From Our Mail Bag:

I have always doubted the authenticity of the letters that were supposedly written by Birtukan Mideksa from prison. The most recent letter attributed to her is entitled "Open Letter to Ambassador Vicki Huddleston”.  http://www.ethiomedia.com/carepress/bertukan_to_vicky_huddleston.html.

In it, Birtukan quotes word by word Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes a couple times making me wonder if there is a law library at Kaliti prison. 

Also, in paragraph six of the same letter, she writes ” Last week, I listened to your VOA interview in my cell (If there is one at kaliti). “   Why would she add ”If there is one [cell phone] at Kaliti” if she has already stated that she listened to the interview on her cell?  Don’t you think that the person who wrote this letter using Birtukan’s name forgot to edit it?

I would like to hear what you think.

Thanks

Comment: Indeed they did forget to edit it. Who would have guessed the Birtukan who wrote about the romantic youth and the cud spirit, in her first letter is a disciple of Justice Oliver who rejected romanticism. What a self defeating stand to take a man who rejected  “due process of law” as a guiding light at a time of facing the legal system. What an irony for a disciple of Justice Oliver, the father of legal realism, to have so much contempt for the courts and laws of the land.

      There is no need for Birtukan to zig-zag between romanticism and realism, for there is no sophisticated philosophical reasoning to the dissent of the elders in the opposition, who are torch bearer of the old guard.  The only greatness in the house of the elders is to be molded to the image of Etege. For that Birtukan needs to dig not much deeper than the living legend of Clarence Thomas.

      “It seems to me that at this time we need education in the obvious more than the investigation of the obscure.” is the wise quote to remember from Justice Oliver.

Dear Aigaforum Admin,

As a prelude to the coming and irresistible democratic change, no matter which party you support, I dare believe that you can and will show the way to a more open society & tolerant culture by posting my humble contribution to the ongoing debate.

Thank you very much for considering my article for posting on your website. Let us not just talk about “democracy” let us live it too. I hope you will do the right thing.

Sincerely,

Comment:  [post declined]We are sure your message is delivered to the opposition through the right channels. Though they may find your mathematical analysis informative EPRDF is neither cornered nor needs the billionaire’s money to save it.  We don’t believe your article adds one bit to the open society and tolerant culture in Ethiopia. But we double dare you to write about Compromise, tolerance, respect for human rights, accountability in the opposition which are in short supply these days how they can be corrected to bring bout democratic change in Ethiopia.