In Reply to: Re: A lesson in Mass Media posted by parhad on September 26, 2001 at 00:44:27:
Freddy, send me a copy of the video tape in VHS not your US standard and I’ll have it video-streaming for all to see on your homepage by the end of the week.
Pshena,
David
: Is there an Assyrian televison station where you are? If not, we could send the tape around from interested person to person. There were four security guys in full uniform and weapons in the hall. I think they were a bit concerned at what we darkies would do. Dr Wieder said in her opening comments that perhaps a college, any college, should do more of this kind of thing.
: As America prepares to launch an attack against anyone the don't happen to like, it would behoove us all to get involved in educating people. Unfortunately what will happen is that Assyrians will try cozying up to "the MAN" even more, convinced that if he just gets to "like" them, believe all their protestations of fidelity, their support for anything he wants to do to them A-rabs...never mind the "collateral dead Assyrian children", fawn on him enough...he'll NEVER turn on THEM...or betray them at a Versaille or elsewhere. If they only knew how easily the "man" sees through that and detests it! WE feel so good when we bow and scrape that we're sure the other guy loves it too.
: One church burned wont teach them the lesson our grandparents never learned either...you don't get respect by fawning and cowering...our Assyrian ancestors never chose that route, and they paid the price...what we have left now are the descendents of all those who ran back then... they're still running.
: I'll call the college about copies of the videotape. To my knowledge it marks the first time we "fought back"...not "experts" at a symposia somewhere...but regular folk who contested a negative and ignorant view so commonly and so comfortably expressed by so many. The few who showed up did us all a service.
: There were two Jewish kids there, they came up to talk afterwords...no hostility, no sarcasm...just respectfull opinions and exchanges...no one attacked anyone, the Assyrians who asked Dr Ross questions were all well spoken, polite, thanked the college etc. We have no idea in the world how welcome we would be if we only seized the moment. We are no longer in Turkey or Syria or Iraq or Iran...we can afford to be brave, to get involved...you'd all be surprised at how good it feels to stand up where it matters, OUT THERE and say..."I am indeed an Assyrian, and proud to BEHAVE like one"!