Theos-Talk Archives (June 2008 Message tt00015)

My Brothers,

For some time now I have kept off the public forums and communicated 
privately with both the International Secretary and the US President 
and board of Directors with regard to the aforementioned letters and 
unfortunate situation we find ourselves in with regard to this 
international election..

Let me disclose first that I am Radha's nephew and live in Georgia, 
USA, quite close to Dr. Algeo. I have long known the Algeos and 
consider them my friends, and good and decent people, as both have 
dedicated many years of their lives to our Society, and I will not 
speak anything negative about them. However, I would like to point 
out a few mis-statements circulating and hopefully shed some truth on 
the situation as I know it.

In December 2006 I attended the International Convention in Adyar and 
stayed with Radha. At the time she was recovering from her mild 
stroke and was not in her full capacities. I spoke with her doctor at 
the time who told me directly she should recover fully but it would 
take "a few months". I was there with her when she opened the 
convention and I know first hand that she was capable of speaking and 
fully aware. Since then I know for a fact, in contradiction to 
Elvira's letter of lies, that she composes her own notes, gives her 
own speeches and travels both in India and abroad on behalf of the 
society, since she and I correspond privately. She has indeed 
recovered fully and continues to execute her duties as President.

That said, I have voiced my concerns to both the TSA board and to the 
International Secretary that Bro. Bland's letter to the American 
Section spread unsubstantiated and unprofessional medical opinion. 
Betty Bland is not a neurosurgeon nor a medical physician and has 
only her own opinions of how she perceives another person's health, 
as do we all. As I have heard said before people are entitled to 
their own opinions but not to their own facts. Regardless of what 
communications internally happened between the GS's and the 
Administration, the fact that a letter with innuendo such as "seeming 
to be recovering" was sent by the President of the American Section 
to the entire TSA mailing list constitutes at minimum a breach of the 
confidentiality of the mailing list, which I pointed out personally 
in an email exchange with Bro. Bland. 

She responded to me by offering to allow me to send yet another 
letter to the entire mailing list at my own cost of $1400.00 (she 
stated she paid personally for her mailing) to counter her letter. I 
declined and filed a protest with the International Secretary, to 
which I have received no response.

It would seem that someone motivated enough to spend $1400.00 of her 
own money and the time necessary to write and post the letter to the 
entire mailing list should simply not also be in position of 
arbitrator of the vote count. 

I do not care to get into the politics of this issue any more and 
will not post further on this issue , but suffice it to say that 
there are many issues that Theosophists should be looking at to 
ensure the relevance of the Society in the future, among them 
upgrading our technology to the digital age, using digital technology 
to create programs to attract younger people in the wake of our 
declining membership, working together to unite a world suffering in 
so many ways, and ensuring that the Society that we leave behind is 
improved from the one we inherited. One thing no one can dispute is 
Radha is one of the true bridges of the generations of the Society 
that we are losing. We should be counting our treasures rather than 
bickering amongst ourselves. To create a nucleus of brotherhood we 
must be brothers first.

Jason Shreeram


--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "Konstantin Zaitzev" 
<kay_ziatz@...> wrote:
>
> --- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, mkr777@ wrote:
> 
> > From "Viquetor1@ 1:24 pm (3½ hours ago)
> 
> > I demand the invalidation of ALL ballots from the American 
Section 
> > and any other Section where misleading information regarding the
> > International President has been disseminated.
> 
> It would be unfair. Every national section has its preferences, and 
> cancellation of the section's voices will decidedely move balance 
in 
> favour of one of the candidates.
> 
> Moreover, it is possible that the "misleading indormation" was 
> disseminated with that very intent ? to invalidate the voices of 
> certain sections. Also it is insulting to the members of these 
> sections, as it pictures them the brainless sheeps unable think for 
> themselves.
> If you regard the elections unfair, you may demand cancellation of 
> current elections and restarting them without participation of both 
> current candidates. Two NEW candidates should be nominated.
>