Ellipsis and the Practice of Selective Reading

[Derek C. Maus]

On Thu, 31 Aug 2000, jbor wrote:

> I realise that you are one of the few here who still has time for
> millison

Why does this have to be a binary thing? As I thought I made clear in my
"over-reaction," I don't "have time" for any of this sniping and bitching,
I don't care who it's coming from. It annoys me as much when Doug engages
in it as when anyone else does.  

> but your over-reaction to it doesn't really serve much purpose either.

Sez you.

> And I must say I don't recall hearing this sort of complaint from you when
> the torrents of abuse and slander were spewing forth from millison --
> towards matt weiner, malignD, the great quail, paul mackin, david morris,
> kai, myself, and *many* others, *constantly* over the past several years.

Let me quote my own message for you (with a little added accentuation):

"I mean, we're taking ad hominem to a whole new fucking --->collective<---
level here, people. I simply don't care --->which of you<--- is right or
wrong any more, I just wish you'd --->all<--- quit sending out
denunciations of people you will most likely never meet in your entire
lives. Doesn't the shooting of an English professor in his own fucking
office make you --->(anyone, this is *not* directed at rj alone)<---
wonder about the possible negative results of turning an academic
discussion into an angry venting session?"

> But I guess a good vent never really hurt anyone. I'm sure you are feeling
> all the better for it.

Is this condescension really necessary? I'm not a two year-old.

> What I would be interested in hearing from you -- and davemarc, too, btw --
> coming to know what little about you both that I do by virtue of this
> virtual community in which we participate, are your opinions on the issue of
> the representation of the Holocaust in *GR*.

Well, if I had actually been interested in adding my voice to the chorus
already discussing this topic, I probably would have done so long
ago. 

It's there, it's not central; it's important, it's not overriding.

> I'm serious and not in the least being snide. I believe I respect both
> yours and davemarc's obvious expertise in and sensitivity to this
> topic greatly.

I appreciate that (also not being snide), but I hope you also then respect
my right *not* to chime in on the subject. If I feel like I have something
to add, I will do so, but many others on both sides of this artificial
divide have added plenty of insight already.

To all: Sorry if the word "fucking" offends. Frustration leads to
occasional vulgarity. I figure we've all read GR, right?

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Derek C. Maus               |   "Heck, I reckon you wouldn't even be
dmaus at email.unc.edu         |   human beings if you didn't have some 
UNC-CH, Dept. of English    |   pretty strong feelings about nuclear
http://www.unc.edu/~dmaus/  |   combat."  --Major Kong, DR. STRANGELOVE
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