Re: [Ghm-discuss] The posh talk does not complain with the policy

[Neal H. Walfield]

At Tue, 12 Aug 2014 03:51:09 -0400,
Alfred M. Szmidt wrote:
> 
>    > PS: for those interested, I may perform the talk off-event in
>    > case we find a suitable place, we will see..
> 
>    Well I�d find better to directly see a talk which isn�t based on
>    human discrimination/offense/aggression rather than still having a
>    potentially nasty thing happening elsewhere� What do you think of
>    that?
> 
> This is exactly the knee jerk reaction that people get when one starts
> talking about policies like these.  They cannot make a rational
> argument about _what_ exactly is offensive, only that it is or has to
> be and get upset.  You don't even know what Jose's presentation is
> about, but assume that it has to be the worst of the worst.

This argumentation is absurd: clearly it is about one of these topics;
Jose said he can't give his talk, because it violates the policy.

> The GNU project has always stood up for the right of exepression, be
> it a bit crude or not.  But what is or is not "offensive" is simply up
> to the insensiblities of people -- the word "offensive" should be
> added to the list of words to avoid, since it is devoid of any
> meaning.

Sorry, the GNU project is grounded in being sensitive to other people:
the GNU project is about sharing and empowering people; the GNU
project is very much a humanist (I use the term loosely) project.
Being insensitive to other people, particularly for no good reason, is
the antithesis of this.  If you want to be a Brogrammer, go someplace
else.


There are two types of freedom: freedom to and freedom from.  Both are
important.  Freedom of speech is a freedom to type of freedom.
Freedom from rules are often expressed negatively.  For instance, most
countries dictate what side of the road you can drive on.  If you
drive on the wrong side you can be punished.  This appears to be a
restriction.  But without this rule, it would be so dangerous to
drive, that people simply wouldn't do it.  Thus, the restriction
increases freedom: it makes it possible to move around via car with
less fear.

By creating a rule that we are to respect the sensibilities of others,
we are adding a restriction, however, it is a restriction that,
similar to the driving rule, will encourage more people from different
backgrounds to participate.

I want to be part of a project that encourages mutual respect.  I
believe that you are a vocal minority.  I encourage you to reflect and
either change your behavior or go elsewhere.

Neal

P.S. For more information about "freedom from", see John Locke, e.g.,
<http://readingforexams.blogspot.de/2009/07/locke-and-freedom.html>.