Percy-L: Literary, Religious, Scientific, and Philosophical Discussion of Walker Percy

[dabeck AT iupui.edu]

I didn't respond to the list, because I didn't think it deserved a public 
response. I'm done with this "discussion." 

Quoting J Rivas-Pita <juliorivas AT gmail.com>:

> Dear friends,
> 
> This is a reply to Mr. Beck that I sent as usual clicking on "Reply".
> I hadn't noticed that Mr. Beck wasn't using the listserv but his
> private e-mail address, as you will see for yourselves...
> 
> I gather Mr. Beck didn't want to share his message to me with the rest
> of the list, for reasons I do not fully understand.
> 
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: J Rivas-Pita <juliorivas AT gmail.com>
> Date: Aug 26, 2005 6:40 AM
> Subject: Re: [percy-l] (no subject)
> To: "dabeck AT iupui.edu" <dabeck AT iupui.edu>
> 
> 
> Mr. Beck, you are sounding more and more like the infamous Sen. Joe
> McCarthy (have heard of him, or of Ed Burrows?).
> 
> And, once more, my child, you insist on grossly misquoting me and, as
> I expected, calling me names instead of addressing my arguments.
> 
> Please do yourself a favor and kindly read, Mr. Beck, "Politics and
> the English Language", by a Briton named Orwell, or even "Animal
> Farm", by the same chap. And please kindly read again your Percy
> -apart from "Love in the Ruins" I'd strongly recommend you "Lost in
> the Cosmos"...
> 
> But first of all, Mr. Beck, first calm yourself. Sit in a comfortable
> chair. Relax. Breath deeply... Do it several times, and as often as
> needed.
> 
> On 8/26/05, dabeck AT iupui.edu <dabeck AT iupui.edu> wrote:
> >
> > Once again, you are missing the point. Can you explain how your postings
> have
> > anything to do with Percy?? Give us some quotes, some examples from Percy
> that
> > justify posting your politics to the percy listserv. Can you do that? If
> not,
> > please take it somewhere else.
> >  If this listserv is going to be just another place to rant about 
> > politics,
> I
> > want off. But if we can get back to Percy (which is the point, isn't it?),
> > let's do it.
> >  So, Mr. Rivas-Pita, bring out the evidence that your agenda has anything
> to
> > do with Percy in any legitimate way or let us know why you think this is a
> > forum for your diatribes. And, btw, who said your were a communist?? (No,
> > nevermind; that has nothing to do with Percy.) And, sorry, for mentioning
> the
> > Jews. Apparently in your eyes, they really weren't the victims. More 'non-
> > jews' died in WWII, so let's forget the five or so million who were killed
> for
> > just being who they were.
> >  And, why respond to your "arguments," since none of them has to do with
> > PERCY!!! That's my point. Get it?? Couch your politics in Percean terms
> and
> > then maybe we can have a good discussion. That was the point of my 
> > posting.
> Go
> > back and re-read it.
> >
> >
> >
> > Quoting J Rivas-Pita <juliorivas AT gmail.com>:
> >
> > > I also have an idea -about what you stand for, for instance.
> > >
> > > To grossly misquote me like this:
> > >
> > > " It started off with something like "through a
> > > percean view, how do you Americans feel about having a leader who is
> > > comparable to Hitler" (a remark that should be offensive to all Jews and
> > > thinking people who know history). What do those remarks REALLY have to
> do
> > > with Percy, other than the desire to spew out one's agenda under the 
> > > mask
> of
> > > the remarks being "percean"?"
> > >
> > > Those interested enough are quite welcomed to go back in the thread
> > > and read my post.
> > >
> > > To misquote another list-member, and to misquote him OUT OF CONTEXT
> > > seems to me plainly dishonest, both morally and intelectually. Which
> > > confirms my suspicions about your own hidden agenda, masked as
> > > "fastidiousness".
> > >
> > > As to the remark about "all Jews and thinking people who know
> > > history", I must say I'm COMPLETELY FED UP MYSELF with the
> > > manipulative portraying of Jews as -seemingly- the only victims of
> > > violence and hatred on this planet, to the total exclusion of the
> > > about 50 MILLION DEAD in WWII who WERE NOT JEWISH, not to mention the
> > > fact that later on it was Jews who violently persecuted, discriminated
> > > and robbed of their land Palestinians, sending them into refugee camps
> > > -something that the Jewish-controlled media in the U.S.A. do not much
> > > care to show.
> > >
> > > And PLEASE do not come now saying that these remarks are offensive or
> > > that I must be a Communist or something to the effect -if you have
