From: Samantha Atkins (samantha@objectent.com)
Date: Mon Aug 18 2003 - 02:48:23 MDT
On Monday 18 August 2003 00:32, Lee Corbin wrote:
> About a week ago, a contributor of long standing was suddenly
> and summarily expelled from this list, an act that seemed to
> me capricious and perhaps arbitrary, and for several days after
> that, I didn't feel like posting anything. During that time,
> I thought that I was just annoyed, and that it would pass.
>
It was not in the least capricious or arbitrary. It was a long time coming
that some action to actually enforce certain standards would be taken. Nor
was the particular person an arbitrary choice. I am sorry that you can't
see that.
> But my feelings on the matter did not change in the days
> following, and I finally figured out why. It was due to
> the large number of posts I'd written and threads that I
> had started in the past two years extolling to the skies
> this list and the people who ran it; the theme of those
> many, many posts was that through thick and thin, freedom
> of speech had always won out in the end on the Extropians
> forum.
>
Freedom of speech does not require the freedom to verbally attack and demean
without consequences. I am sorry if you believe it does or should.
> I now feel like a fool.
>
I suggest you use your fine mind to see that that is due to one particular
interpretation of the facts and of what the freedom you care about really
means and requires.
> However, I could live with that---after all, one does many
> foolish things in life and one gets over it after a while.
> But there is something far worse than looking or being
> foolish.
>
> I will not be a hypocrite.
>
Admirable. But that doesn't make you right in your interpretation.
> My only choices are to either leave this list, or begin a
> series of posts taking back all my fine words, renouncing
> my praise, and admitting that my perceptions had been wrong,
> or else pleading that actions like this never recur, or, etc.
> etc.---moves sure to foment controversy and ugly discord (and
> which would probably result in my own expulsion anyway).
>
It is very strange that someone who claims their are no objective values would
claim that utter unregulated free speech apparently with no consequences for
various offenses is such an objective and inarguable value that you would be
morally sullied if you accepted actions based on any other view. That you
act like it was some kind of betrayal of clear values is even more amazing.
I hope you rethink this. I value your participation a lot.
- samantha
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