Familiar Refrains and a Learned Response

Not being a resident of the community of towns served by The Voice, I read with interest the paper’s "In Response" section of August 30. Mr. Chad Barlow’s letter in particular [Focused Attention] hinted at the fact that certain people amongst the readership of The Voice have a longstanding interest in the subject of American-Israeli relations.

Opinions such as those expressed in the same issue of The Voice by Mr. Anthony Accetta [Stop Aid to Israel—Give to Needy Americans] and Mr. William Carlotti [The Logic of Logic 101] are familiar refrains. Irrespective of issue or format, the motivational passion behind their logic remains transparent to all except those of likeminded sentiment. In fairness, I feel Mr. Accetta deserves credit for the lucidity of his argument that any defense of Jonathan Pollard is absurd. Mr. Carlotti, on the other hand, has clearly been reading too many conspiracy-based fiction novels.

Mr. Barlow’s response, which was learned, politically informed, dispassionate, well organized and based on personal experience, has absolutely no chance to penetrate the shuttered minds of those who know only malice and blame. Mr. Carlotti’s unfaltering reliance on Fox News as his primary information source reveals how important facts are within the greater framework of his paranoid beliefs. As the events of September 11 convincingly prove, distrust and misunderstanding based on inflexible dogma is very dangerous.

Mr. Barlow’s comments distill the issue down to truth, based upon factual evidence and personal background. I believe most Americans see the truth of American-Israeli relations. I believe it is hard for most Americans to sympathize with people who jump for joy at any event which adversely affects ours, the greatest nation in history.