Bill writes:
>I feel it is far more serious, Diane.
- it is, and i agree - many of us have been subjected to these kinds of
hostilities, both publicly and in private, and it is always surprising,
hurtful.
by the same token, mis-postings are difficult to deal with, because who
knows who is writing what in their private posts?
like you, i speak my mind directly when i feel the, um, urge to rant or
bitch about something,
and there have been times when i have been denounced for my perspectives
here,
but i also see this as a part of the process.
>
>I am prone to looking at things squarely and calling them for what they
>are. I hope that I am wrong in thinking that I am witnessing one more
>crime of intolerance, a growing hatred for those who are different, and
>growing hatred for those who stand for that diversity.
no, i think you are absolutely right in seeing it this way, but the
double-jeopardy piece here is that if _I_ make that call, i am a paranoid
lesbian-radical, the bull-dyke in army boots (which is sooooooo not me,
but i know how i am usually conjured in the minds of others, disembodied,
lesbians are always bull-dykes, i well remember the slanderous punch)
.Yet when you make that call,
you are a sensible voice in the wake of a personal attack. no doubt my
effort to lighten the impact was a reflex, trying to avoid incurring the
usual reactions... it's very personal, of course.
for those of us who have stayed here through the thick and thin of it,
and those who are in it for purposes that seem difficult to understand.
having been attacked a few times this past year, i admit i may have
adopted a more cowardly approach. thanks for speaking up, and shame on me
for allowing that fear to jostle my nerves.
>I will not able to participate in what may come in the next three days,
>as a result of this posting, because of travel. It is necessary,
>however, for me to express now that I believe the inciting posting is
>just yet more evidence of hostile, antagonistic, slanderous, and coercive
>communications, both publically and privately, and indicative of deeply
>seated beliefs and feelings that threaten to shut down the diverse and
>creative joint work of xmca.
i don' think these are threats to the discussions, but opportunities to
remind ourselves
of the reality of academic politics, those which we are all subjected to,
those which some of us commit, i doubt anyone here is innocent of
intolerance in some way or another.
this doesn't make it okay to speak so slanderously behind the backs of
those who try to keep this list creative and interesting,
but, perhaps you are right, it offers an window for discussing how this
plays out in everyday academic politics.
>
>I have personal been exposed to greater outrage on a backchannel, when I
>protested Paul's practices in the past. We have seen several xmca'ers ,
>our best and our brightest, badgered and literally beaten up and bullied,
>publically, though slyly, and IT IS WRONG. These practices are not of
>those things that can be glossed over and forgotten.
...and yet, they are. when others such as judy, eva, myself, or jay, have
been attacked, the events have been ignored. so the usual response is to
ignore the offence and hope that it will go away. you're right. it IS
wrong, and perhaps this time something will be done, perhaps the
discussion can be more explicit about how harmful these kinds of attacks
can be,
and certainly i am not innocent of such - i recall confronting Mr. Dillon
several months ago
and being slapped down by a few folks for my inappropriate responses.
so again, i reckon it depends who stands up and says "this is wrong" and
who is
permitted the privilege of doing so without being subjected to
disciplinary measures for doing so.
>
>Apologies do not cut it. Kindness and politeness fail here. My protest
>is now public record.
GOOD!!! thanks bill, really, for putting this into the more serious line
of thinking.
as i say, i cowered off due to the hauntings of attacks made against me in
the past,
but i do think this is something that might be confronted more
specifically. this is not the first time such offences have taken place. i
say it's time to deal with it.
thanks for speaking up bill.
diane
>
>Somberly,
>
>Bill Barowy, Associate Professor
>Lesley University (Effective September 5, 2000)
>29 Everett Street, Cambridge, MA 02138-2790
>Phone: 617-349-8168 / Fax: 617-349-8169
>http://www.lesley.edu/faculty/wbarowy/Barowy.html
>_______________________
>"One of life's quiet excitements is to stand somewhat apart from yourself
> and watch yourself softly become the author of something beautiful."
>[Norman Maclean in "A river runs through it."]
>
>
>
**********************************************************************
:point where everything listens.
and i slow down, learning how to
enter - implicate and unspoken (still) heart-of-the-world.
(Daphne Marlatt, "Coming to you")
***********************************************************************
diane celia hodges
university of british columbia, centre for the study of curriculum and
instruction
==================== ==================== =======================
university of colorado, denver, school of education
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