Before addressing the "forgive and forget" question, I must disagree=20
strongly with the idea that we are overreacting to a minor faux pas.=20
This incident was not an isolated outburst; it was the most extreme=20
example of an ongoing pattern of disrespect and personal attacks on=20
members of our community.
Forgiveness is probably more appropriate than forgetting. No one should=20=
expect the forgiveness to survive any more anti-social relapses.
I am willing to accept the sincerity of Gene's apology, but I am not=20
sure that he really understands the problem. He thinks of his fate in=20
dramatic, war movie terms:
> Whence I appropriately was stripped of my rank, my saber broken, and I=20=
> was drummed off the list.=A0
Does anyone else hold the illusion that rank, symbols of rank, or=20
ritual are a part of this list?
This community is not about hierarchy. Bruce's administration of the=20
list is the closest thing we have (and this incident indicates that he=20=
is serving us well). We are not here for any kind of competition; you=20
don't achieve enlightenment by expressing pity for people who are less=20=
enlightened than you are.
I think that most of us are here to learn from each other, and to share=20=
what knowledge and experiences we have. Common sense dictates that we=20
not share other peoples property without their knowledge and consent.
Rich=
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Feb 23 2005 - 15:42:31 PST