Shahab responding

I left my country in 1978 due to the fact that my father was in the government and the religious fundamentalists (I use this term as it is used colloquially in the US this is not an insult to our religious friends) that were coming to power actively persecuted us due to our education, religion, and the roll we played in the previous government. in fact I lost many members of my family and dear friends to the completely man made dogma of a group who use terror to control others in the name of God. the fact that they have soiled the name of Mohammad and Islam who's message, as with Jesus and Christianity, was peace and harmony can not be disputed.

When I arrived from Europe six months later in Jan. of 1979 I was excited to be in the US to go to school and learn English. unfortunately I learned that the same blind, illogical hatred existed in the US. I was attacked by groups dressed in robes and several times cut up pretty good too. I have been attacked by the KKK and the Arian-nation group up north. I have seen the ugliness of ignorance and decided that I would rise above it. to rise above this I knew I could not just do nothing; I could not just take abuse and bear it; I could not allow it to go on.

One gift that we have in this country is the democratic process. as we experienced this first hand last week and as some of you so eloquently stated; I do not see any need for a policing of this forum other than what happens naturally within the group. I think the group as a dynamic and highly intelligent organism can judge better the individual cases rather than rigid laws that may get in the way of our open discussions.

As for the comment from PC... I have to say that the only problem that I had with it was that it did not offer any useful information. The message did not offer me any guidance for improving myself. When I first got the message I really was not mad... I felt like I missed the point that he was making; I felt that I was not allowed to understand his point of view due to his anger... I felt a loss. I agree with the friend who stated that paternal control of the group would be detrimental. I am glad the messages have been coming in unedited! This way I can see what you really think; this way I can respond so you better understand what I am trying to say instead of what is coming out. I would like to know what made PC so angry... I have been trying to make myself understood and have succeeded with many of you. It appears that I have not clarified my motives to some of you. I would like to further clarify a few points that have come up in your responses to me.

Advertising: one of the friends correctly took issue with the way I seem to have equated advertising with lying. we have advertised through the time that the store was open but limited the advertisements to information only. We have been underwriting the public radio for many years, we have had large Yellow Pages advertisement until this year, we have advertised on 106, have done some print advertisement, and we have three signs in front of our store stating that we service and build computer systems, and network solutions. We have shunned sensational advertising which we find offensive. When I was talking about advertising I should have said sensational advertising; this was my error and I apologize if I insulted anyone in advertising. I do find it offensive when companies advertise a PC for $200 and by the time you leave with one you have worked up to $1500! this happens a lot and is false advertising in my opinion.

In business?: yes we (Hilary and I) are still in business. We have been doing most of our work on-site for a long time and finally realized that the store was dragging us down. We do everything we did before except that now we do not have a store front. One of the friends had suggested that we use this forum for promoting our business. My feeling on this matter is clear: I find it unethical to promote ones business in a forum who's purpose is non commercial social improvement. If you are interested in contacting us in a commercial setting please feel free to contact us at meteor2@moscow.com I do appreciate your interest in us.

Local Business: I do not consider national chains local business. I see them as funnels sucking money out of small communities so a few people can get filthy rich. I believe that the large chain stores are contributing to urban decay as well as social degradation. I also have a big problem with malls. I know you think they are convenient but just look around and see what they do to cities. We have two of them... they suck the life out of cities unless they are properly designed. Look at what all the malls did to Spokane so now they have to spend millions to make downtown vital again. The money we save in discount stores, we pay ten times more in the long run in taxes to revitalize our city. Why go through the cycle of decay and rebuild? Why not just do a little every day so that problems are taken care of when they are small. We were a member of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce the first year and did not renew our membership due to this very issue. The Chamber does not differentiate between local business and national chains. I find the Chamber useless. I see the need to create a new organization that dedicates itself in the interests of our city and not large business interests.

Leave!: to the friend who suggested I leave if I do not like the people here... do you think I would have given any of you any thought if I did not care deeply about you? Do you think I would have invested over $200K in this city if I did not care? Did your father not care about you when he tried to point out faults that needed to be corrected? Do your friends not help you become a better person? Why is it that we have such a hard time with someone trying to help? Do we feel like they are showing off? I assure you my intentions are quite the contrary. I see a wonderful city with marvelous people I love you all dearly. Due to my deep love and conviction I find it necessary to try to improve things... it is in my nature... I have to improve everything! I have redesigned everything I have come to contact with! I hope this is clear since everything else depends on your understanding of my motivation.

back on soap!: let us not just talk about this... let us make OUR city a city to be an example to all cities. Let us get together and achieve unity in our diversity. We have the power to create a society here that would set examples for the future of our world. We have to stop just talking and have to act. We have to be kind and loving to one another. Let us meet!! One of the difficulties of having the store was the 100 hours a week I had to work. I did not have much time. It would be my honor to meet with you in a regularly scheduled open forum of discussion. We should just get to know one another and then be more comfortable with where each one of us is coming from. We could arrange for block parties to get the neighborhoods talking and maybe... just maybe when we talk we would realize that the problems are not that big. We are many and together we can overcome difficulties much greater than what we have to deal with today. We could involve the thousands of people who we never hear from in our town. Many individuals never realize that there are a thousand people with the same issues and ideas that they have. We feel isolated and alone and this causes inactivity and lack of involvement. If we want a vibrant society we must actively participate in our community. One of the reasons behind closing the store for me was greater involvement in my city. I hope that together we can find the time and the energy to get together and become a close community again. Many of you reminisce about the friendly old days... well these are our days, this is our city, this is our society, and we have the power to make them what we choose.

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