Re: that NY Times article

----- Original Message -----
From: "Christina Z. Anderson" <zphoto@montana.net>
To: <alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca>
Sent: Monday, May 01, 2006 5:50 AM
Subject: Re: that NY Times article

> Amen, sista!
> Chris
>
>> But what you seem to have failed to grasp is that the
>> community includes Dave Rose and Tom Ferguson and other
>> people who don't agree with you about politics, and room
>> and respect must be offered and restraint must be
>> exercised so that people of all political stances can
>> feel comfortable belonging here and discussing
>> photography. I am probably to the left of almost any US
>> citizen here, but I don't want Tom Ferguson called a
>> nazi any more than I want people who agree with me
>> politically to be called names. The point is that our
>> political opinions should not be of interest here, one
>> way or the other, because this is not a political list.
>> The only thing of interest here is alternative
>> photography. Those who choose to continue making this a
>> political list, will kill this list.
>>
>> Katharine Thayer
>>
>
    Chris and Kathrine, I think the problem here is that
some of the posts were pretty abusive. The rules you state
above are fine but must be obeyed by all. Some people, quite
regardless of political persuasion, seem to think that they
have an exclusive on wisdom and are all to ready to ascribe
all sorts of evil motives to those who see things
differently. People have different basis in experience and
in what they believe to be fact. It takes some discipline to
keep from reacting emotionally and consider that the
opinions of those with whome we disagree come from some
basis or personal thought and experience, which should be
given some respect. Often its interesting to try to
understand how someone can arrive at an opinion so differing
from one's own.
    I certainly agree with the principal you state but also
believe that abusiveness stops all reasonable discussion and
must not be alowed here. Even if this were a political
discussion list and not one dedicated to somewhat arcane
photographc processes, personal abuse would be beyond the
pale.
    People are not always rational, if they were the world
would be a very different place.

---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk@ix.netcom.com