From: owner-support-system-digest@smoe.org (support-system-digest) To: support-system-digest@smoe.org Subject: support-system-digest V4 #233 Reply-To: support-system@smoe.org Sender: owner-support-system-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-support-system-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk support-system-digest Friday, September 14 2001 Volume 04 : Number 233 Today's Subjects: ----------------- life as we know it ["Dana Polachowski" ] [none] [Dan MacDonald ] life redux ["Dana Polachowski" ] Re: historic jolts ["arthur miller" ] please participate... ["Roper, Catherine E" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2001 08:56:34 -0700 From: "Dana Polachowski" Subject: life as we know it i thought i'd just pass this along because as i watched the horrific events unfold, i couldn't help but feel colossal anger--i am so fucking *sick and tired* of america-bashing conducted by those who have no idea of what this place really is or who we really are. i've had it, i really have. and what blows my mind is that at least two of those guys LIVED HERE for at least a year!! they walked among us. they should know better. they should've been able to see that we are *not* the ignorant, rich, swaggering "cowboys" that people say/think we are. it's this weird perception..... and these fanatical groups, they just can't let it go. i'm not trying to incite anger, just trying to add some perspective and let people know that we are truly supported for a change; i think that's important. i talked to my friend who's already in europe (i hope to be there soon; i was supposed to leave today) and her words were encouraging; she said that the europeans and russians are horrified and fully stand behind the U.S. (i know for me seeing russian citizens place flowers in front of the american embassy in moscow... that was truly beautiful.) they are prepared to take action on our behalf. and i'm sure the military actions will be executed at the right time and in the right manner--i hope so--but just to know that for once we are supported in spirit. i'm very thankful, relieved, and happy to know that. anyways, just thought i'd share an email someone passed along to me. and enormous thanks to those living in canada, europe, south america, asia, and everywhere else where this list gets posted, who share the horror. i know we're all gonna work together to stop the insanity. ************************************************************************* Widespread but only partial news coverage was given recently to a remarkable editorial broadcast from Toronto by Gordon Sinclair, a Canadian television commentator. What follows is the full text of his trenchant remarks as printed in the Congressional Record: "This Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans as the most generous and possibly the least appreciated people on all the earth. Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of dollars and forgave other billions in debts. None of these countries is today paying even the interest on its remaining debts to the United States. When France was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up, and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it. When earthquakes hit distant cities, it is the United States that hurries in to help. This spring, 59 American communities were flattened by tornadoes. Nobody helped. The Marshall Plan and the Truman Policy pumped billions of dollars into discouraged countries. Now newspapers in those countries are writing about the decadent, warmongering Americans. I'd like to see just one of those countries that is gloating over the erosion of the United States dollar build its own airplane. Does any other country in the world have a plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo Jet, the Lockheed Tri-Star, or the Douglas DC10? If so, why don't they fly them? Why do all the International lines except Russia fly American Planes? Why does no other land on earth even consider putting a man or woman on the moon? You talk about Japanese technocracy, and you get radios. You talk about German technocracy, and you get automobiles. You talk about American technocracy, and you find men on the moon--not once, but several times and safely home again. You talk about scandals, and the Americans put theirs right in the store window for everybody to look at. Even their draft-dodgers are not pursued and hounded. They are here on our streets, and most of them, unless they are breaking Canadian laws, are getting American dollars from ma and pa at home to spend here. When the railways of France, Germany and India were breaking down through age, it was the Americans who rebuilt them. When the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an old caboose. Both are still broke. I can name you 5000 times when the Americans raced to the help of other people in trouble. Can you name me even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in trouble? I don't think there was outside help even during the San Francisco earthquake. Our neighbors have faced it alone, and I'm one Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them get kicked around. They will come out of this thing with their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled to thumb their nose at the lands that are gloating over their present troubles. I hope Canada is not one of those." ***************************************************************************** **** love to all, dp ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2001 12:43:42 -0400 From: Dan MacDonald Subject: [none] Andrea Steiner wrote: >And I am sitting here at work and have no >idea why. Why are any of us here today? I feel like I am going to cry at >every moment. Good fucking question. I went to school around noon on tuesday - after it all happened, and me and my friends kept on asking ourselves "why" we even came. I mean, we live in Canada - but it still just seemed impossible to concentrate on something like school while such a big disaster is going on. Everything seems so irrelevant it isn't even funny. It goes to show how helpless humans