Although your publisher pays you to travel only following the completion of a book, and although that publisher only sends you to his or her (or its) wanted locations, is there any way you can get to Israel and make a speech or two - or more - in the Holy Land?
Yes, I know; the troubles arising here: the horrid socio-economical situation, the unemployment (part of the previous), the vicious stereotypes, the racism, the political status, the bad reputation of this nation, the suicide bombers, the civil war, the controversy regarding the Gaza Strip, the soldiers' savagery, the Israeli manners and the bad state in the schools (predicting a grim future) - they can prove somewhat of an eccentricity in your coming.
In spite of all that, don't you think that someone as miraculously adored as you; someone as smart, intelligent and sophisticated as you; someone who predicted the future such as you (Winston Churchill is dead, alas); someone as influential as you and someone as powerful as you could make a change?
Jason Alexander was in Israel. Madonna was in Israel. Natalie Portman lives in Israel and studies at the Hebrew University. I believe that the Orson Scott Card - a person one can look upon with adoration, who has the image of this utopian forum in one person - can do more good than any (but yourself) can predict. I know that there is a clan of your followers in this country. I believe that many who read your books in English, many who read them in translation (though they understand English) and many who speak no English at all and would just want to hear and see you - would be in the hall listening to every syllable coming out of your mouth.
I know you spoke in Boston about Israel, due to my being in Jerusalem, I was unable to attend. If you come and speak on the very grounds of the city that was and is holy to two of the greatest religions in the world, and a third with extreme poise (proportional to population) - you can make a change.
I know one thing, Mr Card. I could have met with (ex)-President Clinton (I'd rather not use President Bush, as I'm not very fond of him), with Kofi Annan, with Jennifer Aniston and with Arthur C. Clarke. Nevertheless, I would say "I have met with President Clinton, and I spent much time in the White House with him and Kofi Annan; I have been around with Jennifer Aniston and sat around a dinner table with Arthur C. Clarke. And yet, I was never thrilled as much as only briefly shaking Orson Scott Card's hand".
Mark these words of a fan. I mean what I say, and I do not stand alone. People love you, and you can make a change. I, for one, would get permit(s, if required) out of school, I would make my voice heard around the community (my span of influence isn't that wide) in order to hear yours. I would not miss a chance to hear Orson Scott Card in Jerusalem. I may be only a year-old fan, and I may have only read 7.2 of your books, but I am dedicated.
We love you, Orson Scott Card. More words are just superfluous.
posted
It was a joke, Jonny . . . It's just the name of the hotel (as is almost always on lecterns in such rooms), neh?
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
I really enjoyed my trip to Israel, and I hope to go back again.
However, I think the reason some Israelis respond to my work is not because they particularly agree with my opinions - after all, what does it matter, inside Israel, what an American thinks? - but because I write futures in which ISRAEL STILL EXISTS. This reflects a fundamental optimism in a time when Israelis, seeing the world more viciously anti-semitic and anti-Israel than ever before (and I include the propaganda leading up to the Third Reich), have every reason to fear and perhaps despair.
Meanwhile, though, I don't think I have the arrogance to go to Israel and tell folks there what they should do. I have opinions, but I don't have a vote; in America I do, and so my views are obviously more pertinent here than there.
Most of what I did in Israel was learn and observe; I answered questions that I was asked, but made sure people knew that I didn't think my opinions had any authority at all.
Posts: 2005 | Registered: Jul 1999
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Hello to you all(and to Mr.card too of course)... I'm Barak Twito from Israel I serve in the IDF and I signed my self to Hatrack mouths ago but I didn't found the time to be here alot.
I hope Mr.card will look at my post and maybe even responed...
quote: I think the reason some Israelis respond to my work is not because they particularly agree with my opinions (OSC)
Well, I guess that i'm not in the know, but can I ask : what ARE yours opinions?
quote: after all, what does it matter, inside Israel, what an American thinks? (OSC)
Yes, you ARE an amrican, but you are also OSC. and I think people in Israel whould like to hear what you think about the Israeli-Arabic conflict and other problem that we have here. beacus you are more then just another Amrican citizen(and by the way, we do matter waht the Amrican citizen think...). you are a famous author that many Israelis read his books and adore his work.
quote: I don't think I have the arrogance to go to Israel and tell folks there what they should do.
You don't need to be arrogant and tell us what to do. just tell us what you think we DO like to hear it...
And may I ask a qustion: what did you liked in Israel?
Hopping for response yours, Barak.
Posts: 6 | Registered: May 2004
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Best way to find my views on Israel is simply to go to http://www.ornery.org (or click on the WorldWatch link on Hatrack) and search for my essays on Israel. Pretty easy to find my views, better expressed than I could ever do it in a posting here.
As for what I liked about Israel: First and foremost, the people, the culture. It's a new and brave culture, one that remains civilized (by any rational standard) even under duress.
It was also interesting to see the actual terrain and architecture, the city design, the settlement patterns. A vast area of ignorance in my own mind was largely cleared up, which is always a desirable outcome, at least for me!
I loved the drive to Lake Genesseret and the spot where Jordan emerges from the lake. Though of course there is no reason to think Jesus was baptized there (way farther south makes way more sense ... but it's in Palestinian territory <grin>), it was still quite moving to see a busload of American Baptists go into the water to be baptized in homage to Christ's baptism. Another example to me of how faith makes even imaginary locations holy.
I loved walking through old Jerusalem and seeing the city "design," the ancient narrow streets, the merchants who intrude into the traffic to compete for a sale, the way guilt is used to manipulate the American tourist <grin>.
And I loved the lively, intelligent, multi-faceted debates I witnessed and took part in on every subject that happened to come up. Articulate people passionately arguing - without EVER engaging in the dismissive ad hominem attacks that have made American political debate the worthless waste of time it has been for far too long. (And, most incredibly of all, I was the only participant in these discussions who was speaking his native language. EVERYBODY else was speaking at this very high level IN A FOREIGN TONGUE.)
posted
English? It kinda makes sense, how many immigrants were from North America and England? I myself thought that most of the Israely immigrants were from Former Soviet Russia, Eastern Europe, Germany, France, and other odds and end places. Where are the majority of emmigrants going to Israel come from?
Posts: 1567 | Registered: Oct 2004
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