[Vision2020] A Polite Request

[Saundra Lund]

Hi Chas & All Visionaries,

I appreciate the request . . . and the sentiment behind it.  Really, I do!

However, while I appreciate the sentiment, it troubles me at the same time.
Having been around the Viz block a time or two or three or four, it seems
like someone always expresses a similar sentiment around this time of year.
And, my perception is that is has little effect:  those who try to play
nicely most of the time will continue to do so . . . and to apologize when
they cross a line, and those who have no interest in harmony and
consideration and diversity and mutual respect will continue on their chosen
paths.

You -- or whoever -- gets to feel good for making such a reasonable request,
but the effect is minimal for a community atmosphere here, I'm sorry to say.

So, go ahead, folks, and take your shots at me for being a Scrooge or a
Realist or a Pessimist or whatever.  Fool me once, shame on you, but fool me
twice, shame on *me.*  Been there, done that . . . and I've seen time and
again that such a request relies on the good will of *all,* and the sad fact
is that some here don't have that good will.  Period.

Quite frankly, it also troubles me, Chas, that with your itemized list, you
targeted only one aspect of a complete picture.  It's kind of the same
problem I had with Roger Falen's post:  had he spoken out against Tony's
racism or sexual harassment or sweeping generalizations targeted towards
individuals or even *one* of the personal attacks by reactionaries against
liberals that would have been one thing, but when he chose to speak out --
publicly -- against someone who has been specifically targeted while
remaining mute against the multitude of other transgressions, that speaks
volumes in my book.

I've read your subsequent post, and I understand your point, but some of us
here have been trying to show love for a long time.  And, when your itemized
list targets *only* one side, it's hurtful and dismissive and disrespectful
to *all* the other sides as well, you know?  The outing of personal
information, the targeting of family members, the stalking, the
name-calling, the threatening of economic livelihood, the public & private
sexual harassment, the *true* intolerance (vs the trite "Intolerista"), the
outright refusal of some to address others with *basic* respect when
repeatedly requested (Mr. Gier vs Dr. Gier, Mrs. Lund vs Ms. Lund, Mary vs
Joan, etc.) . . . well, it's dismissive and hurtful . . . and unfair.  And
we do NO ONE any favors when turning a blind eye to *all* sides of a dispute
. . . 

I suppose one could interpret it in a positive manner:  you have higher
expectations from some than you do of others.  Fair enough on the surface .
. . but it's also a double standard, so it's *not* fair enough.

One of my holiday wishes (in addition to world peace and the end of hunger &
inadequate medical care and intolerance and bigotry and racism and sexism
and child abuse and elder abuse and animal abuse and corruption and
religious intolerance and . . .and . . . and . . . and . . . ) is that your
polite request will have an effect on those who need it.

But, I also hope that it won't have a silencing effect on those who have
been mistreated and misrepresented on V2020!  I hope people will support
their opinions with facts rather than simply parroting any "party line."
When challenged, I hope they will respond with rationality and substance
rather than emotion and personal attacks.

And, I hope that we can send each other ***genuine*** holiday wishes rather
than trying to fit all into our own narrow little boxes.  That includes the
disrespectful of diversity capitalization of "CHRISTmas"!  Or, do you just
want to ignore that???


Happy Holidays,
Saundra Lund
Moscow, ID

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do
nothing.
- Edmund Burke

***** Original material contained herein is Copyright 2006, Saundra Lund.
Do not copy, forward, excerpt, or reproduce outside the Vision 2020 forum
without the express written permission of the author.*****


-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
On Behalf Of Chasuk
Sent: Wednesday, December 20, 2006 9:37 PM
To: Vision2020
Subject: [Vision2020] A Polite Request

Could we please stop with the Hairless, Comb-over, HeirDoug, Dougie-boy,
etc?  It really is quite juvenile, and is truthfully embarrassing when it
comes from the pens/mouths/keyboards of anyone over 12 years of age.  Worse,
it negates any valid argument that they may have existed.

It's soon Christmas, and after that, New Years.  Could we all agree to a New
Year's resolution to act like grown-ups?  I know, it's fun to let our inner
child out once in a while, but when we allow ourselves this freedom too
often it grows tiresome, and when it comes from someone with who I am
otherwise in sympathy, I am doubly dismayed because it manages with one
thoughtless word to discredit "our side."

Can we try, pretty please?

Chas

--
"Intolerance betrays want of faith in one's cause." -- Mahatma Gandhi