Posted by Jeff (24.30.53.181) on November 12, 2001 at 22:43:51:
Oh ye of little faults and much sense, where did you come from?
You verbally manhandled that poor, ignorant woman, but she deserved it. How is it that you two cabable people came from the same community as that woman?
Don't you see the mystery? How does the same community produce Fred Parhad and Fred Aprim, You, David, and Ghassan Hanna, You, Sankho, and John Nimrod (or that accountant, if you will), Melody, and members of the CFA... Sorry, all, for using your names in the same sentences as the "stereotype-makers" in our community.
A girl that I met at school told me today "Don't be offended, Jeff, but I have to tell you something. You and Ayad (another Chaldean at my University) are the only Chaldeans that I have ever met that were polite to me." She went on to explain that in her area, Chaldean males congregate like gangs would, they insult and harass those who go by, and are very aggressive. Having only met this "bad" type of Chaldean, when she met Ayad (A Chaldean at my school, born in Iraq), and me (born in the US), she at first didn't believe that we were Chaldean. I calmly explained to her that every community has stereotypes, and that those stereotypes come from people (the "stereotype makers"), and from rumors and prejudice/lies, etc. Anyway, I just wanted to share that with you.
I have a serious, honest request for both of you. First, will you both thank your parents for me? Honestly, your parents need thanking for raising you the way that they did.
Second, will you send me more information about the Assyrian Aid Society? I know that there is a Detroit sub-chapter, and I want to get more involved now than ever. Also, I didn't realize that they were so advanced as to electronically debit their member's paychecks... ingenious.
If you have the time, I would like you to help me propose to the AAS that they start an endowment fund. As useful as the funds that are raised ARE for the much needed projects, schools, and infrastructure rebuilding are, they need to set aside some principal and save it for the future. That way, they can use the interest from that money to go towards their projects (and never actually touch the money... the whole idea behind an endowment) so that if the donations stop, the money still is generated every year, for schools, homes, whatever needs to be build back home. Do you believe that when I was speaking to a member of the AANF about endowments, that person told me "the members of the AANF don't know the first thing about endowment funds. Would you prepare a presentation and teach them about it?"
Thanks. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Jeff