On Sep 4, 2005, at 7:00 PM, Robert Seeberger wrote:
Warren, I *am* disappointed that you think so little of me. I like you and what you have to say. You show passion for things in ways most here seem to fear revealing. So no, I'm not playing a debate team spin card. That has been pretty popular around here of late and seems to have replaced the exchange of frank views for the most part. I don't want to join anyone's debate team though. I'd rather have folks here be my friends than have them as cohorts or adversaries.
I appreciate that; the issue I had was the sense you seemed to have that anyone not publicly engaged in breast-beating was somehow concerned over petty issues rather than the human suffering taking place in NO. Since I was included in that rather large group, it seemed to me that the low opinion wasn't mine to begin with.
I'm not interested in "debate teams" either, but when I feel I've been insulted by someone who then claims *I* am the one holding the low opinion, perhaps you can understand how I'd feel somewhat incensed by the tone of the comment.
I don't think public wailing will do anything productive here. Yes, things are terrible for New Orleans in ways that few of us can conceive, but that's been happening a *lot* in this nation in the last half decade, and not a little of it has been elective and self-inflicted.
Given that we're bankrupting our great-grandchildren in foolish warfare *and* there's a moron in charge for whom too many seem willing to apologize and cover; and given that the fiscal repercussions of Katrina are going to affect us for decades, is it surprising that the focus of the discussion is more on these issues?
The suffering of 20K people is awful. No argument there. But the long-term aftereffects are going to affect a lot more than 20K people, for a large number of years, and the next time something like this happens, if we're still badly prepared, things will be just as bad. It seems to me that these are important considerations to bring up, and that shaking out the problems might be more effective than words of sympathy.
Which are, after all, just *words*. -- Warren Ockrassa, Publisher/Editor, nightwares Books http://books.nightwares.com/ Current work in progress "The Seven-Year Mirror" http://www.nightwares.com/books/ockrassa/Flat_Out.pdf _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
