Come: Let Us Reason Together

[Henry M]

Good one, Greg!

Now piss off! <LOL>

On  4 Nov 96 at 10:30, Greg Montalbano wrote:

> Date:          Mon, 04 Nov 1996 10:30:54 -0800
> To:            pynchon-l at waste.org
> From:          Greg Montalbano <Greg.Montalbano at ucop.edu>
> Subject:       Come: Let Us Reason Together

> Now that the flame wars are dying down, I would like to enter a plea
> for understanding and forbearance among the members of this list. 
> These are particularly tense times;  here in the US, having an
> imminent election certainly isn't helping.  Frustration and rage are
> always just below the surface;  it takes very little, these days, to
> bring it erupting to the surface.
> 
> One of the greatest strengths of this list is the diversity of the
> members -- I defy you to find, anywhere in the web, a list that
> contains a wider (or wilder) assortment of ages, races,
> nationalities, educational backgrounds or temperments:  you won't
> find it on the FRIENDS chat-line; you won't find it on the GAY
> WEREWOLVES FOR CHRIST newslist.
> 
> You'll also be hard pressed to find a better selection of erudition
> than here. I would like to propose that we all start using that
> quality a bit more. I would NOT like us to agree on everything (not
> that we could);  I understand that there are some issues in the
> world of humans that will NEVER go away, that DEMAND our attention,
> and that DESERVE to inspire our anger.  My problem is with the way
> we've been dealing with those issues recently.
> 
> Let me give you an example from my life that illustrates my point
> perfectly (and demonstrates that I am not the one to cast the first
> stone):
> 
> Affirmative action has been under fire here in California for some
> time; here at the University, it has been a particularly sore
> subject.  A couple of weeks ago, as I was walking down the street
> one morning towards my building (your typical corporate monolith), I
> spotted a rather ill-at-ease looking older gentleman holding a sign
> saying something to the effect that "UC Discriminates against white
> males", or some such hogwash.  Already in a pissy mood, I ran up to
> my office, quickly scrawled out my own sign (which read "this man is
> an ASSHOLE") and ran back downstairs, where I stood next to him for
> about half an hour. We glared;  we exchanged pithy comments,
> slogans, and thinly veiled insults. Eventually we both gave up and
> went back to our lives. I submit this display on my part as a
> perfect example of WRONG ACTION; inspired by rage and frustration,
> fueled by anger, I accomplished ABSOLUTELY NOTHING (except to
> provide some co-workers with a few morning giggles).  If I had
> simply said "This man is WRONG", or "I am a white male, and I
> disagree 100%", I might have made a point without turning it into a
> pissing match;  I might have engaged him in dialog, using some of
> the facts that I, as a twenty year employee of the UC President's
> office, have acces to (eg:  the entire black population of UC is a
> mere FOUR PERCENT of the undergrad class; the "admission by
> execption" program -- aff act -- makes up a grand total of only
> about 4.7%, not only black, but white, hispanic and other;  and that
> the MAIN REASON white males are doing so poorly in UC admissions
> these days is that they are facing COMPETITION, for the first time,
> by women who score higher on their S.A.T.s .... that being the MAIN
> criterion for admission to our school).
> 
> I indulged myself in anger.  I accomplished nothing;  I didn't even
> feel better. My rage and frustration remain;  that elderly gentlman
> surely hasn't changed his mind ... since I GAVE HIM NO REASON to
> change it.
> 
> I guess what I'm asking you all is :  please don't be like me.  You
> are all intelligent;  you all have a great gift of communicating
> through WORDS.        Use it.
> 
>   Greg
> 

Keep Cool, but care. -- TRP
http://www.nicom.com/~gravity