[sumo] Iraq / NY etc [off topic]

[smk1 at columbia.edu]

Deep breaths taken.

Now let me expound.  Long time posters and contributors here, such
as Emmett are friends of the mailing list.  Emmett hasn't posted
his political views here, and it was obvious that he was relating
his own personal experiences in Ramadi.  As a friend of the mailing
list, I am interested in his personal experiences, as I am
interested in the personal experiences of those who are supporters
of this mailing list.  My politics are not always the same as those
of my friends, and I haven't posted them here, but I think as a part
of a multinational mailing list we all are mature enough to be
respectful and tolerant of each other's views.  Gosh, how much
discussion has been made of the politics of foreigners in sumo, and
do you think that is offensive to our Japanese members?

Bottom line is that Emmett's post came as a friend.  It is more
valuable to me, as a New Yorker, than any news program or newspaper
article.  And when you have had soldiers with rifles patroling my
subway stations, reports such as those from friends in Iraq are not
political, they are informative.  Censorship of personal
experiences, no matter how they may differ from your politics, is
simply that, censorship.  How would you feel if I posted here on my
experiences in cancer research, interactions with corporations, FDA
approval of drugs, NIH funding???  Would that be censored if my
experiences were not what everyone wanted to hear?  Hopefully you
would accept that it comes from a friend of the mailing list,
nothing more, nothing less.  If you want to turn it into a
political statement, that is your doing.  The mailing list either
transcends politics, nationalities, etc. or is censored by it.

Perhaps I am a bit touchy on this specific subject, but the smell of
9/11 and the shock at seeing dust rising from the ashes is something
that I will never forget.  To hear from Emmett on a personal level
through the sumo mailing list in an [off topic]- labeled post is
welcomed with open arms.

Otherwise we'll have to eliminate all posts that are offensive to
everyone, since everyone has their issues, and I don't think we
want to have that happen.

Sukubidubidu.

Quoting John Gunning <kachikoshi at hotmail.com>:

> Before things get too out of hand here can I just ask everyone to
> take a few deep breaths. I was shocked at the ferocity of the
> personal attack in the last mail. I don't think the poster who
> said it was inappropriate for Emmit to post his story was taking
> issue with the content. I like and respect Emmit but I must say i
> did agree that the sumo mailing list was hardly the place for
> such a story no matter how uplifting. It's not the fact that it
> wasn't sumo (there are often off-topic posts) but the fact that
> it strays into one of the two topics that are best avoided on a
> multinational list like this. Those being politics and religion.
> While his post was not overtly political I fear anything
> concerning Iraq and the US millitary cannot avoid that
> designation. On the sumo forum as many will know those two
> subjects are pretty much the only taboo ones. The mailing list
> might have a bigger percentage of American members than the forum
> but I think the same approach here wouldn't be a!
>   bad idea either.Thanks to Emmit for your uplifting story. I
> don't mind getting mails like that, but it might be better if you
> sent a group mail to the people you know who would be interrested
> rather than the SML.
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