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--> --> Response to Hallinan letter In the recent commentary by Rev. P.K. Hallinan (11-15-01), I was struck by his rather strange assumptions. For example, he assumed that the "person of Arab descent," whom he recently saw in a coffee house, was somehow related to those who perpetrated the 9-11 atrocity. He wrote of his dilemma about how to respond to this person: "If I simply smiled and nodded, was I endorsing the actions of his people?" First of all, how does anyone know whether this man was an Arab? He might have been from India or Bangladesh, or who knows what country. Second, our leaders have reminded us repeatedly that the vast majority of Arabs mean us no harm. Also, as Molly Ivins pointed out so cogently in her commentary on the same page, Arab-Americans are among our most valuable national resources. Their languages and culture can be quite useful to us in these times. Besides, many of them came here to escape certain fanatics, who, despite their limited numbers, have made a lot of trouble in the Middle East. Finally, Mr. Hallinan himself points out the value of love, extended even to our enemies. Surely the first step in this kind of love would be to recognize our own prejudice and refrain from indulging in the judgment that anybody who looks like an Arab is our enemy. If, in fact, we all smiled and nodded at everyone, "Arab-appearing" or not, the world would be a friendlier place. Alice Hardesty Ashland Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing