My, the strain of perpetual conflict is putting at risk some of the finest intellects on the planet. Partisanship in the extreme form has a corrosive effect on the intellect; feigning a broad perception initially, the partisan's intellect soon assigns incoming info as further evidence that proves the partisan's position. May comfort and security come to all soon, lest we lose the wonderful capacity for thinking clearly that so many involved in the conflict once had in abundance.
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "shempmcgurk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "mainstream20016" > <mainstream20016@> wrote: > > > > The default application of extreme punishment on those who have the > courage to express > > moderate voices is amazing to behold. > > > > > Hmmmm. > > Quite an interesting response, mainstream, but I am befuddled as to > whom you are referring. > > At first blush, I thought that the "those" you refer to in your > comment "application of extreme punishment on those who have the > courage to express moderate voices" was to Arun Gandhi. But then > thinking about it, I realized that it couldn't be Gandhi because > the "punishment" he experienced was self-inflicted: he resigned (and > there was no indication anywhere in the piece that he was asked to; > it appears to be totally unilateral). Therefore, he couldn't have > meant Gandhi. > > Then I thought: perhaps mainstream is referring to Israel as the > party that has the courage to express a moderate voice. After all, > through the ages the right to self-defense has NEVER, EVER been > considered anything BUT moderate. Defending oneself is not an > extreme position; it is moderate and the norm. > > Indeed, Israel has, since its inception, been the party in the > conflict that has ALWAYS been the only moderate voice and has ALWAYS > been on the receiving end of extreme punishment by its neighbors (the > surrounding Arab neighbors just haven't been very successful in > actually meting out the extreme punishment they have intended to > apply to Israel, which is to annihilate them). > > So I have concluded that mainstream is referring to Israel, not Arun > Ghandi. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "do.rflex" <do.rflex@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > Arun Gandhi Quits Peace Institute in Flap Over Blog Posting > > > > > > By Michelle Boorstein > > > Washington Post, January 26, 2008 > > > http://tinyurl.com/ysj2xy > > > > > > > > > The grandson of Indian spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi resigned > > > yesterday as president of the board of a conflict resolution > institute > > > after writing an online essay on a Washington Post blog calling > Jews > > > and Israel "the biggest players" in a global culture of violence. > > > > > > In his resignation letter to the board of the M.K. Gandhi > Institute > > > for Nonviolence, founder Arun Gandhi wrote that his Jan. 7 > essay "was > > > couched in language that was hurtful and contrary to the > principles of > > > nonviolence. My intention was to generate a healthy discussion on > the > > > proliferation of violence. Clearly I did not achieve my goal. > Instead, > > > unintentionally, my words have resulted in pain, anger, confusion > and > > > embarrassment." > > > > > > The institute is housed at the University of Rochester and has a > > > university-paid director. Gandhi submitted his resignation to the > > > board Thursday and it was accepted yesterday. > > > > > > Board members could not be reached immediately yesterday, but a > brief > > > unsigned statement on the university's Web site said: "The > essence of > > > Arun Gandhi's work has been to educate and promote the principles > of > > > nonviolence. In that spirit, the Institute plans to work with the > > > University of Rochester and other community groups to use the > recent > > > events as an opportunity to deepen mutual understanding through > > > dialogue employing the principles of nonviolence and peace." > > > > > > Gandhi's comments were part of a discussion about the future of > Jewish > > > identity on the religion blog On Faith at washingtonpost.com. He > wrote > > > that Jewish identity is "locked into the holocaust experience," > which > > > Jews "overplay . . . to the point that it begins to repulse > friends." > > > The Jewish nation -- Israel, he wrote -- is too reliant upon > weapons > > > and bombs and should instead befriend its enemies. > > > > > > "Apparently, in the modern world, so determined to live by the > bomb, > > > this is an alien concept. You don't befriend anyone, you dominate > > > them. We have created a culture of violence (Israel and the Jews > are > > > the biggest players) and that Culture of Violence is eventually > going > > > to destroy humanity," he wrote. > > > > > > The posting drew 438 comments -- an exceptionally high response > for an > > > On Faith essay -- and prompted such a backlash that Gandhi later > > > posted an apology. The Web site also apologized. > > > > > > On Jan. 11, university President Joel Seligman labeled Gandhi's > > > initial comments stereotyping and said they were "fundamentally > > > inconsistent with the core values" of the school. Yesterday, he > called > > > the resignation "appropriate." > > > > > > The institute will remain at the university, which will host a > forum > > > later this year "to provide Arun Gandhi, a leader of the Jewish > > > community and other speakers the opportunity to address the issues > > > raised by Mr. Gandhi's statements and related issues. A > University can > > > and should promote dialogue in which we can learn from each other > even > > > when the most painful or difficult issues will be discussed," > Seligman > > > said in his statement yesterday. > > > > > >
