[Vision2020] Roy's response to Joe

[Joe Campbell]

Scott,

Here is Roy's response to a previous message of mine -- the reply to which I posted on V2020. I feel bad about posting this -- it is Roy's response, not mine -- but since it was posted in a public setting (the on-line edition of the Moscow-Pullman Daily News), I guess it is OK. If Roy has a problem with it, I accept full blame and responsibility.

Maybe you need more for the full context. If so, let me know. (Of course, I feel odd in posting any of this -- if it is wrong for reasons I haven't figured, I hope that someone let's me know. I don't think Roy would mind but I don't know if he would either.)

I'll post my previous e-mail, as well. All of this is in response to a column by Roy in last Friday's M-PDN.

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Joe, it saddens me that you have been quick to denounce my call for civility. My intention was not to address the same worn litany of accusations, but to respond to the latest nastiness with a plea for this to end. I chalk up your tone and charges to the inherent problems of emails and blogs, and to your passion for these issues, because I remember our last personal conversation in my office as cordial, fruitful, and pleasant. As I said then, and repeat again here, I welcome an opportunity to discuss with you our mutual concerns--any time. 

If we do get together, and I hope we do, I'd like to address the issue I specifically raised in my column, namely, how are we going to get along civilly as members of the same community, given our strong differences of opinion on a host of hot topics? Can we? How do we (on all sides) encourage a return to civility? Your responses here have been to repeat familiar charges, and even raise new accusations. But that's going to get us nowhere, I believe. We disagree on soome key points. Are we simply left to a future of indeterminable electronic mudslinging back and forth? I hope not. 

So I'd love to talk about how we move on from the current name calling and posting of accusations--on both sides. And I'd welcome the opportunity to sit down to a civil conversation with you again. Name the day/time.

And happy first week of advent!