International standards of discourse

[Guest guest]

 

 

Speaking of international standards of discourse,

" whatever " represents a thinly veiled attempt to

summarily dismiss with a verbal shrug my objection

to your earlier slur against " Chinese people. "

Out of what I understand to be our shared concern

for holding our own standards of discourse as

high as we can, I respectfully requrest that you

think it over one or two more times.

 

There are 1.3 billion Chinese people, and I can

guarantee you that among this almost unbelievably

large number there are thinkers of every imaginable

shape and size. Look at all the progress that

human beings have made in China, both over the

long haul of its whole history as well as in the

modern era. How could this have come about without

progressive thinking?

 

As everywhere else where there are thinkers,

some have been trained to think as they do;

while some have made up their own minds,

their own ways, their own thoughts. The whole

spectrum exists in the PRC.

 

Don't take my word for it. Ask anyone who has

been here for any substantial length of time

and taken the opportunity to exchange thoughts

with a few of the Chinese people.

 

I really don't know what you meant by

" progressive " and I'm not sure it matters.

My objection to your remark was its character

not its content. Had someone posted that

" black people are not progressive thinkers "

or " American's are not progressive thinkers "

or " women are not progressive thinkers " , any

such remark would spark a very appropriate

explosion of outrage...in any public forum.

 

I submit for your considerations:

 

1) my response was carefully directed at

your statement, not at you personally.

If you feel it was a personal attack,

it suggests to me that you identify closely with

your statement and urge you to follow your

own advice and not cling to your own

thoughts too dearly.

 

2) saying " whatever " to my criticism of your

statement, far from dismissing it, only

makes matters worse. Now you've just got

to read and decide what to do about this

further outburst from me.

 

3) if you or anyone else makes such

wholesale, prejudiced, and racial/ethnic

slurs here or anywhere else that I encounter

them, similar responses will be forthcoming.

 

Racism is rampant worldwide. It exists

here in China. It certainly plauges the

USA. It is base and vile. It is destructive.

Please, please, please let us not tolerate

it in any way, shape or form here at CHA.

 

Respectfully,

 

Ken