Re: [Cz-L] Poetry on the Herrengasse

Thank you Sylvia, for expressing so well what are the feelings and thoughts
of many of us,

Mimi

On 10/7/10 9:14 AM, "Sylvia de Swaan" <sylvia.deswaan_at_gmail.com> wrote:

> prejudice and ethnic hatred is always a latent possibility in any society=
 - it
> lurks beneath the surface. In good times and with good laws people can ge=
t
> along, enjoy each others differences, drink tea and even love each other =
- but
> then suddenly there is a shift in power, the economic/political climate a=
nd
> the voice from the podium shouts "die juden sind unser umglick" ..."the
> tutsi's are like cockroaches..."...."the moslems (talking about Bosnia)
> are...blah blah...and you have tension and you have a mandate and
> justification to hate - and neighbors going around with hatchets to kill =
that
> nice neighbor they used to drink tea with...
>=20
> I always like the quote from the Chilean writer, Isabel Allende... ".. on=
e
> wondered how all those fascists materialized from one day to the next, be=
cause
> in the long democratic history of the country they'd been considered crac=
kpots
> who sometimes paraded around during the war in black shirts with their ar=
ms
> raised in Hitler salutes...to the laughter and the hissing of bystanders =
-
> without having ever played a significant role in the life of the
> nation."...and then came the military coup!
>=20
> I can relate to the pain expressed by Hardy, by Fred, by any of us.. we'v=
e all
> suffered losses....and this is the right venue to be able to express such
> things...but we all co-exist on this planet and it's up to all of us to
> contribute to an atmosphere that allows all to relate like human being ac=
ross
> ethnic lines..to show tolerance and compassion and forgiveness. Chernivts=
i not
> perfect - wouldn't surprise me if an anti-semitic feeling lurked in the h=
eart
> of one or another inhabitant - but progress is being made through the eff=
orts
> of Mimi and others and the volunteers and anybody else who shows good wil=
l and
> creates conversations and dialogue...
>=20
> And as for me...I think that plaque that marks the perimeter of the Ghett=
o -
> whoever put it up - is more beautiful and poignant than many of the overb=
lown
> monuments that that I've seen around - but that gets into monument art an=
d is
> another subjects
>=20
> peace and love to all
>=20
> Sylvia
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Received on 2010-10-07 15:39:10