You had me at Hello, and then lost me!

By: Roy Ratnavel

(March 02, Toronto, Sri Lanka Guardian) Of the men who came, there are a few things demanding to be said in the face of the unending torrent of disinformational drivel unleashed by Sebastian Rasalingam. Apparently there is no absolute standard of free speech in any society. Anyone who read his article [Read] might as well ask himself into whose hands the great cause of free speech has fallen. At a glance, it seemed as if though it was written by a vulgar senile historian wannabe who uses ‘stage craft’ and ‘semantics’ to convince others of the importance of his silly, circular arguments.

Parts of the title for my rebuttal to this – ‘You had me at hello' is a memorable quote from 1996 Hollywood film Jerry Maguire, and one of the most quoted movies of all time. In my opinion seems apt for a rebuttal for Rasalingam’s incoherent morbid thoughts, which sadly sounded more like a visceral self-loathing of a lonely man of a delusional kind, than a comment – akin to the movie’s confused hero Jerry McGuire – when it comes to matters of heart, couldn’t exactly express what he really wanted to say, and made the audience painfully sit at the edge of their seats.

The absurd generalization, fake evidences, and offensive characterization seemed more indicative of a man who possessed unresolved personal neglect issues growing-up. Sadly the full measure of his guilt can never be fully balanced or atoned for. However, I'm grateful to him for refreshing all our memories about exactly how uncomfortable he is in his own “skin.” It seems that he has become quartro-multaneously terrified, racked with guilt, suspicious of everything, everyone and scared of his own shadow. As I suspected all along, and he now admits that he is a hound. But the question still remains; is he a confused porch pooch? Or, just a plain rabid dog?

In this cheap and childish rant he makes many conclusions about my origin and my intentions in order to shutdown the debate. Ironically, him deciding who is what and who is not, is like Colonel Sanders recommending the best meat for dinner. If Mr. Rasalingam can't bare the thought of his own misgivings in his life, he should consult a doctor. There has been tremendous advancement in the filed of psychiatry over the years. He should save his creatively woven self-righteous rant, moral consciousness and his dosage of brain-occupying comfy thoughts to another group of people – not, the Tamils. Because we forget more about how to help Tamils in Vanni in one day than he will ever learn in his lifetime.

Having said that I must confess to one thing, I was wrong in my initial assessment of this uncritical ventriloquist; he is not a hound. I actually now believe that he is a beautiful green parrot of the “Genocide” agenda. He does not have beautiful plumage, nor is he able to fly. Yet, he squawks like one and in his heart and mind, he is a parrot.

The pathetic conduct of his is like nothing so much as that of a man who, having relieved himself in his own hat, makes haste to clamp the brimming chapeau on his head. Someone I know once warned me not to throw stones at excrements; lest its spreads all over. I didn’t listen, but now I understand.

By the way, I got news for Mr. ‘Ira’salingam as I say adieu to him; I have been called worse by better people.

-Sri Lanka Guardian