Fwd: [Vision2020] Leadership

[Mark Solomon]

Sean,

Your initial post is a classic bait and switch 
operation. The question that is critical to pose 
and answer is not what makes a good leader but 
why anyone today in Moscow, Idaho could believe 
that use of the Confederate battle flag is an 
appropriate symbol for use by the Chamber of 
Commerce. In light of the very public controversy 
initiated by Doug Wilson on slavery and 
neo-confederacy and the subsequent undesired 
attention bestowed on Moscow for the same, please 
explain how the use of this powerful symbol of 
intolerance betters the Moscow community or its 
business leaders.

Mark Solomon

At 10:38 AM -0700 9/1/04, sean wrote:
>Rose,
>I am trying to understand the points you make 
>below.  Are you agreeing that 1) Lee exhibited 
>laudable character traits (e.g., brave, gentle, 
>generous, noble) or 2) that those are traits we 
>would desire in community leaders?
>
>Once again I do not see the questions posed 
>being addressed.  While you may be employing a 
>laudable tactical strategy for not confronting 
>an aggressor, you might consider whether it 
>benefits public discourse to never address the 
>subject being set out for discussion.
>
>Your paraphrase misses (maligns?) the questions 
>I posed.  If someone wishes to address them it 
>would be worth rereading my first post, and 
>doing so sans the lens of pre-judgement.  You 
>may have heard the adage about parachutes and 
>minds having some similar functional traitsŠ
>
>s
>
>>
>>Visionaries:
>>
>>The question has been asked (paraphrased) what 
>>failure of leadership did Robert E. Lee exhibit 
>>that would preclude him for being an excellent 
>>choice for the subject of a leadership seminar. 
>>Setting aside his ability as a tactician or 
>>strategist, which seems to me to have no 
>>relevance in the daily life of Moscow business 
>>folks - unless, unbeknownst to the community 
>>the Pullman Chamber has declared war on the 
>>Moscow Chamber and even as I type are slinking 
>>over the Palouse to lay siege to our fair town 
>>- it seems to me that the single most important 
>>element in leadership is judgment.
>>
>>I am clear that Lee's judgment to fight to 
>>defend a way of life - that benefited few (and 
>>those mightily) while exploiting millions of 
>>others is not an exemplary example of clear 
>>thinking.  Or, as I would argue, Lee's thinking 
>>is transparent, and that is why many 
>>Visionaries are objecting to his glorification.
>>
>>The laudatory character traits i.e. brave, 
>>gentle, generous, noble, character in defeat 
>>listed by "S." fall by the wayside when one 
>>considers the human cost of Lee's desire to sit 
>>at Arlington, sip mint juleps and listen to his 
>>wife whine (a skill in which she apparently 
>>showed considerable leadership herself.)  Do 
>>you call a man brave, gentle, generous and 
>>noble who owns and exploits other human beings? 
>>I don't.
>>
>>Rose Huskey
>
>--
>Thanks,
>s
>
>
>         * * * * * * * *
>         Sean Michael
>         .dwg