Subject: Re: Recent list-serve "debate"
Mark J. Huisman (cinemark@mindspring.com)
Date: Thu, 11 Jun 1998 21:48:13 -0400
Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.19980612014813.006cfd18@pop.mindspring.com> Date: Thu, 11 Jun 1998 21:48:13 -0400 To: roundtable@cni.org From: "Mark J. Huisman" <cinemark@mindspring.com> Subject: Re: Recent list-serve "debate"
On 6/11/98, Vigdor Schreibman <fins@access.digex.net> wrote:
>
> On Wed, 10 Jun 1998, Mark J. Huisman <cinemark@mindspring.com> wrote:
> >
> > As a fairly recent newcomer to the TRP gatherings, I must say I am
> > completely appalled by the all-around lack of civility concerning
> > ATP's recent 706 filing. As a journalist who regularly covers
> > public policy, I would not like to have to debote a future piece to
> > in-sniping among a community of activists who are trying to advance
> > discourse and policy benefitting the public.
>
> While you are blowing off some hot air here abouts, Marc, it
> would be helpful to try to articulate your statements so that
> they are a wee bit more intelligible. Tell us what you are
> griping about? How does one "debote a future piece to in-sniping"?
>
> > Please be advised, however, that I monitor this list serve as a
> > journalist and I consider anything I find thereon, including personal
> > attacks, fair game.
>
> I this the solemn challenge to us mortals by a bona fide journalist?
>
> > Please find a way to discuss these legitmate matters in a mature,
> > insightful way that furthers debate. It's unpleasant to see so many
> > hardworking people sounding like everyone else running around Capitol
> > Hill.
>
> Now here is a goal that is, indeed, worth pursuing! Our first
> problem is to discover the meaning of your language, "mature and
> insightful," and then we have the basic need to "find a way to
> discuss these matters"! If you have any ideas on this topic
> that can help the participants shift their deliberations out of
> chaos, which is the law of the Internet, toward a higher level of
> community wisdom, please do let us know ;-).
I'm not blowing off hot air, and I'm sorry if that's how it came across.
And please excuse my hurried misspelling of devote (I typed debote). I
just see a great deal of incivility on this board lately, much of it
(although I realize we are not personally acquainted) by people whose
opinions and work I genuinely respect. It pains me to see them
needlessly resorting to the same kind of personal attacks that permeate
all of Washington today. I don't think this mode of "disagreement"
facilitates informed, reasoned debate about anything. I'm sorry my
comments seemed like griping; they were meant to be a statement
that I think people who work so hard in the interests of the public
generally,which so few people truly do, that they can do better, even
when they disagree.
Mark J. Huisman
335 Greenwich Street, 14B
New York, New York 10013.3325
(212) 431-7601 (voice/fax)
cinemark@mindspring.com
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