are - and I don't say that to sound cynical - it's just a reality that we are all kind of coming to terms with over this whole disgusting mess. We watch on live TV as one of the biggest cities in the world is under attack - and wonder WHAT in the world can we do, besides sit there like mortal idiots and watch helplessly. It was just too breath-taking and horrid to do anything else except watch and wonder what was going to happen next - and that is still what scares me the most. Those first attacks to me, sounded like a war-cry. Like a major harbinger for what is to come. It truly makes all our petty sexist and racist remarks look so stupid and useless - if this is the ultimate and disastrous outcome. I mean - the world is not a huge place at all - and I know this sounds redundant - but how sad is it that we as humans can't do something as simple as "get along with each other." It should be the easiest, most basic thing - an instinct we are born with - yet shit like this reminds us how far back on the evolution chart we still are, for the simple fact that humans share different beliefs. As horrible, sad, disgusting and terrifying as this situation is - anger is only a natural emotion - but at the same time - there is a bigger message in this whole thing, and it still might be too hard to see, the smoke hasn't even fucking settled yet - but there has to be a message to humans in all of this - that we SERIOUSLY need to start putting problems on the table and dealing with them - as PEOPLE, rather than terrorists and barbaric criminals. I know this changed my outlook on life - it's going to change even more in the coming weeks, I'm afraid - but regardless - my thoughts will be on the people of New York and all those affected by this awful catastrophe. Dan. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2001 09:58:11 -0700 From: "Dana Polachowski" Subject: life redux hey all-- you know, it just occurred to me that i think i've read that piece somewhere else before..... and anyway, there's alot of stuff in there that refers almost exclusively to our material contributions and that doesn't really convey what *i* mean, but, oh well, i've already sent it.... personally i don't really give a shit about the money we've "forgiven" and all the rest of that..... i dunno, it's a weird place to be in when you're resented for showing how much you value life and care about people, sending aid and such--to me that's "wealth." think about that happening in your personal lives--when someone gets snipey and pissed because your being "big" about something. it happens all the time..... ok, i am shutting up now.... xoxoxdp ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2001 18:10:24 From: "arthur miller" Subject: Re: historic jolts About once every generation, it seems, something really awful happens & reality seems to suddenly shift reminding all of us just how mortal we all are. Anyone in a capricious chaotic uncaring universe can vanish in a second. And even History can move sharply in a different direction. The only thing as unsettling as this that I recall was the assassination of JFK. The news travelled from person to person as each one felt the need to make a human contact. I overheard a neighbor speak about Dallas & I don't remember saying or even forming a conscious intent. I just walked, out of the house, to the bus stop. About 20 minutes later I was standing in front of The Newark Evening News building looking at the latest news in the window display. I think I went to affirm my loss as well as confirm the report. Disbelief, shock, grief, anger - many emotions tumble one after another, and the feeling of a deep personal loss. Yes, I've felt this before. No, it doesn't get easier. Somehow It is personal when national symbols are attacked and/or innocent people are killed. We are all human, we share a desire to live a long, healthy, happy, productive life surrounded by people we love. Everyone should achieve it. Many are not so lucky. I feel that I'm lucky to be alive in this century when so much is possible. The human genome has been mapped within 150 years of Darwin's revolutionary insight leading to who knows how many lives saved or made better by targeted genetic apps. We can now detect the first light that existed moments after the Big Bang (see NYTimes). We pursue knowledge wherever it leads us and who would deny our ability or right to do so ? Could life be better ? Sure. Will it ? Maybe. Its up to each of us, not " the other guy ". We here on the list wait for Liz's album or any news of her. I also wait for the new Cranberries album due in October, and the new Garbage CD, followed by a tours by all. I look forward to seven or eight science fiction conventions I'll attend next year ( probably flying to Boston for 3 of them ), perhaps seeing another new play with Mary-Louise Parker in New York again. Wonderful new books to read, entertaining movies or TV. Life goes on. We cannot hide in our homes or rush hither & yon with our eyes averted or our heads down. Spit on those who would try to make you afraid & enjoy life normally. Help those in need you can and wish well (& pray if so inclined - personally, I'm not a deist ) for those you can't. The future will thank you. Besides, we owe them. We're survivors. love, peace, long life..... Art " The first principal is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool. " --- Richard P. Feynman _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2001 14:14:47 -0400 From: "Roper, Catherine E" Subject: please participate... i don't know how many of you will have already heard about this by the time this post goes through (it's amazing how quickly emails are passed along) but i just thought i would let you know about some stuff that is going on friday, sept. 14th: 1. wear red, white and blue. 2. at 7pm EST get out of your car, walk out of your house, etc and light a candle. it is important to get the media's attn--we need the world to see. - -katie - -- Roper, Catherine E roperce@jmu.edu ------------------------------ End of support-system-digest V4 #233 ************************************