melanie s says

It was wonderful to hear from you. Never worry about writing back late. My life is crazy as well and it can be hard to stay on top of correspondence.

I hope everything is going well with your thesis. That is such work!! I imagine that it would take over your life. What is your thesis on?

I am deeply sorry to hear about the boycotts causing trouble for you. I wish everyone could just get along... I hope that things improve and that you always have what you need.

Things in the U.S. have been getting worse and worse as well. We don't have enough oil, and because our gasoline prices are getting so high, everything is affected. Shipping around the county has become so expensive as to almost be unprofitable for the shipping companies. For the first time in my memory, grocery store shelves are empty. Not completely, of course. Not yet, at least. But there is a great delay in receiving normal food items, etc. And food prices have gone up to the point of hurting everyone.

Back to the boycotts. It is enlightening for me to speak with you and hear how things are for you in Iran. In the United States, there is a good amount of fear about Iran's intentions toward our country. Before the attacks on September 11th (I am just assuming you know of them), the people of the United States had very little understanding that there are many people in the world that hate us. And almost no one understood the depth of hatred that would prompt an attack like that.

Certainly in all of U.S. history, all of the actions of our country have not been perfect. But as a people, especially in recent history, we considered ourselves to be a benevolent country - protecting the weak, promoting freedom, and advocating peace in the world. Perhaps the view from your country is much different. That view was shocking and saddening to the American people. We never saw it coming.

The September 11th attacks changed us as a country. It made us afraid of people who wish us harm. And it gave us the feeling that if people were planning to do us harm, we needed to stop it before our country was attacked again. Hence the invasion of Afghanistan and then of Iraq (which has since been particularly debated in our country and I know around the world). Much has gone wrong in the invasion of Iraq. The intent in the beginning was to liberate a people who suffered horrific abuses at the hand of Saddam Hussein, and to keep Hussein from developing chemical and biological weapons to use against us. I have a feeling that there is fear in other countries that we have evil motives concerning countries in the Middle East. I think the world would be surprised to know how idealistic Americans are in wanting peace and freedom for everyone.

I fear that people around the world have been taught otherwise about us. Is it so?

Also, although the President or Congress can do much on their own for a time, eventually, they answer to the American people. So when I speak of what "we" believe as the American people, I mean that the President must be governed by what we believe as a majority and cannot do wrong without being questioned and held accountable by the American people.

I am rambling about politics. Does it bore you? I only mean to express how sorry I am that you have to suffer because of boycotts. And that they were prompted by real fear that Iran wants to develop nuclear weapons to attack us. And how sad it makes me to think about people around the world hating us.

What I heard several years ago was that the young people in Iran didn't hate Americans as much as the leadership of the country does. Is that true?

Also, I wonder if we are hated, especially in Middle Eastern countries (much of Europe is so irreligious) because of the excesses and immorality of some of our media. If so, I could hardly blame people who were disgusted by some of the trash that comes out of our country. Not everyone lives that way in real life, but the more it is portrayed in the media, the more it is viewed as a norm. What is your opinion on that?

I would be interested to know your view on some of these things (only when you have time, of course).

Oh yes, the English question. It is correct to say I'm a person who IS. Actually, did you mean to say "I'm kind of" as in I'm sort of or a little bit of a person who is something, or "I am THE kind of" person who...likes to go to bed early, for example?

I wish you luck in all that you are doing. I will be praying for you and your family and for peace between our countries.

Take care of yourself,
Melanie

posted 1 month ago. ( send a note )

ramin lion says

روزى که امیرکبیر به شدت گریست
سال 1264 قمرى، نخستين برنامه‌ى دولت ايران براى واکسن زدن به فرمان اميرکبير آغاز شد. در آن برنامه، کودکان و نوجوانانى ايرانى را آبله‌کوبى مى‌کردند. اما چند روز پس از آغاز آبله‌کوبى به امير کبير خبردادند که مردم از روى ناآگاهى نمى‌خواهند واکسن بزنند. به‌ويژه که چند تن از فالگيرها و دعانويس‌ها در شهر شايعه کرده بودند که واکسن زدن باعث راه ‌يافتن جن به خون انسان مى‌شود.
هنگامى که خبر رسيد پنج نفر به علت ابتلا به بيمارى آبله جان باخته‌اند، امير بى‌درنگ فرمان داد هر کسى که حاضر نشود آبله بکوبد بايد پنج تومان به صندوق دولت جريمه بپردازد. او تصور مى کر