] [Thread] [Date] [Author]

["Jim Hannah" <jvhannah(--nospam--at)insightbb.com>]

To Dennis Wish:

 Your comments were very eloquently put and I applaud them.  Many seem to
feel that their political and religious views are ordained and therefore can
be used as a club to lambaste any other person who's own views differ by any
amount.  This is a structural list and should remain so.

Again  thanks Dennis for your comments.

Jim Hannah  EIT



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dennis Wish" <dennis.wish(--nospam--at)verizon.net>
To: <seaint(--nospam--at)seaint.org>
Sent: Monday, November 29, 2004 8:51 PM
Subject: RE: "By The President of the United States of America, A
Proclamation"


Bill Polhemus wrote:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Thanks for the comments, Dennis.

I think it is fascinating that the principles, on which this nation was
founded, are now considered "inappropriate" for public discussion by
"modern" ways of thinking.

Given the divide that seems to inflict so much of the discourse between
people in our nation today, it makes me that much more thankful to that same
God invoked by Pres. Washington, that "our side" won the last election.

With respect, I'm grateful that yours is the minority view. Much as I
respect your right to view any acknowledgement of the Divine as
"inappropriate," the depth of my disagreement with that point of view cannot
possibly be overstated."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bill, there was never a political motive until you disclosed your own. I
don't share your faith, nor do I live a life any less ethical or moral than
yours. Faith comes from the heart, not the head. Ethics and morality are
finely tuned balances of cultural, religious and philosophical differences
in this one society. President Washington represented a much more simplistic
ideology an outdated doctrine or fact of history that brings nothing of
value to our table today.

The simple fact is that we live upon a board teetering in delicate balance;
upon which challenges our faith and our cultural/philosophical differences.
It was the minority who provided a tool to maintain balance - this tool is
called "tolerance".

You challenged our tolerance when you posted your message. You boasted your
strength in the majority faith and in "your" political side and you dared to
suggest that G*d was on your side. This wasn't done to provide good tidings
to the people of this list - it was done to remind the reader of your
altruistic egotism. Your morality is based on one culture, religious
majority and philosophical concepts and beliefs based only upon your
majority view.

This is not Morality in truth - morality is balanced upon cultural
differences and when a society is mixed as ours is, the issue of majority
rule is simply inappropriate. Morality is not ruled by the virtue of
majority but by the respect of those different cultures, religions and
philosophical concepts and beliefs.

The United States is a country of mixed cultures and faiths - moral and
ethical ideologies. Once we can find balance within our own society, we will
be better prepared to work with the rest of the world in order to maintain a
universal respect. I'm sorry that you don't understand this and find comfort
only in being part of what you conceive as strength. This is your weakness.

What you have attempted to do is to upset the balance. "Given the divide
that seems to inflict so much of the discourse between people in our nation
today, it makes me that much more thankful to that same God invoked by Pres.
Washington, that "our side" won the last election." This is terribly sad -
and horribly pathetic.


Sincerely,
Dennis S. Wish, PE
California Professional Engineer
Join our Free Topic Specific e-Mail Discussions at:
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-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Polhemus [mailto:bill(--nospam--at)polhemus.cc]
Sent: Monday, November 29, 2004 7:49 AM
To: seaint(--nospam--at)seaint.org
Subject: Re: "By The President of the United States of America, A
Proclamation"

Dennis Wish wrote:

>Given the state of affairs and instability in the world today, I believe
>this post is simply inappropriate for a professional list. A simple wish of
>good tidings during the holidays is sufficient. More than this shows the
>world that the United States believes that our belief based democracy is
the
>only way of life we recognize and in my opinion, this is the root of our
>problems.
>
Thanks for the comments, Dennis.

I think it is fascinating that the principles on which this nation was
founded, are now considered "inappropriate" for public discussion by
"modern" ways of thinking.

Given the divide that seems to inflict so much of the discourse between
people in our nation today, it makes me that much more thankful to that
same God invoked by Pres. Washington, that "our side" won the last election.

With respect, I'm grateful that yours is the minority view. Much as I
respect your right to view any acknowledgement of the Divine as
"inappropriate," the depth of my disagreement with that point of view
cannot possibly be overstated.

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