[Peace-discuss] Cartoon hysteria

[C. G. Estabrook]

"Civility" is hardly the problem.  Discrimination and
injustice -- whether in petty matters, as at WEFT, or in
criminal matters, as in our government -- are still
discrimination and injustice, even if done civilly.  

To be concerned about civility rather than minor or major
crimes is madness -- a massive exercise in missing the point,
or what the Freudians calls displacement.  Elsewhere it was
called straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel. --CGE   


---- Original message ----
>Date: Wed, 08 Feb 2006 19:08:48 -0600
>From: "John W." <jbw292002 at gmail.com>  
>Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] Cartoon hysteria   
>To: Bob Illyes <illyes at uiuc.edu>,
peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net
>
>   At 02:10 PM 2/8/2006, Bob Illyes wrote:
>
>     I agree with Karen regarding this hysteria over
>     some cartoons.
>     I saw Hotel Rwanda last night at Channing Murray,
>     and was struck
>     by just how much evil is like throwing a switch.
>     Suddenly folks
>     who have lived as neighbors started hacking each
>     other to death.
>     It is not easy to understand the change in
>     psychology.
>
>     I don't think what is going on is different in
>     principle from
>     the anti-communist hysteria of the 50s. Once
>     civility has broken
>     down, it isn't at all clear how one can
>     reestablish it. It
>     becomes its own reason for existence.
>
>     Bob
>
>   This is true locally, as well as nationally and
>   internationally.  What principles can we apply from
>   our recent (and continuing) conflict resolution
>   training at WEFT to forestall or heal conflict and
>   restore civility in instances where it has broken
>   down?
>
>   That is not wholly a rhetorical question.
>
>   John Wason