By Garen Yegparian
My expression of appreciation to my readers is long past due. I’m finally convinced you actually exist.
Thanks to those intermediaries (editors–mutual friends–others) who tell what you think of what I write.
Even more thanks to those who engage me personally–telling me how wrong I am or just challenging what I’ve written.
Still more thanks to those three who have written me. This takes a lot more time and seems to require overcoming a certain–weird kind of inertia. Pen just doesn’t seem to hit paper–or fingers the keys–very easily to do this.
Most of all–I want to thank the three people who have actually written for publication in response to issues I’ve addressed.
But why are the last so few? It’s not like you don’t have visceral reactions. Threats to cancel subscriptions. Threats to actually write. You sneer at some of my opinions. Laud others. Or simply find my style–ohhh–shall we say less than exemplary? In fact one person recently approached me specifically to express agreement with much of what I spout–but shuddered at how I express it.
Can you imagine if all this entered the pages of our publications? Now multiply that by the replies to other regular contributors. How much more lively would they be? How much more entertaining? How much more meaningful and useful?
And that last item is the crux of our needs. If we don’t engage in substantive–broad–large-participation public discussions–how are we to ever progress as a community and as a nation? I can’t imagine anyone disagreeing with this need.
It is especially crucial given the forces that buffet us. We live in foreign countries. Our small state is under constant pressure from antagonistic or unsympathetic neighbors. We live in an incredibly materialistic time. Go on–extend the list. You know it well. All these drive us toward the petty and mundane. They drive us to be concerned ONLY with our daily bread rather than greater matters of national significance to Armenia’s.
So please–engage. Get others–especially those who are younger to participate. Let’s build a national consensus spanning Diaspora and Homeland. We’ll become an unstoppable juggernaut.