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Thanks
Reading over some older threads yesterday, I realized again the incredible contribution that has been made to this site by our participants. I have received warm expressions of thanks from readers from time to time, which I very much appreciate. But I have not adequately expressed my own gratitude for the terrific intellectual exchanges we’ve had, the shared dialectical unfolding of new insights that is only possible in discussion among people who share, to a degree sufficient for the task, a common language and a common mind. To all, my profound thanks. Posted by Lawrence Auster at January 02, 2004 12:49 AM | Send Comments
I’ve made this site my homepage, as I am always eager to see the latest commenmtary from you, Mr. Auster, and other posters. While my contributions have been minor ( and not always eagerly welcomed ;)I feel that I have received some very profound insights from this page that have influenced or even completely changed my views on a number of topics. After reading an exchange here I am usually left with the feeling that there is nothing for my second-rate mind to contribute, much as I would like to. So, thank you Mr. Auster for having such a terrific site and for your incisive commentary. You are a patriot and a man of honor. Posted by: Gracián on January 2, 2004 9:57 AMCompliments to you Mr. Auster, for your unfailing good courtesy and thoughtful responses to sometimes annoying posts, but above all for maintaining a forum for the serious discussion of issues that has no parallel on the web. Posted by: thucydides on January 2, 2004 2:13 PMI would also like to express my gratitude to Mr. Auster and the other participants in these discussions. I thank you not only for the uniquely penetrating nature of the discussions, but also for the assurance that there are energetic, independent minds working to discern and promote the best principles for our nation. Posted by: Bill on January 2, 2004 6:12 PMThank you all very much. Posted by: Lawrence Auster on January 3, 2004 10:39 AMOne thing I appreciate about VFR is that when I am in the wrong, as I am more than I would care to admit, I have the honor of being corrected appropriately. We deal with some ‘taboo’ topics here, in what Mr. Auster has referred to as a “safe space” to do so. Those who do not have this blessed opportunity are left often to stew in their legitimate grievances without having these grievances properly analyzed. The result of this leaves one ripe for extremist conclusions neither helpful nor desireable. Such is the curse of the ‘P.C.’ But in exploring these topics, concerning matters pertaining to race and multiculturalism by prime example, it is important to keep the proper perspective while examining the difficult facts — allowing for the correct though non-P.C. conclusions, but checking and arresting others that exceed what is right and legitimate, born sometimes of frustration and anger and perhaps of a cycnicism that is in no way Christ-like. Being reproved in such cases is not always easy, but necessary, and much preferable to remaining in error. In Prov. 9:8 we are instructed: “Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.” Let’s all strive to be the latter! It is good to be informed of one’s error, (rather than continuing in it,) and especially to be informed of the REAL reason why a given position or attitude is wrong — as opposed to, “Well, you shouldn’t have been thinking about such things in the first place!” Posted by: Joel LeFevre on January 7, 2004 2:48 AMMr. LeFevre writes, “It is good to be informed of one’s error (rather than continuing in it) and especially to be informed of the REAL reason why a given position or attitude is wrong — as opposed to, ‘Well, you shouldn’t have been thinking about such things in the first place!’ “ True, and the most gratifying benefit of coming to VFR is to be informed of the REAL reason why a given position or attitude is RIGHT — as opposed to, “Well, you shouldn’t have been thinking about such things in the first place!” |