world, who is known for kindness and authenticity, who is humble and honest, who has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, are wrong.
I do not intend any personal disrespect to you,
but I certainly know whose opinions I feel more comfortable in
trusting.
This is not the forum to go into a scholarly analysis relating the points you make to that sub-structure
of philosophy and refuting your shaky conclusions, (another whole article at least. I want to, however,stand up and be counted as a free-thinking, non-groupie, intelligent and informed person who finds your piece a sad projection of a mind
that has confused cynicism with intelligence.
Were there values worth allowing oneself to be seduced,
would they not be those espoused by the Dalai Lama? humility,
ethical behavior, compassion, wisdom and an understanding of
the way our behaviors affect one another. I opt for a world created by those values and commit myself to contributing to it, rather than staying on the sidelines making skeptical observations.
Thank you.
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being the one who brings the wine
[Read the article: Can a fractured friendship be renewed?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Hi
just a few points, offered from a different point of view, for LW to consider
~Before you turn things over to the universe, maybe it would be good to think about who/what this 'universe' is. All sorts of horrifying events happen on the universe's watch. Countless numbrs of people plead for things (like recovery from cancer, food on the table, avoidance of rape, etc)and their heartfelt requests go unheard. So, maybe spend some time and brain cells deciding what this universe-thing is anyhow, before you go depending on it to bring you what you want.
~Along the same line of thinking, what can you do to be a friend to this old acquaintance? The cliche instructs: The best way to make a friend is to be a friend. If you meet up with her, or anyone else, how about concentrating on this, instead of on her: make yourself the person others would choose to be in the elevator with! how about your being the one who brings the wine?
I hope all goes well, and you can make yourself into afriend of choice...you would never have to write a letter like this again.
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full stop
[Read the article: Isn't she lovely?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Dear Salon writers,
I have been away a bit, and was looking forward
to checking in here and see what people are discussing.
I'm dismayed to find the flamers destroying this forum.
Salon staff, could you discuss with us what steps you are considering to deal with this problem?
Could we find a way to corral certain writers or certain types of letters into one pen, so to speak? so the rest of us could continue an interesting exchange of diverse opinions
marked by consideration, civility, and honest desire for true dialogue?
Thank you.
cahcap
ps: Re the subject, Michelle was intelligent, inspiring, disciplined, warm-hearted and articulate, in my opinion.
She thus inspired such a desperate push-back by racists.
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birthing grief and fear
[Read the article: A call to arms]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]for me, it is grief and fear
-grief to find so many of my countrymen so very eager to see someone they identify as like-to-them in a position of power, with no concurrent recognition of what is necessary to exercise power wisely. The grief arises over the loss of thinking, of the death of valuing of intelligence over brute feeling.
-fear that this very loss will result in the election of McPalin and more years of divisiveness, hatred,and a destroyed Supreme Court.
I do believe those we elect are mirrors in which we can behold our national self. So, I do not want to see this particular reflection in the mirror, but we might have to deal with the reality of that. The hope of seeing another type of reflection,one with intelligence, nuance, sensitivity, and global awareness,seems fragile now: anticipatory grief and fear arise.