Don’t give up. What you have to say, the unique perspective that you can give, is important in a lot of different ways. Sure, some people (mainly older and not all that worldly) may consider it just babble from another unsatisfied 20-something, some (mainly young Arab men) may consider it anti-Arab from time to time, etc, etc. The point is that people read your writing from their own individual point of view.

I read it from the perspective of a typical 40-something American white guy, but I read it. That is the important part! I have personally never understood racism in much of any sense. Growing up in America I have seen the change from anti-black to anti-hispanic to anti-arab and I haven’t “gotten it” at any point in time. People are people, we have to fight the biases based on race, religion, class, etc and focus on what is important about the individuals. Is the individual I am with right now a good person or a bad person, based upon my personal observances.

Too many people like to judge others before even meeting them, tossing them into buckets like a bunch of fish and declaring them smelly before they have even get close to them. I like reading you because you struggle with this! You fight your urges to put people into buckets because you have seen people from different classes in different situations acting in different, even unexpected ways! You need to do this, you need to continue to bring out your perspective!

Your blog name is open and inviting to most all people. I found the title witty and thought you might have something interesting to say. I was right. Your magazine focuses on a group that I feel excluded from and therefore I don’t feel drawn to its contents. That is the difference (as I see it) between your blog and the magazine. The blog is your perspective on a million different things, the magazine narrows the focus to the point where it excludes many readers.

I enjoy hearing about your struggle. I root for you, I wish you well.

John