East meeting West

When my letter to the editor, East and West (July 6, 1996) was edited by The Jakarta Post staff, they did not print my closing statement in its completion. It should have read ..."Why not recognize, claim and ultimately solve the problems instead of blaming other people for what you are...human".

The omission of the word "human" left my letter open for interpretation. To set the record straight, my letter was not intended to be political. My intention was not to provoke but merely to encourage people to think about the root of the problems which we face. Introspection, if you will. With Mr. Arto's letter, my objective has begun to be met.

In response to Mr. Arto's comments regarding my letter, my "provocation" is clearly stated in the opening paragraph. The "connotations" which I refer to are a daily occurrence in the media, a fact which cannot be denied. Such comments are divisive in nature, further widening the gap which, as Mr. Arto seems to agree, must ultimately be closed if we are to reach any degree of mutual respect and understanding.

With regard to the remainder of Mr. Arto's comments (excepting the personal remarks), we are very much in agreement. We can and should learn from each other. You will not get any arguments from me concerning the shortcomings of the West, politically or culturally. As I said, "we have no one to blame for our shortcomings but ourselves".

Perhaps if we had met and collectively decided to address this issue, our letters, combined, would have better met the objective. Thank you for your response.

KALLMAN

Jakarta