Re-Laird Redux

[Wayne Johnson]

I think  Bob and I share something of a common ground on the issue of the
"don't know when to stop" Mr. Laird and the "stop me before I become pompous
again" Mr. Ford.
It is not that the Ghetto list shouldn 't provide a forum for all opinions,
no matter how looney.  It should.  Consider the vital role the Ghetto and
Ranger provided in providing Austin of the Sixties with a lot of its
intellectual flavor, content and "if it smells like a dead hog, it IS a dead
hog, honey" style.  Without the creative and utterly mad capitalism of the
Moriaritys and Sheltons of the world...read: Austin...would there have been
a Rip Off Press?  You can't always predict what will happen.  (Well,
actually you can.  Note that Prez Bush will stiff the elderly and the poor
this coming (mild) winter for fuel oil relief.)

But providing a forum isn't an exercise in Free Speech any more than
shouting Fire in a theater is.  Yes, you can do it, but there are bad
consequences and you should exercise some restraint when exercising your
freedom.  Likewise, I argue, people posting to this list should NOT make
narrow and prejudicial assumptions about what motivates other members of the
list.  There has always been (for the couple of years or so I have been on
the list) a fair amount of sarcasm and heavy handed with.  I made a TERRIBLE
mistake once regarding Bob Simmons and I feel regret for what I said to this
moment.  So one has to read carefully sometimes before pushing the "launch
rant" button on the computer.   I am guilty of this as well...as I am sure
some have noticed but been polite enough not to rub my (virtual) nose in.
This is, as said so well elsewhere, a pretty sophisticated group which,
individually and as a group, been through some pretty "interesting" times
and been able to maintain it (relative) sanity.  Moriarty has suffered a
terrible loss but I don't think he would advocate killing everyone who
disagrees with him.  We need to be patient.

Having said THAT.  I, personally, have run entirely out of patience with
some on this list.  Tired of pomposity, whining "I am more Liberal than
Thous"  (Jeez, I had enough of that from Berkeley all those years), tired of
poorly reasoned arguments, abstruse quotations, lack of data/evidence, lack
of rhetorical style and lack of anything better to do than post 50 thousand
words to the list.   The DEL button is close at hand and Outlook has lots of
ways of diverting unwanted email.

Enuf.

Wayne


-----Original Message-----
From: austin-ghetto-list-admin@pairlist.net
[mailto:austin-ghetto-list-admin@pairlist.net]On Behalf Of telebob x
Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2001 1:55 AM
To: austin-ghetto-list@pairlist.net
Subject: Re: Re-Laird



Mike...

I was afraid de-listing Don would stir up a hornet's nest, so don't use my
ennui with the latest content as a reason to bar him.  Like I said, I don't
care if he stays or goes. I just want to not allow myself to get stirred up
by the latest lock-step rad-think crap that appears in here so
often....never mind that I contribute to the crap element often enough.

For me the weird thing is being called a flag waver.  I do support the US,
though I hardly support many of the policies of the present administration,
but that stance seems to be too complex for some in here. I always liked
that line about .... "the sparks of conflict that yield a light wherein the
truth can be seen."

So if I have to vote, I will vote for allowing him all the rights in the
world to stay and be ignored (by me at least). Whatever perverse pleasure it
might give me to see him de-listed, I think it is a bad idea...even if most
of us never met the guy and don't have a clue who he is.

(In fact, after the present argument blows over, we could later de-list him
for being an auslander...just so people don't think he is being ousted
solely for expressing his "ideas" and "facts".)

Gee I wish Walli was still on the list.

Ciao and shalom,

Tele

-Brought to you by Kundalini Brothers Chakra decongestant.  Look for the
snake on the box!-





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