Open Letter to Elizabeth Moon

[jimhines]

Ms. Moon,

I’ve been torn about writing this.  In part because “An open letter to _____” just sounds pretentious to me.  And partly because I know there have already been twenty-four gazillion responses to your 9/11 blog post, Citizenship.

I’ve recommended your blog on multiple occasions, for your thoughtfulness and perspective.  I disagree with

Comments

[nick_kaufmann]

This is a good letter, Jim.

[jimhines]

Thanks, Nick. I've been mentally writing and rewriting it for more than a week now. I finally had to just post it so I could get it out of my brain and get back to concentrating on the book I'm supposed to be finishing.

[suricattus]

Yes. This.

I've stayed out of this particular fracas for personal reasons that have nothing whatsoever to do with the fracas itself, but I've been deeply disturbed by much of what Elizabeth wrote [as I suspect many of us have], and I thank you for this letter laying that disturbance out in plain language.

May I link?

[jimhines]

By all means, link away. Thank you.

[suricattus]

Linked, and linked, and linked some more.

[graymary]

jim, did you know how awesome you are? not only do you recognize your privilege, but you challenge people to recognize theirs. it's like someone made you up, seriously.

[jimhines]

"There is no charge for awesomeness. Or attractiveness."

(Because it was either post a smart-ass quote, or just blush and stammer "Thanks.")

[mtlawson]

Blush, dude.

[jimhines]

I hate blushing. You've seen pictures of me. The blush turns my entire scalp red!

[jer_]

Thank you. This was well expressed, and even better for being free from violent emotion or easily ignored rhetoric. It is merely truth (with a lower-case "t", because that upper-case "T" gets us into so much trouble).

I'm grateful for this letter just like I was grateful for Moon's post. Both have opened up, within my family, some great discussion about what it means to be a citizen, what tolerance and acceptance actually mean (and of what the difference between the two consists), what we have been calling 'notional racism' (a shorthand for racism that is implied by the way we believe rather than expressed in our actions)...and now you've added to that what it means to have a voice and how to responsibly use that voice.

Seriously, we as a family cannot thank you enough. Next con, I owe you a drink (I'm partial to the free ones in the consuite!)

[jimhines]

Thanks, Jer. That's really cool, that the various posts have led to such good conversations about things that most people generally don't talk about that much.

And yay! Free drinks are on Jer!

[dinahprincedaly]

!!!!

[jimhines]

Is that a good !!!! or a bad !!!!?

[dinahprincedaly]

its a GREAT !!!!!!