I was going to read your study of Suzuki, then I find sprinkled on your website statements from Huffington (names are destiny), Chomsky, and what appears to be the MarcHerold-generated statistics on "body counts," and I decided not to waste my time. It seems to me fundamentally unBuddhist to feature such self-righteous "ANTI" material (anti-America, anti-war, anti-in-general) in connection with a view of reality that calls for abandonment of desire, aversion, and delusion. I "do" Buddhism because as a former Catholic christian I find "morality" repellent (trying to find it simply a matter of indifference, and I'll get there) and your website is nothing more than another anti-Republican, anti-Bush, and as far as I can see anti-American hate screed masquerading behind the pretence of universal peace.

You're not where I want to be.

Michael McCanles

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DC responds: 

Hi there.

Thanks for your message which I going to post and I'll use your full name but no email address unless you'd rather I used initials or "anonymous." I was wondering if I'd get some messages like that. I have always thought it best to keep the web site neutral as far as current events go. Maybe I should take that page off. It's not really part of the intent of the site. But you know how religious people get criticized for not taking a stand in times of war. That page is for anyone's opinion though. I just thought I'd put it up and see what responses I got. Did you notice the White House web site and the indite.org, the site about going after Iraqi war criminals? That page is open also to any links or articles that you may want to post. It would help to get some that represent how you feel. I'm not anti-republican per se. I don't think that the Iraq War is a Republican war. It's supported by almost all Democrat legislators and something like 80 percent of Democrats. At least it was at one point and I think that might still hold. My own personal feelings are more expressed by the Church of the Subgenious link on the site. I also had some comments of my own that are posted. I have a good friend in the Pentagon and I think I'll ask him to contribute whatever he thinks would be good for it. I've always gotten along with military people personally and especially in working situations. I was just talking to a guy holding a sign downtown that said "Support our Troups." I hope the politicians and bureaucrats remember to support them when they come back. We're not always so good at that. Right now theres wording in the budget to cut veterans benefits. I don't like that. And I've always gotten along with Republicans too. Huffington, incidentally, seems to me to be down on most politicians, not just Republicans. She may even be a Republican. Anyway, thanks again for your opinion. Maybe it will stir something up. It might not though because I think most people that go on this site do it for other reasons - and not that many people go on it to begin with.

Best, 

David