[wcenter] Re: 'holy' war

["J.Simpson" <numprs@ez0.ezlink.com>]

As experts in language, we surely can recognize an oxymoron when we see one.
Holy is not an adjective that can possibly describe war.

I am grateful to hear that some of our writing center friends in NYC are all
right and thank them for taking the time to let us know.   Please know how
much we care.   Thanks, Lady, for forwarding Dennis Paoli's message.  And
the message from Ben Curtis...chilling and yet inspiring.

And there is the important question:  what do we as writing center personnel
do?  we are not counselors, not experts.  And yet we need and want to do
something and do the right thing.
I think it is really pretty simple:  we listen, we listen, we listen.   We
say:  I understand that you are angry, hurting, confused, afraid,
grieving....   So are we.   And we can invite our student visitors to come
up with things they can do to address those feelings:  go to a counselor,
fly a flag, write a poem, light a candle, give blood, volunteer (to do
anything--one of the most healing acts in the world is to set aside our own
pain to help someone else).   And we can remind each other that descending
into hatred and violence, into prejudice and cruelty, is to let the
terrorists win.   It takes no expertise to do these things.

Jeanne Simpson
numprs@ezlink.com