From: R I Caddel <[log in to unmask]>
To: british n irish poets <[log in to unmask]>
Date: 13 November 1998 13:08
|As listowner I have to sound a note of disquiet when the list is used to
|carry on personal arguments (i.e. arguments between individuals), and must
|remind members that it's especially dubious when the people thus
|argued-with don't (as far as I know) have access to the list. Bill
|Griffiths rightly wished to use the list to refute a published piece,
|since he had received no satisfaction from the publication itself, or the
|author. That seems OK to me, and it's initiated useful discussion - which
|is actually the purpose of the list. I believe that Duncan has access to
|e-mail, and of course he's free to reply.
I want to sound a note of disquiet about this response; but, as I have
pointed out to Ric back channel, I cannot actually express here clearly what
my concerns are without infringing his rule in the spirit. What may appear a
reasonable exercise of restraint silences me on an important matter which is
being largely ignored. That's a pretty silencing note of disquiet; I do not
think it is reasonable.
It has already been said, erroneously, on this list that the matter referred
to is personal; and I have refuted that... I cannot explain that further
without infringing the rule implicit and explicit in the note of disquiet
It is a strange new rule given that I had already said, a week ago,
"Regarding Bill Griffith's mail, I wrote on 2 11 98 and have yet to receive
a reply. If I do not receive one and / or if Bill does not, I shall post my
whole letter here." I then *quoted from my open letter. I then said "It will
not be good enough, for me, for Andre Duncan to "disavow" the article - he
must explain and apologise"
My intentions, which I did not fulfill completely, were quite clear to
everyone and I was not told then that I was wrong. I was not told then that
the proposal was "dubious".
One of the exciting things about a list like this is that we could build a
community. A community protects its members and others. If we do not defend
each other effectively, then we will never have a community. I had thought
that if there were was any kind of a "them" and "us", then they stabbed each
other in the back and we stood by each other.
I believe that the reason we are in this particular situation is because
most of them have turned away, like this, before.
Thanks to those who sent me support for taking a stand. I accepted the
terms on which I joined the list and will not argue
Lawrence Upton
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