[Rhodes22-list] Civility - Warning - May require thought...

[brad haslett]

Robert,

Ah yes!  The civilization of the pool cue!  Got to witness that first hand in a contractors bar in Gulfport, MS about 18 months ago (they call them "con" tractors not "good" tractors for a reason).  My involvement in the ordeal was to hurriedly escort the "pool cuelee", a young man who'd just had a pool cue broken over his head out the door. My concern wasn't so much for him as it was I felt too busy to be a witness in a murder trial.  The "cuelor" immediately took offense to my actions and targeted me next (with the stub).  Fortunately, I've been through post 9/11 Cockpit Defense training and leaned on all my resources learned in the classroom and hand-to-hand fighting to come to the following logical conclusion, "run the hell out of this place!"

JB made a salient point - the implication was that the people who post here most often know each other well, sometimes in the flesh, but in many cases only in cyberspace. Either way, they don't take each other too seriously or if they do, it's forgotten the next day.

I guess the question is, do we want a big Italian or Greek family who sits down for supper and has an energetic family discussion or an uptight anal-retentive Waspish get-to-gather?

See!  You can't win at this game.  I've pissed off Italians, Greeks, and many of those other people without even trying.

How 'bout you write the 'Roberts Rules of Orders for da List' and we'll all fall in line.  You're one of the most sane and rational ones here anyway, we could probably use a benevolent dictator.

Brad




--- On Tue, 7/22/08, Robert Skinner <Robert at squirrelhaven.com> wrote:

> From: Robert Skinner <Robert at squirrelhaven.com>
> Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Civility - Warning - May require thought...
> To: "The Rhodes 22 Email List" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> Date: Tuesday, July 22, 2008, 9:53 PM
> While we speak of this list being the equivalent of
> discourse
> in a sailor's bar, we may be forgetting that those who
> visit
> such a bar are generally less inclined to give insult than
> some
> on this list.  In a bar, feedback is sometimes immediate
> and
> direct non-verbal behavior modification.  With a pool cue.
> 
> Learned by observation in Jacksonville, NC and other
> places around the globe and anchorages.
> 
> Talk is cheap when there is no civilizing feedback.  Doubly
> so when the neck is not exposed.  One reason for
> society's
> general prohibition of discussion of sex, religion, or
> politics
> at the dinner table is the tendency of people to become
> heated, if not completely irrational, concerning these
> these
> topics.
> 
> When we permit the discussion of these topics, we also
> admit the polarizing and antagonizing effects thereof, and
> need to exercise some restraints.
> 
> As Archie admonished, we might have to say to some,
> "Stifle yourselves!"  Freedom has a price, and
> the price
> of free speech is civility.
> 
> Thank you for considering this,
> /Robert
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