> > > some intellectual and moral integrity, do respond to my arguments and
> > > do not resort to the fascist-style practice of calling me names (à la
> > > Joe McCarthy, if you happen to know who he was -it depends on how old
> > > you are or how much you know about XXth century American politics).
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On 8/25/05, dabeck AT iupui.edu <dabeck AT iupui.edu> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > I have an idea. I see that some have attempted some marvelous
> contortions,
> > > in
> > > > order to relate this discussion to Percy. It's easy to say, I think
> Percy
> > > > would relate to XXX. But the fact is, he isn't here to throw in his
> > > opinions.
> > > > One thing that stands out about Percy is that a) he wrote much of his
> work
> > > > during some of the most volatile years of recent history; and b)he
> seemed
> > > to
> > > > shy away from making a dogmatic stand on political issues of the day.
> Some
> > > > have recommended Love in the Ruins. I agree. The book shows how
> divided
> > > our
> > > > country can and has become. But, at the same time, the book never 
> > > > shows
> us
> > > a
> > > > particular side we should support (in a Bakhtinian way), left or
> right.
> > > Percy
> > > > shows the weaknesses of both. In fact, he points out the myopic view
> that
> > > > dogmatic ideologies are prone to.
> > > >  I don't know. But anytime I hear someone arguing vehemently for one
> side
> > > or
> > > > the other, I cast a suspicious eye toward him/her. I really don't
> think
> > > that
> > > > either position is that black and white.
> > > >  For me, that's the big Percean point: He never sided with the far
> right
> > > or
> > > > the far left (or the middle, for that matter). Perhaps a better
> discussion
> > > for
> > > > this listserv is how to relate Percy's thought to the polarization 
> > > > that
> is
> > > > taking place in the U.S.
> > > >  If not, please do me a favor and carry on the discussion off-list.
> All
> > > I'm
> > > > reading is the same tired rhetoric that I (unfortunately) have to hear
> > > every
> > > > time I turn on the TV and listen to the talking heads of the left and
> the
> > > > right. Nothing new is being said, and all of us are to comfortable in
> our
> > > self-
> > > > righteous beliefs to really hear the other.
> > > >  I invite us all to drop our agenda and return to what this list does
> > > best:
> > > > analyze the works of Percy and how they relate to our everyday lives.
> The
> > > > original posting that started this discussion was inappropriate. It
> had
> > > > nothing to do with Percy. It started off with something like "through
> a
> > > > percean view, how do you Americans feel about having a leader who is
> > > > comparable to Hitler" (a remark that should be offensive to all Jews
> and
> > > > thinking people who know history). What do those remarks REALLY have 
> > > > to
> do
> > > > with Percy, other than the desire to spew out one's agenda under the
> mask
> > > of
> > > > the remarks being "percean"?
> > > >  I suggest (PLEASE) take the discussion off list. I'm tired of reading
> the
> > > > same old rhetoric that I hear everyday on the news. Let's get back to
> what
> > > > this list is for: discussing Percy's philosophy and how we relate it
> to
> > > our
> > > > everyday lives. Other listserves exist that welcome one's political
> > > agenda,
> > > > but I'm hoping this one won't turn out like the others.
> > > > -David
> > > > --
> > > > An archive of all list discussion is available at
> > > https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/percy-l/
> > > >
> > > > Visit the Walker Percy Project at http://www.ibiblio.org/wpercy
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Be Happy! (Fr. Benito Ballesteros, OSB, 1924-1996)
> > > Sé feliz! (P. Benito Ballesteros, OSB, 1924-1996)
> > > --
> > > An archive of all list discussion is available at
> > > https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/percy-l/
> > >
> > > Visit the Walker Percy Project at http://www.ibiblio.org/wpercy
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> 
> 
> --
> Be Happy! (Fr. Benito Ballesteros, OSB, 1924-1996)
> Sé feliz! (P. Benito Ballesteros, OSB, 1924-1996)
> 
> 
> -- 
> Be Happy! (Fr. Benito Ballesteros, OSB, 1924-1996)
> Sé feliz! (P. Benito Ballesteros, OSB, 1924-1996)
> --
> An archive of all list discussion is available at
> https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/percy-l/
> 
> Visit the Walker Percy Project at http://www.ibiblio.org/wpercy
>