>Cetin
>
>But you need to read my e-mail in context. Whether or not it happened is not the issue. Nursing resentment is the issue. Of course people might nurse resentments about the "Armenian experience" in Turkey and all the other examples I gave. For example, by far the most recent "grievance" I quoted is the French bombing of a ship in a New Zealand harbour. This was less than 20 years ago, large numbers of living NZ'ers were right there. I suppose NZ could nurse grievances and "hate" France, but we've put it behind us now. Unlike others who still nurse grievances that apparently occurred generations ago.
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>My point is that we cannot change the past and nursing grievances is an obstacle to progress and improvement. Look around the world to where cultural, religions or racist resentments are nursed and you will see I am right... even if I have only read the extensive American and German reports made by observers at the time re the Armenian experience in Turkey, rather than the latest textbook written in Turkish ;-)
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>Regards
>
>JR
John;

You are absolutely correct! No one should harbor ill feelings for any reason. It is not good for your health as an individual and it is not good for the attitude of a people. For the individual ill feelings and stress will create a number of illnesses. For a nation ill feelings will create tension and can result in war.

My upbringing as a Roman Catholic has taught me to forgive and get on with my life. I do not look back at past grievances or negative events as a source of motivation. People grow up hating others whom they know little or nothing about. We own it to ourselves to be concerned with the present. The present is the period we have in which we create either good or bad. The choice is ours. The past is gone and can be reflected upon but should not cause us to hate. Tomorrow will be here soon enough and I have no control over the future. I can only attempt to lay a good foundation today for the future.

Tom