Yes, I can very well understand that war leaves its veterans as well as its
victims with a trauma. And I can see that it can be a political eye-opener
to some. In fact, I could see this even before being provided with this
information over the xmca the past few days.
I can also very well make a pacifist, mourning-the-dead reading of Memorial
Day. I suppose that living in the US and still being me this is what I
would prefer to do.
I can also see that it was not out of intentions to insult anyone
personally that John invoked Memorial day. However, the fact remains that
he did so twice (98-05-22: Re: Unidentified subject!; 98-05-24: Re:
Vygotsky and disability), and both times in messages starting with a quote
from a message by Naoki Ueno and responding to this message (albeit in
public and addressing the general xmca audience).
Eugene gave us an analysis of how this might look from Elsewhere: as a
peculiar didactic command indeed. I could also not help but seeing (then)
what this command might mean from places that have been on an opposite side
to the US in wars past, but thought initially that this would be very
obvious to all, especially when, as the case was, someone there DID take
offense.
However, in his response on 98-05-26 (Re: Thank you) John explicitly states
that he does not understand what affront he has committed, and that he
does not intend to make excuses.
A couple of days later Katherine and Judy notice John's "absence" (among
all the other silences). This is when I cannot help but give a hint as to
how being a US war veteran might well serve as a satisfactory explanation
for the signoff greetings in a US context, BUT might on the other hand
serve as an aggravating condition, from the perspective across the Pacific,
AND when offered as explanatory background in the context where somebody
HAS taken offense.
I certainly do not want to presume anything here about Naoki Ueno's
motivations: this is merely MY attempt to understand another perspective in
its context.
I also do not see how my pointing out of this potential difference in
perspectives means that I condemning John as forever endorsing the actions
he participated in 30 years ago -- does ANY questioning of a US-centered
perspective automatically instantiate that kind of imputation?? (I have
heard no US voices expressing any puzzlement after John's posting.)
There are, of course, many possible reasons for the absence of any apology
to Naoki Ueno. What I needed to be reassured about was NOT John's
non-endorsement of the war but the possibility for voices not just to speak
from out-of-US perspectives on the xmca but also being heard.
Eva
********************************************************************
At 10.09 -0500 98-05-22, (The Left Rev.) John Konopak wrote:
>Enjoy Memorial Day--but DO remember, please!
At 10.33 -0500 98-05-24, (The Left Rev.) John Konopak wrote:
>Have a reflective Memorial Day (it's still May 31, btw).
At 16.07 -0500 98-05-29, John Konopak wrote:
>I offer this, of course,
>to dispute the imputation that I was enjoining anyone to
>"enjoy" anything.