Yes, this IS worth my time :)

• From: Durham_Devil
• Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2001 07:08:10 -0700
• Message-ID: <000TQH9MA.00074EJS7.12170551-quizbowl_at_...>

Trust me, Mr. Thorsley, any excuse you can get to
spend an hour in front of a machine doing something
that looks like clerical work but isn't is very much
worth your time. :)

Now, for the
verdict:

I've had an hour of heavy lifting to think about what
was said (I hate being a grunt). My opinion is that,
quite frankly, everyone's guilty. Myself
included.

As I've shown in these posts, for which I
wholeheartedly deserve to be mocked a la DT, the problem always
arises when people read with their heart instead of
their mind. The worst thing that can be done in any
stance on the issue is to interpret statements. This is
the cause of conflict of about half the arguments on
this board, and nearly all of those which I'm involved
in.

If you've read _A Wrinkle in Time_, you will know
the secret to combating this wave of hatred that
spewed forth on 9/11 Day, but for those who haven't,
allow me: love. Those who would commit these acts are
incapable (by choice) of loving all people. However, we are
not. I do not mean romantic love, obviously; and it
goes deeper than simply calling it "Christian love".
It is an overwhelming respect above all other
things, and a knowledge and acceptance that all ARE
created equal.

This ties neatly into the trouble
here: Both plaintiff and defendant presumed the other
to be harboring a grudge, and both immediately went
from defensive to counterattack. Respect means not
sharing in an unhealthy paranoia about one's feelings.
Yes, there are people who will disagree; otherwise,
the Kentucky Derby would be pretty boring. However,
if you have a respect for the other person that
carries over into their opinions, then a discussion can
remain civilized and to the point, as the one with
Messrs. Young and Kemezis has.

To quote Mr.
Dawson:

"Right now (or ever, for that matter), we do not need
finger-pointing, belittling of others' strongly-held beliefs, or
anger. We need to foster a community of acceptance,
respect, and love. How else can we stop such acts of hate
in the future?"

Charity begins at home. All I
am saying is give peace a chance.

(Those
wishing to call me on my own faults within the context of
this discussion may email me. Those wishing to start
flaming may do so, but do not expect a reply from
me.)

The Dishon. Andrew Goss
Speaking for himself (but
is it the dissenting view or the majority view?)