Acrimonious debate<\/p>\n
Mr Farid Baskoro seems to be prescient. It is as if he
\nanticipated my own protest against acrimony and beat me to it, in
\nJune 12, 1995 issue of The Jakarta Post. Mr Baskoro is well known
\nfor his negative bias against certain orientations, particularly
\nsporting ones. Despite that, he is always courteous and his
\nletters well researched and presented in excellent English. In
\nthe replies to his letters one senses a faint condescension which
\nwould not be there were he to sign himself say, Fred Busker. As I
\nsay it is nothing overt, just a sort of rasa (taste), to use one
\nof my few and favorite Indonesian words.<\/p>\n
If those negative attitudes are only to be sensed and shrugged
\noff, there is the outright acrimony referred to by Pak Farid,
\nwhich I join him in deploring. Why this talk of people needing
\npsychiatrists? Why these very petty accusations of racism against
\nsomeone for using the words \"small\" and \"brown?\" It is one thing
\nbeing incensed by blatantly provocative letters, such as those
\nappearing a year or more ago. But why such acrimony over minor
\nmatters -- such unsporting remarks about sporting subjects.<\/p>\n
Over the weekend I was at a party with a mixed bag of people;
\nAmericans, Canadians, Australians, British, South African, German
\nand in my case, Indian. Writers of letters to The Jakarta Post
\nwill be interested to note that there was a consensus that the
\n\"letters\" page was: \"the best;\" \"my favorite;\" \"the most
\ninteresting.\" A couple of people said that they, too, would like
\nto contribute but feared being ridiculed or sucked into an
\nacrimonious exchange. Perhaps those of you who share this feeling
\nwould consider sending the Editor a blue pencil, if they are too
\nfainthearted to write him a letter.<\/p>\n
One peripheral point concerns Elizabeth Herman whom I bumped
\ninto at the party, after a lapse of several years. Regarding her
\nown writing, people felt that she had been badly done by a recent
\n\"letters\" column. Elizabeth is a former teacher of English, a
\ndrama Director, a costume designer, a color consultant and an
\nentrepreneur; among other things. The general feeling was that
\nthe letter, containing a put down of her writing, was unfair and
\npossibly the result of a conspiracy, and I was requested to
\nrespond. Why me? Well the others didn't want to get involved in
\nan acrimonious debate!<\/p>\n
PETER E.R. CROSS<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/acrimonious-debate-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }