Post from the Discourse

I just posted this over at the e-mail list-serve, but I figured I should put it up over here, 'cause I think the people over here smell better and might also like to read what I wrote.

We've managed to lower the state of discourse on the new Community Digest of Civil Discourse to the lowest it's ever been.

In the middle of a generally well-thought out discussion, we've managed to pick one person and hold that person up to ridicule in front of the whole campus. This person didn't seek out that attention, that person only posted their opinions in a private forum. I'm not going to say that what that person wrote was acceptable, because it wasn't, but I am upset that we've basically resorted to spying to prove our points.

The discussion was begun when one person stated (roughly) 'men at Colby are rude and uneducated' because evidently, we men haven't been flocking to buy tickets to the vagina monologues at the table in cotter, and, sadly, some of the men have responded to the cat-calls in a rude manner.

As a side note…I think I’m probably one of those rude people. I was walking down the hallway from Pugh to the P.O., and while I was approximately right next to the P.O. window, the people at the Vagina Monologue Table called out to me, and 'invited' me to buy a ticket. I shook my head, and walked toward my mail box...I was in a hurry and didn't have any money (much less, ten dollars), so I didn't stop to apologize profusely for not brining my wallet and not having time to go to the play...since that's evidently the polite action when people are selling things in Cotter, though I hadn't noticed this code of behavior before. I apologize if people thought I was being rude…I can’t really say anymore.

However, I’m not sure I would have bought a ticket even if I had money and time to engage the people at the table. My reasons for this are similar to Michael Barrett’s, so I won’t rehash them here. Suffice it to say that I’m just a little bit embarrassed by a table full of fake vaginas…perhaps more than I would be by a table full of dildos, but since I’ve never been in that situation, I can’t say.

Well, to continue the discussion, we moved from talking about what the men of Colby have said in a public place, to posting what someone wrote in a private forum. Although I believe in free speech, I think that individual probably should not have said the things he did…however, no one but him had the right to post that away message in the Community Digest of Civil Discourse without his permission.

Well, I guess we’re already back to the way things used to be…I’m looking forward to seeing more posts calling people out for bad spelling and thought-crimes. If you’re as tired as I am of the digest shenanigans, the website that was previously posted is a pretty good place for dialogue…the address again is

So there you go...you can respond here, or on the e-mail...but here is more fun.

Update: well, I guess this didn't make it onto the digest...that's probably my fault...but it worked out in the end...now you have a pure post to enjoy.