Dave, I would like to say that this is not my argument, and the
points I am making here are about interpretation. I should also say
that I don't believe any post on poetryetc, including my own, is
above comment and critique, since it is a semi-public space
specifically for purposes of discussion.
The paragraph you quote seems to bear out my paraphrase. This is
where Rebecca says:
Perhaps you have dozens of women friends and perhaps no woman has
ever found you to be sexist or the qualities that go along with it,
patronizing, condescending, dismissing what the other has to say,
harrassing, etc., and if so, great, but I am not evaluating you as a
person. I'm just commenting upon your posts.
Then, when she says she finds "an element of sexism", she goes on to
say why, which is perfectly proper within the conventions of debate;
and also shows that, whether she is right or wrong, she has reasons
for making her comments. You are of course then perfectly welcome
to counter her points. The accusatory tone you claim is I think how
you take it, rather than how Rebecca wrote it; there was another
paragraph I think in which she said she was not damning you.
Your insistence on taking her comments in solely personal terms,
despite her careful siting of them within the purview of debate on
the list, is another question altogether. There is a great
difference between Rebecca saying that _you_ are sexist, and her
saying that some of your posts are sexist. One is indeed ad hominen
attack, as you claim; the other is perfectly allowable and
counterable argument. Perhaps you ought to read her post a little
more closely.
Best
Alison
--
Alison Croggon
Editor
Masthead Online
http://au.geocities.com/masthead_2/
Home page
http://www.users.bigpond.com/acroggon/
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