"The Eye Of The Beholder"
(My response to a reader concerning my article: "The America I Know".)
Dear friend,
Thank you for forwarding the letter
from the well read German woman in Australia,
who blames Americans and Jews for the terrorists attacks.
She may deny that was her point,
and she arrives at it by a circuitous route.
But she gets there.
"The America I Know" was not written as a political argument.
There are people who think every song, poem, bit of philosophy,
or other work of art is up for debate.
They do not recognize abstract thought, artistic value,
or the human insights that the artist intended.
If everyone took poetry apart, and analyzed it for factual content only,
there would be no poetry.
If there is no beholder, there is no art.
There are also people who are good debaters,
and jump at every opportunity to show off the facts, figures,
and "history" they have either gained second-hand or made up.
I notice she cited no source references for her "facts".
Their reasoning is all aimed at supporting beliefs they already have.
I am not a debater. I am an artist, and a philosopher of sorts.
I get no thrill from out-arguing the other guy,
but I'm used to getting literal responses to non-literal works.
The one you forwarded to me
shows an obvious bias against Americans and Jews,
and has lingering grudges from World War 2. *
It has a familiar ring.
I'm glad you sent it.
I am always interested in how other people's minds work.
It often gives me inspiration to write more things that may tee them off.
Thanks again.
Your friend,
Jack Blanchard
* (An accusation that Roosevelt's Treasury Secretary, Henry Morganthau,
was planning to commit atrocities against the German people after the war.
That's pretty ambitious for a mere Secretary Of the Treasury,
even on the chance that the story may be true.
And it's a vicious rumor to be perpetuating.
We're all friends and allies now.)
Copyright © January 5, 2002 by Jack Blanchard. All rights reserved.
