[meteorite-list] A difference of opinion

From: Sharkkb8_at_aol.com <Sharkkb8_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:49:00 2004
Message-ID: <13c.1728abb.28d47c24_at_aol.com>

 
Kevin wrote:
<< The latter redneck suggestion personally offends me >>

I confess this took my breath away, Kevin. It really did. To claim the
"moral high ground" and lecture others in matters of ethics and values, using
ugly epithets in the process, would be humorous if it weren't so pathetic.
A pejorative is a pejorative no matter what side it's hurled from or toward.
 I'll be disappointed, Michael, if this slur was part of what you found
"eloquent", or a << sentement I was attempting to address - in so much more
"clearly" stated a manor. >>
 
<< ..... I don't waste it reading messages from those who don't have a mature
point-of-view. If I don't see an apology, I will be blocking the addresses
of these offenders from my mailbox >>

To be honest, I agree with you that a few of the stronger posts we've read
might have been more emotional than coolly rational, but I can't imagine a
much more emotional experience than the one we're collectively going through
at this very moment. But your arrogant ultimatum to list-members, demanding
a Kevin-apology for the Kevin-defined-sin of having the sheer temerity to
differ with Kevin, takes about the most genuinely astonishing amount of ego
and nerve in recent list-memory. And this is a list on which ego and nerve
are hardly scarce commodities. ;-) Pressure cookers and bipeds need
"escape valves" and it really shouldn't take a whole lot of
human-depth-perception to understand the concept of the outburst. You don't
have to share an outburst's philosophical content to understand its genesis.
True Islam is a beautiful, gentle religion and I'll bet most everyone
understands that, and respects its legitimate practitioners. So can you
really not just shrug your shoulders and chalk the outbursts up to a
combination of human passion and the unprecedented enormity of the moment?
In asking that, of course, I recognize the risk of being lumped in with yet
another Kevin-defined-group, i.e., << those who don't have a mature
point-of-view.>>

<< My time is valuable >>

Is it, now. Well, how 'bout the rest of us promise to work really, really
hard, in the hopes of achieving your exalted level?

As to Matteo (and please forgive me for being blunt, Matteo), I would guess
that many (if not most) list-members have, thus far, quietly...quietly
...grumbled to themselves a little bit, about Matteo's very frequent posts
about his ebay auctions starting, and very frequent posts about his ebay
auctions ending, and very frequent posts about his website updates, and the
very frequent "CHAAAAAAAT" posts. No one said a word. No one posted
complaints. Everyone gave him the benefit of the doubt, for quite a long
while. But in a week which is arguably the most devastating in American
history, Matteo did choose to push his personal list-advertising beyond its
already (again, arguably) excessive amount. I suspect many people regarded
this as a change from the level of the modestly annoying, to a level which
this particular week crossed the line into the vulgar and tasteless and
insensitive. I have absolutely nothing against Matteo personally and I have
only good wishes for his business enterprises, but at the same time I can
understand the frustration kindled by his perhaps unfortunate timing. I wish
you could, too, Kevin.

I suppose this un-Kevin-apologetic post will earn me one of the first
honorary Kevin-mailbox-blockages. I'll try to muddle through somehow.

Demanding no apologies and giving none,

Gregory
Received on Sat 15 Sep 2001 05:40:52 AM PDT