[Vision2020] Saint Politically Correct or Democratic Discussion?

[Ted Moffett]

Visionaries:

With an open un-moderated internet "talk" forum, it is inevitable that the 
content will not make everyone happy, will sometimes be in bad taste, 
insulting or felt to be a waste of time, etc.  But considering the potential 
for abuse, I think vision2020 is rather tame!

The suggestion that vision2020 posts stray from the intended discussion 
theme about Moscow's community direction, development etc. into more 
abstract discussions of religion and values, or national and international 
topics, or personal attacks or ego battles, is an accurate observation, but 
often these posts do relate to the intended theme in fundamental ways.

And to suggest that all egos and personal attacks be purged is to suggest 
vision2020 should be moderated by Saint Politically Correct.

Debates on values and their source, whether spiritual or secular, 
libertarian capitalist or socialist, environmentalist or industrialist, are 
the basis, often not fully explored, underlying how decisions will be made 
on funding public education, obnoxious billboards on the Troy Hwy., 
industrial development on the outskirts of Moscow, conservation of water, 
how much we pay for our electric bills, how polluted Moscow's air will get 
with 18 mpg SUVs increasing in number, whether our local police harass 
citizens to force entry into their homes, whether a women can sunbathe at 
the city park with her top off without being arrested, etc.

As far as the weariness induced by using the delete key on unwanted 
vision2020 posts, someone needs a vacation.  It takes all of 15 seconds to 
delete the ALL the vision2020 posts on an average day.
Consider what would happen if someone really wanted to spam the vision2020 
list, there could be hundreds of posts in one day!  I have never seen this 
happen in the past 6 months.  Has it ever?

The noise of public discussion in a democracy is not the tidy, logical, 
polite and always on topic discourse that some appear to want.  I think some 
of the complaints about vision2020 content are un-democratic in intent: they 
wish to silence voices who have a right to speak who they find disagreeable.

I feel grateful that there is a public forum such as vision2020 that is so 
open and freewheeling, and fully expect a rough and tumble and sometimes 
irrelevant or rude content.  At least we are all protected behind keyboards 
in different rooms, etc.  Some of the vision2020 discussions held in person 
at a local bar could end up with assault and battery charges.

Ted




>From: Douglas <dougwils@moscow.com>
>To: vision2020@moscow.com
>Subject: [Vision2020] Debate and dialogue
>Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 08:45:30 -0800
>
>Dear visionaries,
>
>John Pool laments the fact that vision 20/20 has strayed rather far from 
>the ideal of being a place for "community dialogue." This regrettable state 
>of affairs was apparently caused by the ongoing reluctance of some to cease 
>with the community dialogue already.
>
>Cordially,
>
>Douglas Wilson
>
>_____________________________________________________
>List services made available by First Step Internet, serving the 
>communities of the Palouse since 1994.                 http://www.fsr.net   
>                              mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com
>ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ


_________________________________________________________________
Protect your PC - get McAfee.com VirusScan Online 
http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963