Letter to the Editors

Re: Pledge of Allegiance editorial

To the Editor:
You need to do better research before stating that Buddhists follow the teachings of a mere man.

Siddhartha Gautama was “a man” who became “the Buddha,” and a cursory reading of his journey from the former to the latter parallels in ways the journey of another man, Jesus of Nazareth, to his status as “the Christ.” Both achieved, in their disciples’ eyes, divinity. Indeed, it is said that Siddhartha was born “fully awake” from the moment he left his mother’s womb, able to stand, walk and talk, and upon his birth told his mother he had come to free all mankind from suffering.

Sound familiar?

TC Lynch
Former editor of CSI Ictus Review
leatherpenguin@gmail.com

P. MELISSA FISHER, author of Pledge of Allegiance responds
Dear Mr. Lynch:
No one is denying that there are strong similarities between the stories of Siddhartha Gautama and Jesus of Nazareth, but there are also key differences not only in their origins, but also in the way the religions they created are observed.

Siddhartha had to take a long journey of self-discovery to become the Buddha. He may have been born “’fully awake’ from the moment he left his mother’s womb,” but he was not born the Buddha, he had to earn that title and any honor or glory that goes with it. The same cannot be said of Jesus of Nazareth. He was born the Christ. Worshipers came to honor him from the moment of his birth. Had Jesus done nothing but be born, he would still have been labeled the son of god.

In the practice of the Christian faith, people worship and pray to Jesus. They believe that he is the son of god, and that he is god as well. They pray to him for divine intervention and for miracles. When Buddhists meditate, they ask only for guidance and help on their journey to self-awareness. They do not believe that this man can do miracles. He can only serve as a guide to the best way to lead a spiritual life and to reach Nirvana.

I never said that Buddha was a “mere” man. I said that he was a man, and he was. He was a very special man, but so were Martin Luther King Jr., John Lennon, and Malcolm X, but they were all only human, with all the limitations that implies, including death. Jesus was not so limited. Therefore, I stand by my original statement that Buddhists follow the teachings of a man.

Re: A Starbucks Soliloquy

Dear Hannah Jean,
Nice work, so warm and cuddly. Reminds me of a young punk beatnik I once knew. Congrats!

Luv,
Steven Tello.
Associate Director, Distance Learning
University of Massachusetts Lowell

Quality of Third RaiL Magazine

Dear Third Rail,
I want to personally say how pleased I am with the quality of this magazine. I myself have seen quite a few student publications magazines and Third Rail (which my piss might offer an electric shock of creativity) by far is the best toilet paper. So thank you for your crapulous work - it does have a purpose after all.

Boris Zikowiski
CSI Student

P. MELISSA FISHER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF responds
Dear Mr. Zikowski:
It is always wonderful to hear that members of the student body are pleased with our work. We at Third Rail do strive to be thought-provoking and informative. Our purpose, as we see it, is to put the facts and our opinions of them out into the world and create discussion about them regardless of whether the readers agree or not; but, in lieu of that, we help anyway we can. If in your case, we have solved your urinary problems, we will consider it a job well done.

Re: LETTERS TO THE EDITORS (Issue 3)

Dear Mr. Fisher,
I have not read your original article but I already can tell that it must have upset this Hillel. I remember a year and a half ago, Hillel had a protest at Brooklyn College carrying posters and signs saying, “Wherever we stand, we stand with Israel!” What kind of organization gives UNQUESTIONABLE support to a state that expropriates land from poor people and doesn’t allow pregnant women to get to emergency rooms?

Does Hillel support such actions? Do they stand with countries that violate human rights? Do they “stand” with nations that defy United Nations resolutions? Does Hillel “stand” with countries that ignore World Court rulings? Does Hillel “stand” with nations who elect known terrorists like Menachem Begin, Yitzhak Shamir and Ariel Sharon? You should ask Leebie Mallin why Hillel unquestionably supports Israel, while unquestionably categorizes Palestinian freedom fighters as terrorists. Hillel needs to look in the mirror.

Ajad Braddhi,
CUNY Student

Re: Erica Jong’s CSI Commencement Speech

Dear Ms. Jong,
As a fan of yours (I have read most of your books), I was quite shocked and appalled by the commencement address you gave at the College of Staten Island in 2005. For someone as intelligent as yourself, I was surprised to discover that you dismiss the fact that the United States and our American way of life is being threatened by radical Islam. Do you think that your books would be able to be published in Saudi Arabia or Egypt, given their explicit sexual content. Do you think that you, a female, would be able to give a commencement address at a college in Iran or Iraq? Do you think that in Jordan or Malaysia you could manifest any iota of freedom of speech and assembly?

I am glad that you have exercised your constitutional right to express yourself by criticizing Administration policies, but do you realize it is these exact policies by the Bush Administration that is safeguarding your right to free speech? Do you think that if our government did nothing that everything would be OK and that you would be able to address college students in ten years, the way you did in 2005? If our government just sits back and does nothing, it will be liberals and elitist academics like yourself who will complain in ten years time that the Bush administration did “nothing” to safeguard our constitutional right.

As a fan of yours and one who is greatly impressed with the way you have critiqued our male dominated culture and society, I would hope that you recognize that as sexist as America is, it is by FAR and away the greatest country for females to have citizenship. Please think of that before you begin to bash the American administration next time you speak before impressionable students.

With Greatest Respect,
Lisa Van Hilder

THIRD RAIL STAFF responds
Dear Lisa Van Hilder:
We will be forwarding your response to author Erica Jong. In the meantime, we offer you the wise words of Benjamin Franklin, who stated, “They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty nor security.”

THIRD RAIL WILL BE PRINTING FURTHER RESPONSES
TO ERICA JONG’S SPEECH IN OUR NEXT ISSUE.