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[Guest arabaliozian]

Sunday, September 15, 2002******************************Many years ago – so many that I no longer remember how many – I attended a lecture by a celebrated Canadian poet (Irving Layton) about which I remember only two things: he quoted Nietzsche and speaking of his critics he said: "We live in a world where everyone who has an ass**** thinks he is also entitled to have an opinion." What made this comment memorable to me was not so much its daring vulgarity as the environment within which it was delivered: the auditorium of our public library packed with a prim audience of ladies, gentlemen and students. Ever since then and whenever I scan the commentaries and letters to the editor in our weeklies -- not to say the opinions of garbage-mouthed members of discussion forums on the internet (most of which I find unreadable and a total waste of time) – I am reminded of this comment. *Case in point: In one of our weeklies today I read the following: "Very religious women achieve greater satisfaction in sexual intercourse with their husbands."*Sometimes I question my motives: what is it exactly that drives me to expose dishonesty in others? Is it love of honesty, hatred of dishonesty or compassion for the victims? I don’t know and I don’t care. Whatever it is, it is better than charlatanism.*The more we try to hide our feelings the more transparent we become.*Dignify a fool with an answer and he will think he is wise.