Re: Jeff Lamarche: Public Enemy #1
Re: Jeff Lamarche: Public Enemy #1
- Subject: Re: Jeff Lamarche: Public Enemy #1
- From: Deirdre Saoirse Moen <email@hidden>
- Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2001 10:12:44 -0700
On tisdag, juni 12, 2001, at 12:02 , David Trevas wrote:
<snip>
Please don't post things like this here. I don't know who started
it, but it doesn't belong. If you want to flame each other, do it in
private.
Actually, what happened is a very typically American (I'm American, I
can say this <g>) type of problem as a part of the dominant
anti-intellectual culture that has never been trained in rhetoric or
debate.
Jeff attacked David's ideas and David took it as a personal attack
and responded with ad hominem attacks.
Unfortunately, some people can't have their concepts disagreed with
without taking it personally -- and, unfortunately, they then lash
out and claim personal attack and make ad hominem remarks about their
perceived accuser.
Admittedly, I see this far more often on lists comprised mostly of
women as women are more likely to take disagreements as a personal
attack (I'm a woman, I can say this <g>).
The fact is, Jeff said that he considered one of David's posts inane,
and David responded, calling Jeff a "public enemy" and ending with
"Let us all make an effort to remain civil." Now, while Jeff may have
been insufficiently polite, David's response was most assuredly over
the top.
A simplifying rule in my life: I plonk anyone who ends an ad hominem
attack with a call for more civility.
Just remember: dollar for dollar, irony IS your second-best
entertainment value.
--
_Deirdre Stash-o-Matic:
http://weirdre.com http://deirdre.net
"Cannot run out of time.... Is infinite time. You... are finite....
Zathrus... is finite. This... is wrong tool!" -- Zathrus