I think no one has said it better than Johanna and Bob have done below. Now let's stop the digression and move the list back to its true center of attention. Paul E. Doniger The Gilbert School ----- Original Message ----- From: Bob Yates <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Saturday, September 15, 2001 4:48 PM Subject: Re: reply to Ken Bain > Dear list members, > > Let me second Johanna Rubba's request. > > > I am going to call once again for a cessation of ideological debate on > > this list about this particular incident, the roots of terrorism, George > > Bush's honesty, the reasonableness of past US actions, etc., etc. > > For me, one of the great attractions to the study of language is that it is the one > unique quality which every human being shares with every other human being in the > world. We are all born with this wonderful capacity; only the most extraordinary > conditions can prevent us from learning language. Despite the apparent > differences we experience on the surface of the world's languages, all the world's > languages are fundamentally related to properties which every human being is born > with. > > For almost twenty years I have had the good fortunate of teaching English to people > from all over the world. My spouse was not born the United States. As a > consequence, I have lived for several years in other countries. > > In my professional life and private life, I both celebrate the diversity in human > beings and the fact that beneath that diversity are properties which I share with > all other human beings. I truly believe that those who planned and carried out the > attacks on Washington and New York are fundamentally opposed to the kind of > diversity and universal humanity which I celebrate > > For people of good will all over the world, this is not a time to engage in finger > pointing when there are among us some who hate our world so much that they will do > literally anything to destroy it. > > Bob Yates, Central Missouri State University > > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: > http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html > and select "Join or leave the list" > > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/