Heat and Light and Civility

[Nathan Newman]

Before people get the idea that it was Rakesh who talked to Doug, I want
to make clear it was myself.  I asked Doug that Carroll be issued a
warning and asked to apologize.  Otherwise, I noted that if there were no
rules of civility on this list that would be enforced, I would begin
returning fire with fire.

I have watched young activists physically assaulted by white Marxist
sectarians like Carroll who claimed those activists (of color) were
insufficiently radical and thus did not deserve civility or basic human
regard.  Carroll has boasted of participating in the blowup of other email
lists and this seems part of the pattern.  The lack of civility on the
left is one of its greatest embarassments after the last two decades of
sectarian nastiness.

If the majority of this list feels it is censorship for Doug to enforce
some basic rules of civility, then that is the decision of the list and I
will regretfully find another list where personally hateful speech is not
sanctioned.  On the other hand, I hope there is a majority that can
distinguish between civility in manner versus free discussion of issues.

--Nathan Newman