Shhhhh….
I read with interest your article “Not silent” by Linda Falkenstein (5/18/2017) about the poet, Timothy Yu. While I can appreciate Yu’s point of view, it is possible that he is a little unnecessarily harsh with Billy Collins. It is possible that Collins meant to convey sympathetically his understanding of Chinese aesthetics and its appreciation of the virtues of silence. Mr. Yu focuses on one form of silence, the kind that is imposed, “deferential — not speaking for themselves.” But there is another kind of silence, a natural silence, the kind we can choose for healing and meditation, the silence that Han Shan sought when he fled the noise of the village. There is an old Chinese proverb, “What is the use of words when the things of the heart are endless?” The Swiss also have a saying, “Sometimes you have to be silent in order to be heard.”
—John Morgan (via letter)
Back to the future
Re: “More state residents hike than hunt these days,” (6/8/2017): In 1994, I spent a year working for the Wisconsin Conservation Corps. Doyle cut funding for it, if I remember right, but it was just the sort of program that could be used to maintain trails and build infrastructure in parks, such as more permanent, stone-lined paths or bridges or even small shelters or cabins that people could hike to and rent overnight. Pay high school graduates the equivalent of minimum wage and BadgerCare health benefits, along with a tuition voucher to state universities, in exchange for a year’s work outdoors.
—Philo (via web)
Sounds about right
Re: “You deserve a break today,” (6/8/2017): So let me get this straight, the police officer that tells the truth [is] forced to resign but administration that hides what happened and covers it up continues to collect their pensions and fat salaries. Yep, that sounds like our Sun Prairie Police Department. I hope the woman who was upset that she got a $10 ticket doesn’t ever expect to get a break from any police officer real soon.
—Sally (via web)
If the sun fits...
Re: “Is Madison’s flag offensive?” (6/8/2017): I love everything about the Madison flag except the sun symbol. It’s the only design element that feels “thrown in.” As far as I can tell, the sun symbol’s best contribution to the flag’s design is “it fits nicely inside the black Capitol element.”
—Brad Grzesiak (via Facebook)
Can we please knock off the bullshit arguments against “misappropriation” already? Want to know another term for cultural appropriation? Culture. Without the stealing of ideas, symbols, stories, art, there would be no culture. These misguided ultra-PC attempts only hurt free expression and diversity.
—Victor Toniolo (via Facebook)